Château Rahoul Blanc Membre de l'Union des Grands Crus - AOC Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2015

Overview of the Wine
"A member of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, Château Rahoul boasts an exceptionally diverse range of terroirs. The history of Château Rahoul began in 1646, when Chevalier Guillaume Rahoul was responsible for the construction of this pretty chartreuse, and gave it its name. The management of the Rahoul estate was entrusted to Dourthe in 2007. Today, the Graves white is ranked among the finest of the appellation, while the red is a wine of great finesse and elegance." - Patrick Jestin

With their magnificent balance of aromatic complexity, freshness and generosity on the palate, the white Graves of Chateau Rahoul will elegantly withstand several years ageing in bottle.

Vinification & Ageing
Alcoholic fermentation in barrel.
8 - 9 months in barrel (20% new). Ageing on the fine lees with regular stirring.

2015 Vintage:
At Château Rahoul, the first buds appeared around 10 April, which is fairly normal for this sandy, gravel soil. The first few hot and sunny weeks of spring stimulated the growth of vegetation and a very even flowering took place in these ideal conditions. Such good weather throughout the season meant that the vines were in excellent health. The rate at which the vines were growing began to slow a little in July. The white varieties on the cooler clay soils benefitted greatly from moderate temperatures throughout August. We started the vintage by bringing in a parcel of early-ripening Sauvignon Blanc 27 August, then picked perfectly ripe fruit over several mornings up until 15 September. 

Grape / Blend
74% Sémillon, 19% Sauvignon blanc, 7% Sauvignon gris

Origin
Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France

Tasting Notes
Bright in appearance and pale yellow in colour. Lovely Semillon expression on the nose, revealing aromas of white peach and pineapple. Complexity and elegance define the generous palate, which flows through to a fresh, well-balanced finish.

93 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Another terrific white from the vintage is the 2015 Château Rahoul Blanc. This medium-bodied, clean, crisp effort offers classic notes of caramelized citrus, crushed rocks, white flowers and lots of brioche and toasted bread notes. It’s rich, impeccably balanced and elegant, and is high-class stuff.

91 Points - James Suckling
This shows so much sherbet and lemon-rind character. Full-bodied, energetic and tangy. A lively and layered white that shows lots of semillion character.

91/100 Points - Decanter World Wine Award
Silver

 Product size: 750ml