Portraits
Château Guiraud
Vinhuset No-Fra, our partner for the Centenary Gala Dinner in September, gives a portrait of Château Guiraud, “Premier Grand Cru" classified domain located in the Sauternes area in France
On the occasion of our Centenary Gala Dinner held in September, our guests had the pleasure to savour delicious wines together with the courses of the meal. These wines are produced and bottled at Château Guiraud in the Sauternes area in France and were introduced to the audience by the Norwegian Consul in Bordeaux Yann Schÿler.
This portrait is written in cooperation with Vinhuset No-Fra and presents the Château Guiraud and its famous wines.
Château Guiraud, a unique vineyard
“Premier Grand Cru Classé” by the 1855 Imperial Classification*, Chateau Guiraud is the oldest domain of Sauternes (15th century). It is also one of the largest Sauternes domains with 100 hectares of grapevines and the only area where all the vines are entirely located on the Sauternes municipality.
Château Guiraud, a natural wine
Château Guiraud is the only 1855 Premier Grand Cru Classé to be certified with an Organic label. Xavier Planty, oenologist and Plant Physiology graduate, has engaged Château Guiraud in an ecological reflection of the wine exploitation for more than 20 years. Château Guiraud has not used any weed-killers or chemical insecticides for several years.
The domain is known for the implementation of its bio-viticulture® through the concept of equilibrium of the ecosystem: replanting of hedges to promote integrated pest management, “insect hotels”, nesting boxes, conservatory, natural wastewater treatment plant, biodiversity of grapevine plants... All this gives Château Guiraud's 100% natural Sauternes its authenticity and exceptional depth of aromatic range.
Château Guiraud, a strictly managed domain
Since 2006, Château Guiraud belongs to 4 wine lovers.
- Robert Peugeot, industrial man from the automobile sector and actual President and CEO of FFP, holding company of the Peugeot group;
- Xavier Planty, oenologist and passionate manager of Château Guiraud since 1986;
- Olivier Bernard, administrator of the “Domaine de Chevalier”, one of the well-known names of Pessac Léognan;
- Stephan Von Neipperg, agronomist, oenologist and owner of the “Château Canon La Gaffelière” and “La Mondotte”.
Château Guiraud and its legends
Château Guiraud has attracted daring spirits ever since Pierre-Arman Guiraud chose the black and gold label to mourn Napoleon I in 1846. Doing this, Pierre-Arman Guiraud openly linked the history of Château Guiraud to the Empire’s history and went against the Sauternes tradition where wine labels are mostly gold and white, which is a reference to the monarchy.
Later, in the 1960s, two visionary French popularities Jean Cocteau (French poet) and Raymond Oliver (chef and owner of the historical Parisian restaurant “Grand Véfour”) established a deep bond around their affection for Château Guiraud. Together they published the cookbook "Recettes pour un ami” (literally “Recipes for a friend"). The recipe for the “Canard froid – Aigle à 2 têtes” (or "Cold duck – Eagle with 2 heads") cooked with some Château Guiraud wine is among the book’s most famous recipes.
Since 2006, Château Guiraud belongs to four men who gathered around their love for nature, wine, gastronomy and way of life. Château Guiraud is the only area in Bordeaux owned by a group of 4 people.
Château Guiraud, "Premier Grand Cru Classé", Sauternes
Simplicity and evidence are associated with the birth of the Château Guiraud wine. The wine is fermented for about 18 months. Most of the barrels are new and give an elegant look and full taste to the wine. Château Guiraud expresses purity and aromatic finesse.
G de Château Guiraud, dry white wine, Bordeaux
The gateway to the world of Château Guiraud. G de Château Guiraud is a dry white wine made from grapes harvested when ripe. It matures for about 7 months in barrels of “second vin”, already used for a Château Guiraud wine. Its expression is rich and its personality affirmed. The blend of 50% of Sauvignon and 50% of Semillon gives an uniqueness to the wine, while its potential is always appealing to the palate of amateurs and savvy tasters.
* Grand Cru Classé is the 1855 Wine Official Classification declared by Emperor Napoleon III and assessing the status and reputation of the wine
Vinhuset No-Fra, partner of the CCFN's 2019 Gala Dinner
Did not attend the event? Check the highlights of the Centenary Gala Dinner held during the French-Norwegian Days 2019 and go to our photo galleries to know more.
