Bordeaux 2013 Primeurs: Sauternes & Barsac
A quick walk in the vines just behind Château Raymond-Lafon gives some indication of this property’s enviable position in the Sauternes appellation. On one side of the château – although there are in truth three residences here, the château itself and then two other houses right nextdoor in which the extended family live – are the vines of Château d’Yquem. Indeed, the Meslier family, proprietors of Château Raymond-Lafon, own a small plot of vines nestled among those that belong to Yquem. Pierre Meslier, the father of the generation currently in charge at Raymond-Lafon, was once manager at Château d’Yquem.
While the view out across the vines of Yquem will be enough to send Sauternes-saturated pulses racing, I find the view from the back of the Meslier residences of greater interest. Here there is a gentle rise, the vine-encrusted land slowly climbing and then falling away out of sight. And beyond this false horizon there are rooftops, towers and spires poking up. To the left, the top of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, in the middle a hint of Château Sigalas-Rabaud, and to the right Château Rabaud-Promis; indeed, it is probably the best view upon Rabaud-Promis there is, without actually visiting the estate itself. With such respected names all around, all of premier cru status (premier cru supérieur in the case of one, of course), and all living up to that ranking, it is little wonder that modern-day proprietor Jean-Pierre Meslier has the ability to turn out wines of such excellent quality.
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