En Primeur This is the first year of the new estate manager Vincent Labergère, taking the place of Patrick Eymery, and he seems keen to make a statement with this his first vintage. Rayne Vigneau has tended towards a lighter style recently, and this 2009 is a resolute return to something richer, with a more concentrated mouth-feel and 160 g/l of residual. But it is also bursting with fresh fruit aromas, from the higher than usual proportion of Sauvignon (28%) and from the absolute purety of the early October botrytis. The result is a densely sweet but highly “tensile” and absolutely pure Rayne Vigneau. Bill Blatch

Decanter – 17.5 Pts: 2009 will be a great special vintage for the property, with a new team and brilliant winemaking. Complete, rich and elegant great-terroir Sauternes, not far from Clos Haut-Peyraguey in the orange and grapefruit aromas, great length.

Jancis Robinson – Oct 2011 17 Pts: Thick and sticky and very sweet and almost oily. Fresh and floral and delivers lots of (relatively simple) pleasure. Barley sugar. A little chewy on the end. En Primeur 16 Pts: A bit mousy and suppressed on the nose. Broad and burnt and a bit hard work on the palate. Drink 2016-2030

Wine Spectator – Feb 2012 93 Pts: This packs in some seriously dense creamed fig, pear and yellow apple fruit liberally laced with marzipan, heather honey and candied citrus peel. Rich and spicy through the finish, with great energy. Best from 2014 through 2030. En Primeur 92-95 Pts: Shows notes of orange and lemon peel, with dried apple. Full-bodied and very sweet, with a thick and layered palate. Long and spicy. Solid and well made.

Wine Advocate – 94-96 Pts: The 2009 Rayne-Vigneau is one of the stars of the vintage. It has a very well defined, almost understated nose with white peach, apricot and lime leaf: very pretty and succinct. The palate is very well balanced, beautifully defined with real minerality showing through the viscous, botrytized fruit. Great tension here, effortlessly counterbalancing the richness to perfection.

NB Wine lying in Bordeaux - please allow at least 4 weeks for delivery.