The centrepiece · Bordeaux red wine
Sarabande2015
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 2015 vintage was a dry year with conditions that allowed for good ripening. The late season was also dry and rather warm.
- Grape varieties
- 81% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc
- Limitation
- 9898
- Ageing
- 18 months in barrique, 50% new wood
- Yield
- 40 hl/ha
- Analysis
- 14.5 % vol · pH 3.78
- Drinking window
- 2025 – 2032
- Serving temperature
- 16–18 °C
- Decanting
- Aerate for 30–60 minutes
Outside, evening falls
The first glass
The flavour profile of Sarabande 2015
The bouquet of the 2015 Sarabande is characterized by notes of truffles and black pepper. It reveals hints of eucalyptus and undergrowth, followed by a touch of blackberries and plums. The wine is creamy on the palate and has velvety tannins that provide a solid foundation, while its structure adds a touch of freshness. A harmonious wine that can be enjoyed now, but without haste.
- Truffle
- undergrowth
- eucalyptus
- blackberry
- plum
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. The barrique, half of it new, gives depth without weight. 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
Ten years earlier · In the chai
Over 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 2015
2025 – 2032
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 2015
4 Grape varieties
- 81%Merlot
- 9%Cabernet Sauvignon
- 7%Malbec
- 3%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 2015, Edition 9898 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 2015
Good to know
When should I drink the Sarabande 2015?
Released in 2025 after ten years of ageing, it stands at the start of its drinking window (2025–2032). The plateau lies around 2028–2032, followed by a long decline until roughly 2040. You can open it now.
Do I need to decant it?
Yes — aerate for 30 to 60 minutes and serve at 16–18 °C. This opens the velvety tannins and the dark fruit; over the second hour the wine gains further in expression.
Why does it only go on sale after ten years?
We bring a vintage to market only when it is ready to drink. The 2015 spent ten years in our cellar — we carry the ageing risk, not you.
What does it pair with?
With slow-braised dishes: ox cheeks, coq au vin, côte de bœuf, 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?
81 % Merlot, 9 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 % Malbec and 3 % Cabernet Franc — the most polyphonic cuvée of the Suite, from seven plots over clay and clay-gravel.
How does it differ from the Gigue?
Both are equal movements of the Suite. The Gigue opens the red wines — lively, aged in concrete. The Sarabande stands at the centre: 18 months in barrique, with more depth and ageing potential.
How do I store it at home?
Cool (around 12–14 °C), dark and lying down. It will easily keep into its final phase around 2040. Bring it 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 2015
| Wine | Sarabande 2015 |
|---|---|
| Estate | LaSuite aux Conseillans |
| Origin | Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France |
| Type | red wine |
| Appellation | AOC Cadillac |
| Grape varieties | 81% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc |
| Plots and soils | C1, C2, C3, C5, C9 (clay); C8, C12 (clay-gravel); varying slightly by vintage |
| Harvest | 26.09.–10.10.2015 |
| Yield | 40 hl/ha |
| Ageing | 18 months in barrique, 50% new wood; then bottle ageing in our own cellar |
| Released | 10 Dec 2025 |
| Analysis | 14.5 % vol · pH 3.78 |
| Edition | 9898 bottles |
| Drinking window | 2025 – 2032 |
| Serving temperature | 16–18 °C |
| Decanting | Aerate for 30–60 minutes |
| Aromas | Truffle, undergrowth, eucalyptus, blackberry, plum |
| Viticulture | Domaine now organic- and HVE4-certified; this vintage was made naturally, before official organic certification. |
| Formats | 0.75 L (€60); for members of Le Cercle: 1.5 L Magnum (€120), 3 L Double Magnum (€250), 6 L Imperial (€500), 12 L Balthazar (€1,000) |
| 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-15-075 |
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 – 2032This vintage -
2016
Ready to drink
A wet spring, then a dry summer and a slow, even ripening.
Drinking window 2025 – 2036View 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.