The Minnow: Sigalas Rabaud 1975-2019
BY NEAL MARTIN |
As part of Vinous’ continuing dedication to Sauternes, let’s turn our attention to one of the appellation’s minnows, Château Sigalas Rabaud. This report comes from a visit to the estate in March 2023, so apologies for the delay. I remember three verticals packed into the afternoon and feasting my eyes on a long line of vintages. Pressed for time, I opted to taste at a steady pace instead of hurrying and then asked if the recent vintages could be sent to my home. I suppose that partly led to the delay of this article, but better late than never.
Comte Emmanuel Lambert de Grange contemplating the wines with his daughter Laure.
History
As one might expect, both Château Sigalas Rabaud and Rabaud Promis are spawned from the same ancient estate. The Rabaud family were magistrates in the Bordeaux Parliament, and when Marie Peyronne de Rabaud married Arnaud de Cazeau in 1660, the estate formed part of her dowry. It remained in their possession until 1819, whereupon the mayor, Pierre-Hubert de Rabaud, sold it to Gabriel Deyme. Its wines were deemed equal to Yquem and Rayne Vigneau in the Guide Jullien in 1832, prefiguring its classification as a First Growth in 1855. But eight years later, the purportedly somewhat uncared-for property passed into the hands of Henri Drouillet de Sigalas. In 1880, he expanded the vineyard and augmented a ten-hectare Second Growth, Château Pexiotto. Henri Drouilhet de Sigalas passed away in 1895, leaving his only son Pierre-Gaston orphaned; therefore, he was raised by his nanny down in the Landes region. Perhaps this geographic dislocation meant that he nurtured a passion for horses instead of winemaking.
