Château Guiraud 2004

Three centuries of wine growing 

Built on a soil of gravel, sand and clay, surrounded by forests in the heart of the Sauternes wine region and spanning a total area of 128 hectares : Château Guiraud’s unusual topography has always fostered a unique sense of freedom, right from the very start. The story of Château Guiraud starts in 1766 when Pierre Guiraud, a bordeaux wine trader acquired the estate. 80 years and three generations later, Château Guiraud became a great winery and ranked as a First Growth "Premier Grand Cru" Classé in 1855. In 2006, Rober Peugeot and three wine makers Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier, Stephan Von Neipperg of Château Canon La Gaffelière and Xavier Planty decided to buy the estate. They would like to share their passion for wine, gastronomy and nature. 

Château Guiraud is located on the Left Bank of the Garonne river in the heart of the Sauternes appellation between the church bell and the vines of Château d’Yquem. The vineyard spans over 128 hectares of which 15 are used for the production of the dry wine G de Guiraud. The vineyard has two grape varieties Sauvignon (35%) and the Semillon (65%). One of the particularities of the estate is that the percentage of Sauvignon is 35% when all the other estates of Sauternes are around 15%. 

As a pioneering proponent of biodiversity since 1996 and first 1855 Grand Cru Classé estate to receive organic certification, Château Guiraud has always been proud to declare its unfaltering commitment to the natural world. Having been awarded the Terres de Natures label in 2022 and under the leadership of Sandrine Garbay, a modest woman who is renowned for her incredible expertise. Château Guiraud produces a refreshing and contemporary Sauternes with perfectly balanced sweetness. Sauternes by Guiraud, a pioneering signature in shades of white and gold. 

The wine grows on extremely heterogeneous soils and subsoils, 80% of sandy gravel and 20% of clay gravel. The vines are 30 to 40 years old on average. Combining a perfectly balanced sweetness with a surprisingly refreshing depth, Château Guiraud revels in its distinctive character, producing a resolutely contemporary Sauternes. 

Château Guiraud 2004 is a classic Sauternes blend, with a majority of Semillon (around 65%) and Sauvignon Blanc (around 35%). The Sémillon adds richness and creamy texture, while the Sauvignon Blanc adds freshness and acidity, perfectly balancing the wine. This wine has a beautiful golden color, typical of the great Sauternes, with amber highlights already suggesting a certain evolution. The nose is complex and seductive, offering a bouquet rich in aromas. Château Guiraud lends itself perfectly to refined gastronomic pairings. It is ideal with foie gras, either pan-fried or in a terrine. Seafood and shellfish, particularly langoustines and scallops, also go wonderfully well with this wine. 

"Tasted as part of a vertical held at the chateau. The Guiraud 2004 offers milder, more well behaved aromatics than the 2003, and there is better delineation here with lifted scents of apricot blossom, marmalade and a sense of minerality that is not apparent on previous vintages. The palate is well-balanced with a fresh, viscous opening. The acidity is nicely judged and there are plenty of dried mango, marmalade and quince notes to enjoy on the harmonious finish. This is a very assured Guiraud that has an effortless quality that previous vintages did not possess. Drink now-2025. Tasted April 2013." - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate, (06/27/2013), Ratings 92, Drink : 2013-2025

"For a 2004, this is big and rich, but that is to be expected from Guiraud. The fruit is magnificently ripe, with flavors of peach and tangerine syrup along with the core of botrytis and dark honey. The aftertaste is exotically spicy." - Wine Enthusiast, February 2009