Château de Rayne Vigneau 2020

Deep, burnished gold in colour. Bright and clean on the attack, this is good quality, with lemon zest flavours and an overall silky texture. A little flat on the finish. A yield of 16 hl/ha.

Enticing nose of mangoes, apricot jam, peaches, crème caramel and honey. Some ginger syrup. Creamy and lush, with delicious tropical fruit and a tasty finish. Drink now.

The 2020 Rayne-Vigneau is gorgeous. Ripe pear, orange confit, flowers, mint, apple tart and spice all meld together effortlessly. The 2020 has developed into a classy, subtle Sauternes with a ton of nuance and depth, but no excess weight.

Layers of sweet, spicy, white peaches, tangerine, mango and pineapple, all coated with honey, hit all the right pleasure buttons. Sweet, refined, fresh and creamy from start to finish, this is already a treat in your glass. Drink from 2023-2045.

Medium golden yellow, silver reflections. Orange zest beneath subtle notes of blossom honey, ripe mango, yellow peaches, a hint of new wood. Juicy, very powerful, ripe stone-fruit nuances, fine acidity, integrated honey nuances, notes of pineapple on the finish, a nice subtle salty bitterness on the finish, ready to drink, with further ageing potential.

Powerful and structured with fine bitterness, pear and quince flavours with honey, mild pepper notes, saffron, and balanced freshness with gentle oak and good length.

Luminous golden yellow with delicate lime-green highlights. Generous bouquet of pear purée, candied peach and acacia honey, followed by saffron and pickled kumquats. On the syrupy palate with an oily texture, firm backbone, peppery extract and a powerful body. Concentrated finish with orange zest and Grand Marnier, peach skin on the mid-length aftertaste.

Kunz Barrel Sample 2021: silky, opulent, powerful bouquet, mirabelle plum jam, lemon cream, chalk. Broad, full palate with very pronounced sweetness, fine acidity, intense aromatics, opulent structure, very long, powerful finish.

Silky, opulent, powerful bouquet, mirabelle plum jam, lemon cream, chalk. Broad, full palate with very pronounced sweetness, fine acidity, intense aromatics, opulent structure, very long, powerful finish. 18/20 2027 - 2050

Silky texture, well-balanced juice, succulent and concentrated mandarin, white peach and orange zest, giving a twist of bitterness on the finish. Yield of 16 hl/ha.

The 2020 de Rayne Vigneau has a pale lemon-straw color. It is a little broody to start, opening out to notions of baked apples and honeydew melon, with suggestions of wet pebbles, oyster shell, and chamomile tea. The palate is decadently sweet, yet balanced by savory accents and a refreshing backbone, finishing with satisfying length.

A fresh, shimmering bouquet with notes of peach Melba. Both balanced and intense on the palate, more round than long.

Sticking to the bouquet, the 2020 is clearly in hibernation! It needs time to emerge from its shell and deign to speak; above all, it wants to showcase its freshness, paving the way for citrus nuances and mineral notes. On the palate, the story changes drastically; the wine is rather slender and elegant, supported by fine bitters that, moreover, go hand in hand with the acidic structure. A pleasant, inviting wine that can be enjoyed from its youth. Not something you see every day!

95–97. Barrel Sample. Rich and intense, this wine has just the right balance of sweetness and concentrated noble rot. The wine's underlying texture is exemplary, promising much for a very fine wine.

While the nose is fine and subtle, the palate remains dominated by sweetness on the finish.