Rayne Vigneau’s vineyard lies on a splendid gravel mound, overlooking Sauternes near the village of Bommes and forming the third highest point in the area after Yquem. Back in the 17th century, “Vigneau de Bommes” was the original name for the vineyard, the château, the surrounding estate and, finally, the de Vigneau family, who were the first lords of the manor. Gabriel de Vigneau is indeed mentioned in documents as early as 1635. His son, Étienne, married Jeanne Sauvage, daughter of the Lord of Yquem, and supervised the estate starting 1681. Madame de Rayne, née Catherine de Pontac, bought the Domaine du Vigneau in 1834.
The official 1855 classification recognised Vigneau among the top wines of Sauternes. In 1867, the well-known wine broker Daney ranked it in first place, immediately after Yquem. Albert de Pontac, a great-nephew of Madame de Rayne, named the estate “Rayne Vigneau” in her honour.
The successive owners of this respected estate have made considerable financial investments and have made tremendous effort to improve the quality of the wine. Today, the château is a true benchmark of the Sauternes appellation.
In 2004, CA Grands Crus, a subsidiary of the Groupe Crédit Agricole, acquired the Château de Rayne Vigneau. An improvement plan was put together for the entire estate. It is supervised today by Anne Le Naour, the Technical Director, and Vincent Labergère, the Estate Director and the consultant oenologist, Denis Dubourdieu.