2000 Chateau Sigalas Rabaud Sauternes 750 ml

Here’s how our judging panel usually goes: We taste crisp whites, heavier whites, rosé, lighter reds, then full-bodied reds. Somewhere in there will be a trip to the taco truck. And by the time the burliest Cabernets have all been judged, we’re usually ready to call it a day. 

But the marvelous mahogany-colored bottle of 2000 Château Sigalas-Rabaud Sauternes held us in our place. When it came out, we recorked the last bottles of red, took our armfuls of glasses to the kitchen, and came back with fresh stems. If any wine was worth it, we figured, it would be a nearly 24-year-old Premier Cru Sauternes.

This wine earns the royal treatment just in its aromas alone: Effusive tones of roasted apricots and baked honey intertwine with fresh marmalade, toasted citrus peel, fresh and poached yellow peaches, butterscotch, preserved honeysuckle, and ginger. On the palate, it’s got developed flavors of caramel-coated mango, marzipan, jasmine flower, lemon curd, and vanilla bean—and man oh man, is this still alive! 

In Sauternes, Château d’Yquem stands alone. But it’s followed closely by Premier Cru chateaux that offer stunning quality and value, especially compared to the regal prices that Yquem fetches. There are only 11 Premier Cru houses, and Sigalas-Rabaud shares its coveted status with household names like Suduiraut, Coutet, Rieussec, and Guiraud.

Prior to the classification of 1855, though, Sigalas-Rabaud stood apart: In 1832, the Guide Jullien—a popular reference guide of the day—classified the quality of Sigalas-Rabaud’s production at the level of that of Yquem and Rayne-Vigneau, another current Premier Cru. Only two decades later did the current Premier Crus join their lofty company.

We’re thrilled to share this wine with you. Savor each sip.