My interview with Alessia Amighetti of Chateau de Rayne Vigneau, a 1st growth of the Sauternes area from the 1855 classification. The Chateau is located in the Sauternes region of Bordeaux where primarily sweet wines are produced. Founded in the early 17th century, the Chateau was acquired in 2004 by CA Grands Crus, a holding company that owns several other Chateaux in Bordeaux. A typical Sauternes is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Botrytis Cinerea is the”Noble Rot”, which is a fungus that forms on grapes left on the vine for a late harvest. In wet conditions the Botrytis actually rots the grapes and renders them unacceptable for wine production. However, it is the dry conditions that create the perfect environment in fall/winter for the grapes to develop their raisin like character and for Botrytis to take hold. In the latter case the rot is deemed “Noble”!. There are several Chateaux in Sauternes that historically have skipped a vintage altogether when the conditions were deemed not worthy for the Chateau’s label to be affixed to the bottle. As late fall and winter approaches, the grapes begin to shrivel and lose moisture which in turn increase the residual sugar. The Botrytis also contributes to removing the moisture in the grapes leaving a higher percentage of sugars, fruit acids and minerals.
The 2006 wine from this estate is a nice pale gold effort with flavors of honeysuckle, lime, peach and marzipan with a smooth texture, vibrant acidity and a medium finish (POW 89, $38 average US Retail). It is perfect for a classic pairing with foie gras, or stilton cheese, or as a dessert wine. If you want to be adventurous, try it with fried chicken, trust me!
For further information please click on raynevigneau.fr
Walid Romaya
Prince of Wine
www.princeofwine.com
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Very cool stuff. Looking forward to seeing you at the WBC as well!
Thanks Alan and congratulations on the national launch of Mutineer magazine..See you at WBC!