Chateau Guiraud Sauternes Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Guiraud Sauternes, Premiers Crus with wine tasting notes, and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Guiraud History, Overview

Originally known as La Maison Noble du Bayle, the estate earned its name, and its fame, when it was owned by the Guiraud family in 1766. At the time of the 1855 Classification, the wines were sold under the name of Chateau Bayle.

The black label still in use today came from the Guiraud family. The label, with its gold coat of arms logo, symbolizing their Protestant roots, is one of the oldest, original designs in the Bordeaux region and has essentially remained unchanged since it was originally designed.

The first part of the modern era for the estates begins when it was purchased by Frank Narby in 1981. At the time of the purchase, the Narby family brought in Xavier Planty to manage the property.

The true modern era for the estate started in 2006 when Chateau Guiraud was purchased by a partnership formed by Robert Peugeot and three well-known Bordeaux winemakers and chateau owners, Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier, Stephan Von Neipperg who owns numerous St. Emilion properties including Canon La Gaffeliere, La Mondotte, and Clos de lOratoire and Xavier Planty.

One of the first actions the new owners took was to remove the red wine grapes that were planted in the 1930s from the vineyards. This was followed by a modernization of the cellars and winemaking equipment.

A new drainage system was installed in the vineyards as well. The vineyards also needed a lot of replanting to increase the vine density. As you can see, this was already becoming a very expensive proposition for the new owners.

In 2010, Chateau Guiraud registered the term BioViticulture. They did this because the estate is focusing on not only organic farming but on a more global approach to sustainable viticulture. You’ll find similar practices at all the estates of Stephan von Neipperg.

Chateau Guiraud earned the coveted status of full Agence Bio (AB) organic certification starting with the 2011 vintage. All of these efforts and improvements have clearly increased the quality of the wine being made at Chateau Guiraud. In 2018, with the help of chef Nicolas Lascombes, they opened La Chapelle de Guiraud, the leading restaurant in Sauternes.

In October 2021, Xavier Planty sold his shares to Matthieu Gufflet, a passionate wine lover who is better known as a successful businessman and hotel owner. The other 3 original partners continue to remain as owners of the vineyard. In 2022, Sandrine Garbay joined Guiraud as the Director of the estate after a long and storied career at Chateau d’Yquem.

The best vintages of Chateau Guiraud are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001 and 1959.

Chateau Guiraud Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 110-hectare vineyard of Chateau Guiraud is planted to 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. The estate also owns 28 hectares of land that are reserved for parkland, greenery, and verdant, tree-filled forest land. Here, you also find biodiversity with land used to plant spices, and for beehives, which aids in the natural biodiversity of the soil.

It is interesting to note that Chateau Guiraud maintains one of the highest percentages of Sauvignon Blanc in the Sauternes appellation. This is still lower than what it was at the time of the purchase.

However, even at 35% of the vineyard, this represents a large reduction in the amount of Sauvignon Blanc planted at Chateau Guiraud, which was more than 50% of the vineyard in the past.

The terroir of Chateau Guiraud is a blend of sand, gravel, clay, limestone soils on sloping hillsides which rise to 72 meters at their peak elevation. On average the vines are close to 40 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 6,500 vines per hectare.

To produce the wine Chateau Guiraud, vinification takes place in new, French oak barrels. The wine is aged in 35% to 50% new, French oak barrels for an average of close to 24 months before bottling, depending on the quality and character of the vintage. On average Chateau Guiraud produces close to 12,500 cases of wine each year.

In 2011, the property renamed its second wine, Le Dauphin de Chateau Guiraud. Previously, the second wine was known as Petit Guiraud.

Chateau Guiraud also produces dry white Bordeaux wines named G and in select vintages. In 2020 they added a new dry white wine to their portfolio Grand Vin Blanc Sec, which is usually a blend of close to 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon. The name was changed shortly after to Le G de Guiraud’ Bordeaux Blanc Sec.

Chateau Guirau is also one of the few remaining chateaux to make a Kosher cuvee’ of sweet Bordeaux wine. On average, 12,500 cases of wine are produced each year at Chateau Guiraud.

When to Drink Chateau Guiraud, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Guiraud can be enjoyed on the young side with no decanting. In fact, it is delicious and quite a treat young, even on release! However, like all great wines, Chateau Guiraud is much better with age and does not reach full maturity until it’s between 12-30 years of age, or in some years, perhaps even longer in the best vintages!

That is when the magic happens! But that is unrealistic for 99% of the world’s wine drinkers. So, enjoy it on any special occasion that calls for it.

Of course, the wine is sweet, but there is so much, incredible, racy acidity, the wine always feels fresh, and never cloying, which makes it quite fun to enjoy young. With Chateau Guiraud and frankly, all Sauternes, the temperature is more important than decanting.

Serving Chateau Guiraud with Wine and Food Pairings

Chateau Guiraud is best served at 14 degrees Celsius, 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The wine will naturally warm in the glass, while it develops more aromatic complexities and fleshes out.

Chateau Guiraud can be served with seafood dishes, especially shellfish, lobster, crab, and oysters on the half shell. Foie gras is a perfect pairing with its natural sweet, salty, and savory characteristics. Chateau Guiraud can also be paired with roasted chicken, veal, and pork dishes that are either spicy or prepared with a touch of sweetness.

Spicy Asian cuisine, raw fish, like sushi or sashimi, and cheese, both hard and soft also make great pairings with Chateau Guiraud.

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