Château Guiraud

WHY BUY IT ?

  • First classified growth of the 1855 classification, one of the most famous Sauternes
  • A talented & dynamic team lead by Sandrine GARBAY ex maître de chai d’Yquem
  • Reknown for its balance and freshness thanks to the high proportion of sauvignon (35%) 
  • Organic since 2011
  • A  Great BT Partner

History

The history of Château Guiraud brings us back to its first name « noble house of Bayle ». At that time, the estate was the ownership of the Mons de Saint Poly Family. February 22nd 1766, Pierre Guiraud, Bordeaux wine trader, buys the estate. In 80 years and three generations, the estate became a great wine when it was ranked as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1855. The estate is located in the township of Sauternes between the church bell and the vines of Château d’Yquem. July 20th 2006, Château Guiraud is bought by four personalities: Robert Peugeot and three wine makers: Olivier Bernard, Stephan Von Neipperg and Xavier Planty. The meet of these two personalities during a dinner at Paris, is the event that launched the new team. The share of wine passion, gastronomy, nature and hunting, made them agree on the quality and philosophy of the cru.

Terroir & Vinification

The vineyard of Château Guiraud is composed of 100 hectares, of which 15 are used for the production of the dry wine G de Guiraud. Their, the soil is of 80% of gravel and sandy soil and 20% of gravel and clay. The sub-soils are mostly composed of sand. The two grape varieties are the Sauvignon (35%) and the Sémillon (65%). One of the particularity of the estate is that the percentage of Sauvignon is 35% when all the other estates of Sauternes are around 15%.The average age of the vineyard is 35-40 years. Roughly, a hectare of vine produces 12 hectolitres of Guiraud. The harvest is done manually and the shortage of the grapes can be done 6 times! The Château Guiraud is an organic wine since 2011 but the estate has been experiencing it since 1996. It is the first Premiers Crus of 1855 to do so. In this way the vineyard is held specifically: the grass is left in between the vines, tillage of the soil, pruning, system of trellising, leaf thinning, etc. The fermentation is done in 90% of new wooden barrels and 10% of barrels of a wine for 2 to 3 months. The ageing is also done in barrels on the lees for 18 to 24 months. A racking is done every 3 months.

Tasting

At the tasting, Château Guiraud is offering a wine typic of the Sauternes appellation.

Their Team

  • Owner : Matthieu GUFFLET, Robert PEUGEOT, Olivier BERNARD, Stephan VON NEIPPERG
  • General Manager: Sandrine GARBAY