Château Lamothe Guignard

About Château Lamothe Guignard

Château Lamothe Guignard is one of the historic estates of Sauternes in southern Bordeaux. The château appears in the 1855 classification as a Deuxième Cru Classé, or Second Growth, within the separate classification created for Sauternes and Barsac. Its wine is sold as Sauternes and belongs to the classic family of sweet Bordeaux wines shaped by noble rot.

Sauternes lies in the Graves area, beside the Garonne and close to the cooler Ciron. In autumn, the meeting of these influences can bring morning mist to the vineyards. Where humid mornings are followed by sufficiently dry conditions, Botrytis cinerea—noble rot—can develop. It perforates the grape skins and concentrates sugars, acidity and flavour compounds. The process is unpredictable, so growers normally make several selective passes through the vineyard, picking only berries at the desired stage.

Sémillon is the structural grape in the estate's traditional blend. Its thin skin makes it particularly receptive to noble rot, while contributing a waxy, honeyed texture. Sauvignon Blanc supplies lift, citrus character and herbal freshness, and Muscadelle may add a discreet floral, grapey note. Fermentation and maturation create a wine with considerable sweetness and depth, balanced in the best conditions by freshness. The precise blend and expression naturally vary with each vintage.

The house style is recognisably classical Sauternes: golden, sweet and layered, with aromas recalling apricot, peach, candied citrus, honey and spice. When young, the wine is appealing served well chilled. Bottle age can bring dried-fruit, saffron, nutty and caramel-like notes. It is far more than a dessert wine: foie gras, blue cheese and dishes that balance savoury richness with fruit or spice are particularly convincing partners. That versatility, as well as its capacity to develop in bottle, is central to the appeal of Château Lamothe Guignard.

• Classified as a Deuxième Cru Classé in 1855
• Located in the Sauternes appellation of Bordeaux
• Noble rot provides concentration and complexity
• Several selective picking passes are customary
• Sémillon traditionally forms the core of the blend
• Can evolve favourably in bottle