Château de Rayne Vigneau 2002

Aromas of ripe green apples and caramel. Medium-bodied, medium sweet, with a thick, fruity finish. Rather simple. Best after 2006. 10,000 cases made.

A little pinched nose, but great, rich, round texture on the palate. Full and rewarding. Quite marked acidity. (JR)

Very pale, bright yellow. Delicate bouquet, fresh, lots of primary fruit on the nose, almost a certain Riesling affinity, peppery, gooseberries, fresh bananas. Juicy palate, creamy flow, perfectly integrated acidity, racy, long interplay of extract, great fruit right to the finish, unique harmony.

03: Very pale, bright yellow. Delicate bouquet with lots of primary, fresh fruit; almost a certain Riesling affinity, peppery, gooseberries and fresh bananas. Juicy palate with a creamy flow; shows perfectly integrated acidity with a racy, long play of extract, great fruit to the very end, the harmony of this wine is unique. 18/20 2005–2040 Zubi separate story with photo by Patrick Eymery A château without a castle! The Bordeaux firm Cordier & Mestrezat owns the cellars and the vineyards, but not the castle of Château de Rayne-Vigneau. I tasted all the great Sauternes of the 2002 vintage on a Sunday afternoon in March together with Patrick Eymery, the cellar master at Château Rayne-Vigneau. Are you satisfied with the 2002 vintage? Patrick Eymery: <div style="font-style:italic;color:#990033">Not only with this vintage. I’ve spent my whole wine life in Sauternais and moved from Guiraud to Rayne-Vigneau in 1994. There have probably never been so many good and beautiful consecutive vintages in this region since it came into being.</div> And how would you rate the quality of the 2002? <div style="font-style:italic;color:#990033">It’s a vintage you want to drink; so a fresh, easy-drinking, almost uncomplicated year. Perhaps it doesn’t quite deserve the term we often use here, “liquoreux,” because it doesn’t show as fully sweet as other vintages otherwise rated as great.</div> Many Sauternes estates sometimes make a rare top cuvée from the best harvest lots… <div style="font-style:italic;color:#990033">The goal is always to produce the most perfect Grand Vin possible. What isn’t suitable, we downgrade as Madame de Rayne; our second wine. But if management and the weather allow it, I might still like to make a “Super-Rayne.”</div>

Fruity, fresh, elegant, fragrant bouquet with grapefruit and dried apricots. Full, balanced, dense, multi-layered palate with pronounced sweetness and good acidity. Very long, full finish. 18/20 2011 - 2035

Delicate, complex, with lovely roast notes, one of the most elegant wines in the château’s recent history; it will be ready to drink fairly soon.

Superb bouquet marked by notes of Ricola candies, lemongrass, candied fruit, caramel and orange zest. Dense and creamy, the palate faithfully reflects the aromatic profile. The wine has richness, freshness, and a flavor intensity that speaks volumes about this wine’s and this vintage’s ability to age for decades.

The color is golden yellow with sunlit highlights. The nose is clean, of medium intensity, very fruity, and fresh and pure in style. It offers lovely notes of candied fruit and hints of orange peel, recalling slightly more bitter aspects. With aeration, it is particularly clean and especially fresh. The palate entry is gentle, then the wine rises and melts across the mouth. It shows good substance and a very refined mouthfeel. The quality of its aromas places it among what I would call perfumed wines. The body is complete. It finishes flavorful, melting, and long, while maintaining its precise tactile presence. The finish recalls pear and candied fruit with notes of chestnut or marron glacé. This is a great success because it combines both presence and an airy character. Lovely finish.

Space limitations preclude including tasting notes. 2002 was an average vintage.