Sigalas Rabaud 2010

Though Sigalas-Rabaud 2010 was extremely promising out-of-barrel, I never expected that it would trump d'Yquem in a blind tasting once in bottle. It has an engaging, pure and lifted bouquet with scents of lemon curd, honey, ripe oranges and quince that are extremely well-defined. The palate is well-defined with a fine line of acidity, crisp mineralite and tension. This is very composed and tightly wound, a Sauternes probably built for the long-term and not giving too much away now. Yet the class is already tangible. This is one of the best wines from the estate in recent years. Drink now-2030+.

Pale to medium lemon-gold in color, the 2010 Sigalas Rabaud leaps from the glass with notes of preserved lemons, lime cordial and apricot tart plus suggestions of paraffin wax and allspice. Concentrated and boldly fruited in the mouth, it has a racy backbone countering the seductive, densely packed layers, finishing with a citrusy lift. 2020 - 2035

Deep orangey gold. Very big and quite beery. Massively sweet - quite an achievement! With the 2010 streak of acidity. Fresh and vigorous but confident and well made. Masses of intrusive acidity. RS 130 g/l, TA 3.9 g/l. 13.7%

This has quite a bit of sulphur on the nose at first, but it clears with aeration. It remains tightly-coiled, with lemon, honey, apricot and limestone, demonstrating fine minerality. The palate has great tension on the entry, quite spicy and nutty in style, with a vibrant, zesty finish. This is an exuberant Sigalas-Rabaud with great potential.