Rayne Vigneaus vineyard overlooks Sauternes near the village of Bommes and forms the third highest point in the area after Yquem. Founded by Gabriel de Vigneau in the early 17th century. Madame de Rayne, née Catherine de Pontac, bought the Domaine du Vigneau in 1834. Under her ownership, the estate reached the envied rank of premier Grand Cru Classé of Sauternes in the famous 1855 classification. Today, Château de Rayne Vigneau is a true benchmark for the Sauternes appellation. Its intensely fresh style,stands out vintage after vintage.

A prestigious 1er Cru Classé estate, Château Coutet is the oldest and largest property in Barsac. The name Coutet is derived from the Gascons word for knife and the estates wines are renowned for their fresh cutting acidity and crisp lively palate. A blend of Sémillon (75 5%), Sauvignon Blanc (23%) and Muscadelle (2%), the wines show beguiling aromas of citrus, tropical fruits, white flowers, honey and ginger, revealing more candied fruit, gingerbread notes with age. The wine is matured in oak barriques for 18 months.

Incredibly opulent and rich, Château d'Yquem is widely considered the greatest sweet wine in the world. Currently owned by LVMH, this prestigious Sauternes estate is at the very top of the appellations classification, designated 1er Cru Classé Supérieur. Château dYquems 110 ha of vineyards are planted to 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The Grand Vin is produced from only fully botrytised fruit, carefully hand-harvested over successive passes by a team of highly skilled pickers. Yields are tiny, with each vine producing just one glass of wine. Fermentation takes place in 100% new oak barriques followed by up to 36 months maturation in oak. A wine of exceptional intensity and complexity, the best vintages of Château d'Yquem are capable of aging gracefully for well over 50 years.

Chateau Doisy Daëne is a deuxième Cru Classé estate of Sauternes located in the Barsac appellation of Bordeaux. Managed by renowned white wine specialist Denis Dubourdieu, the estates sweet Sauternes wine is a fresh lively style with crystalline fruit purity underpinned racy acidity. A fully botrytised blend of Semillon with a minor component of Sauvignon Blanc, the grapes are picked over successive tries and gentle pressed, before undergoing vinification and maturation in one third new French oak barriques for 10 months.

Umamu Estate only releases their wines when theyve had time to develop in the bottle and this Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is drinking beautifully now. In the glass: Beautifully vibrant bright lemon with a still-youthful green tint. On the nose: Lifted mix of toast and honey development. On the palate: Rich and beautifully developed with a lovely warm core of buttered toast, preserved lemon and lemon curd in a terrifically textured, layered and complex wine. So remarkably fresh and complex.