Ranked as Premier Cru Classé in the historic 1855 Bordeaux classification, Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey boasts a reputation for producing superb quality Sauternes sweet wines. The 2009 is a beautiful Sémillon-driven wine with honey and spice character mingling with floral and exotic notes.
Producer Information
Clos Haut-Peyraguey is a Premier Cru Classé Sauternes wine estate located on the Bommes plateau of that appellation, some 50km (30 miles) southeast of Bordeaux city. The estate dates back to 1879 when the original Château Peyraguey estate was divided into two properties: Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey and Clos Haut-Peyraguey. Clos Haut-Peyraguey’s 12 hectares (30 acres) of vines lie immediately south of Lafaurie-Peyraguey and to the west of the renowned Chateau d’Yquem property. Château Rayne-Vigneau sits just south and La Tour Blanche is to the east. The soils here are gravelly and sandy and are ideally suited to the cultivation of the Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties. Grapes are picked in multiple passes (known as “tries”) through the vineyard in order to guarantee only perfectly botrytized grapes are selected. In the winery, the grapes are pressed and fermented under temperature-controlled conditions, and aged in varying proportions of new and used oak barrels for roughly 20 months. Clos Haut-Peyraguey has three wine labels: Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Symphonie de Haut-Peyraguey and Château Haut Bommes. All three Sauternes wines are made from 95 percent Sémillon and 5 percent Sauvignon Blanc although final blend composition will vary depending on the vintage and the label. As well as the flagship Premier Grand Cru Classé Cru, Clos Haut-Peyraguey, both a second wine, the Symphonie de Haut-Peyraguey, and the Château Haut Bommes labels are produced from the estate’s 12 hectares (30 acres) of 40-year-old vines. The Garbay-Pauly family managed the estate from 1914 until 2012 when it was acquired by Bordeaux mogul Bernard Magrez, owner of a portfolio of wine estates including Château Fombrauge in Saint-Emilion, Château Pape Clément in Pessac-Léognan and Château La Tour Carnet in the Haut-Médoc.
