Château de Rayne Vigneau 1997

This wine exhibits a syrupy pineapple-scented nose, medium body, moderate sweetness, and a fruit-driven personality with little complexity. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2017. This wine is an uninspiring, mainstream, blatantly commercial example of Sauternes. (No tasting note was provided in Issue 128. We have instead included the text of the tasting note from Issue 122)

Has botrytis character and intense aromas of honey, spice, almond and dried apricot. Full-bodied and very sweet, with a long, thick finish. Best after 2004.

Oaky, with a kirsch overlay, yet great tension too. This wine is absolutely massive, the biggest and most powerful in the tasting. Everything required for a long life is packed into this blockbuster, but there is no need to pull the cork for ages. (JR)

An intense yellow color with the first golden highlights. On the nose, an explosion of aromas: peppery botrytis, subtle hints of exotic fruit, flavors of mirabelle plums and acacia honey, fine herbal notes, white pepper and white chocolate, full-bodied, supporting the bouquet. On the palate, candied kumquats, caramel notes, buttery nuances, freshly baked almond biscuits, a fresh acid structure, very long, a dancing harmony, constantly improving since the first barrel samples, now among the best wines of the vintage, the best Rayne Vigneau in a long time.

98: Barrel sample (18/20): peppery, wide-ranging Sauternes bouquet with notes of melon, honey, and a hint of passion fruit. On the palate, well-supporting acidity, a lovely botrytis note; shows charm and elegance, gentle dryness in the astringency, yet particularly long on the finish. 03: Intense yellow; first golden glimmers. On the nose, a real orgy of aromas; peppery botrytis with slightly exotic fruit nuances, mirabelle plums, acacia honey and fine herbal hints, white pepper and white chocolate that generously bolster the bouquet. On the palate, candied kumquats, caramel, buttery notes and freshly baked almond biscuits; thanks to the fresh acid structure, the wine is very long and displays a dancing harmony. Since the first barrel tastings it has consistently improved and ranks among the best wines of this vintage, and is likely the best wine from this Château in a long time. (19/20). 07: Unfortunately, the bottles from the Château cellar at the dinner in Bremen were tired and dull. I hope that’s not a bad omen for further encounters with this wine, which has always been wonderful so far! 11: At a dinner at Rollan de By, it seemed rich to me, but also quite fat.

Silky, opulent bouquet, orangeade, chalk. Broad, lavish palate with pronounced sweetness, light acidity, soft, plush finish. 17/20 drink

Yellow-green color. Sun. Intense, refined, fresh-fruity nose. Mango and mandarin. Broad attack on the palate, unfolding into a silky yet powerful, rather rich body. Slow, flavorful evolution toward a complex taste of candied orange and mandarin liqueur. Lovely aromatic and spicy persistence that could be even more delicate and subtle.