Château Rahoul: Tasting & Drinking
If you have an interest in getting to know the wines of Château Rahoul, I would recommend starting with the white wine, which in my view is the more intriguing and attention-worthy of the two grands vins.
Unlike many of Bordeaux’s under-the-radar whites, from out-of-the-way appellations and peripheral châteaux, the white from Rahoul is not a simple, Sauvignon-rich cuvée for drinking young. In most if not all recent vintages, the blend is dominated by Semillon, a DNA which can be traced back at least to the time of Len Evans and his winemaking supergroup.
This means the wines can be reticent and rather enigmatic in youth, a contrast to more upfront Sauvignons which are always so eager to please. Wait a few years though (a good rule with Bordeaux and Australian Semillons) and the wine can come out of its shell to deliver something delicious, waxy, concentrated and still fresh. This sort of understanding is essential for drinking Bordeaux whites, especially as more and more properties – particularly around Sauternes, but there are also little outposts of interest on the Médoc and on the right bank – are focusing more on Semillon.
As for the reds, these tend to combine very typical threads of tobacco and sous bois Graves typicity with more modern veins of fruit and texture. At the right price, they can be a good buy. But seek out a few bottles of the much rarer white first. You won’t regret it. (9/12/25)
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