The centrepiece · Bordeaux red wine
Sarabande2016
Released only in its drinking phase — ready for the table.
Arriving
Like an evening in Paris.
A wine of calm and depth. Dark fruit, graphite and the cool elegance of long ageing.
Slow, dignified, of quiet complexity — that is how a sarabande sounds, and how this wine tastes.
The 2016 vintage was characterized by a very rainy season until May. Flowering proceeded correctly and uniformly. The dry conditions from June until harvest favored a slow and even ripening of the grapes. The weather conditions ensured an excellent degree of ripeness.
- Grape varieties
- 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc
- Limitation
- 11687
- Ageing
- Barrique, 17 months
- Yield
- 45 hl/ha
- Analysis
- 13.5 % vol · pH 3.71
- Drinking window
- 2025 – 2036
- Serving temperature
- 16–18 °C
- Decanting
- Aerate for 1 hour
Outside, evening falls
The first glass
The flavour profile of Sarabande 2016
Dark berry, cocoa and graphite, with earthy notes and a hint of truffle. Creamy on the attack, with velvety tannins and a cool, supporting structure. Seventeen months in barrique give depth without heaviness. A multi-layered wine that can be opened now and continues to gain over the years.
- Dark berry
- Cocoa
- Graphite
- Truffle
- Velvety tannin
This cuvée is the heart of our estate and is made each year from all the red grape varieties of the Domaine. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec bring the taste of dark berries, cocoa and graphite, underscored by the earthy notes of Cabernet Franc. A many-layered red wine that gains in complexity over the years.
Why Sarabande
A slow dance in triple time.
A suite is a sequence of dances. Each has its own character, and only all together do they make the whole. That is how our estate is built: each cuvée is inspired by a movement of this suite and takes on the character of its form.The Sarabande is the grave, dignified dance that takes its time. Among our reds it stands in the middle, between the lively Gigue and the majestic Allemande. That is why this wine ages long, and why it wants to be drunk slowly.
Sarabande is the quiet centre of the Suite, built for long ageing.
Claude Debussy — Sarabande, Pour le piano
Since the 2016 harvest · In the chai
Around ten years in the cellar before the first bottle leaves the estate.
Aged in our own cellar.
Aged under control in barrel and vinified plot by plot — then the years of bottle rest in our own cellar, until we consider the wine ready to drink.
Maturity — how it drinks today
At the start of its drinking window
Optimal drinking window of Sarabande 2016
2025 – 2036
Serving temperature 16–18 °C.
Our principles
Why we take the trouble
Ageing in our own cellar
Most of our wines go on sale only once they are ready to drink; until then they mature with us, and we carry the risk.
Composed plot by plot
Each plot is vinified separately; only at the end do we compose the cuvée from them.
Time as an ingredient
Depth takes time. We give the wines the years in barrel and bottle that they need.
Organic & HVE4
The Domaine's vineyards are certified organic and HVE4, set within a 19-hectare ecosystem of woodland, meadows, water and vines.
The terroir and the wine it yields
Where it comes from
The parcel map
Click on a parcel number to find out more about it.Tap a parcel number to find out more about it.
- ClayCool and water-holding: depth, structure, a long life.
- Clay-gravelWhere two worlds meet: strength with finesse.
- GravelWarm and draining: energy, precision, lift.
- SandLight and open: freshness and a free hand.
The blend of Sarabande 2016
4 Grape varieties
- 75%Merlot
- 15%Cabernet Sauvignon
- 6%Malbec
- 4%Cabernet Franc
Each plot is vinified separately; only at the end does the cuvée come together. More about our terroirs.
Precision & method
In the tradition of modern oenology
Aux Conseillans was for decades the Domaine of Jean Ribéreau-Gayon — one of the co-founders of modern oenology, founder of the Institute of Oenology at the University of Bordeaux (1949) and long-time owner of the estate. We work in that tradition: each plot analysed and vinified separately, the ageing guided under control, drinking maturity checked in a blind tasting.
The second hour
Over the second hour the wine gains further in expression.
Your evening
A wine for the table.
Dishes to pair
A selection from our recipe kitchen, matched to the structure and maturity of this wine.
Basse côte from the grill – pepper-herb crust
Grilled bavette – sauce bordelaise & shallot confit
Braised mountain lentils – root vegetables & sherry
Bœuf en croûte, mushroom duxelles
Chapon rôti aux marrons
Châteaubriand, sauce béarnaise
Civet de lièvre, jugged hare in red wine
Coq au Vin – Sarabande & morels, jus assembled
The mood to match the wine
A playlist for the moment
If you are a friend of classical music, here is a playlist that may suit your evening and the character of this wine. One possibility among many; listen in, if you like.
For your cellar
Available formats
Sarabande 2016, Edition 11687 bottles. Shipped directly from the estate — climate-controlled storage in our own cellar.
To get acquainted
The Coffret Dégustation
Three movements of the Suite in one case — Sarabande 2015, Gigue 2016 and Louré 2024. €100 incl. shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions · Sarabande 2016
Good to know
When should I drink the Sarabande 2016?
Released in 2026 after ten years of ageing, it stands at the start of its drinking window. The plateau reaches to about 2036, followed by a long, quiet decline. You can open it now.
Do I need to decant it?
Yes — aerate for about an hour and serve at 16–18 °C. This opens the velvety tannins and the dark fruit.
Why does it only go on sale after ten years?
We bring a vintage to market only when it is ready to drink. The 2016 spent ten years in our cellar — we carry the ageing risk, not you.
What does it pair with?
With slow-braised dishes, game and aged cheese. A wine for a quiet dinner with a small group, less for the aperitif.
Which grape varieties is it made from?
75 % Merlot, 15 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 % Malbec and 4 % Cabernet Franc — all four red grape varieties of the Domaine, from seven plots over clay and clay-gravel.
How does it differ from the 2015?
The same cuvée, a different vintage. 2016 was a precise, fresh vintage with fine structure; 2015 somewhat warmer and rounder. Both are equal editions of the same wine.
How do I store it at home?
Cool (around 12–14 °C), dark and lying down. It will easily keep beyond the plateau. Bring to 16–18 °C before serving and decant.
Is a large format worth it?
In magnum and larger, the wine ages more slowly and evenly — ideal for cellaring and for special occasions. Available up to the Balthazar (12 l).
Is the wine organic?
The Domaine is certified organic and additionally holds HVE4, the highest level of the French environmental certification. Our vineyards have always been farmed close to nature. However, the official organic label may only appear on our wines from the 2022 vintage onward — earlier vintages are farmed close to nature but do not yet carry official organic certification.
Technical data sheet · Sarabande 2016
| Wine | Sarabande 2016 |
|---|---|
| Estate | LaSuite aux Conseillans |
| Origin | Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France |
| Type | red wine |
| Appellation | AOC Cadillac |
| Grape varieties | 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc |
| Plots and soils | predominantly clay, with clay-gravel |
| Yield | 45 hl/ha |
| Ageing | Barrique, 17 months; then bottle ageing in our own cellar |
| Released | 2026 |
| Analysis | 13.5 % vol · pH 3.71 |
| Edition | 11687 bottles |
| Drinking window | 2025 – 2036 |
| Serving temperature | 16–18 °C |
| Decanting | Aerate for 1 hour |
| Aromas | Dark berry, Cocoa, Graphite, Truffle, Velvety tannin |
| Viticulture | Domaine now organic- and HVE4-certified; this vintage was made naturally, before official organic certification. |
| Formats | 0.75 L (£52); for members of Le Cercle: 1.5 L Magnum (£104), 3 L Double Magnum (£217), 6 L Imperial (£433), 12 L Balthazar (£865) |
| Place in the Suite | The middle of the reds, between Gigue and Allemande; “the centrepiece” |
| Musical reference | Claude Debussy — Sarabande, Pour le piano |
| Item number | LS-SARA-16-075 |
The vintages
Sarabande through the years
Every vintage plays the same movement, each in its own key. The bar shows when a vintage opens and how long it carries; the line marks today.
-
2014
Library
The earliest vintage of the series, sixteen months in barrique.
Drinking window 2019 – 2024In the library -
2015
Ready to drink
A dry year with a warm, dry late season and good ripeness.
Drinking window 2025 – 2032View vintage - 2016 Ready to drink
A wet spring, then a dry summer and a slow, even ripening.
Drinking window 2025 – 2036This vintage -
2017
Maturing in the cellar
The year of the April frost in the Bordelais, followed by a calm season and a small harvest.
Drinking window 2027 – 2035View in the cellar -
2018
Maturing in the cellar
A demanding early summer, then ideal ripening weather from mid-July to the end of September.
Drinking window 2028 – 2053View in the cellar -
2019
Maturing in the cellar
A cool spring, a hot July and a harvest free of rot pressure.
Drinking window 2029 – 2040View in the cellar - 2020 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
- 2021 Maturing in the cellarDrinking window 2031 – 2045View in the cellar
- 2022 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
- 2024 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
- 2025 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
- 2026 Maturing in the cellarView in the cellar
The repertoire
The other movements of the Suite
Each cuvée has its own voice, from the rosé to the red that needs decades. In weak years we skip one entirely; that is why the repertoire is rarely complete.
We release each wine only when we would most like to drink it ourselves.Marc & Ellen Ruhland
For us, time is an ingredient.