Rieussec Sauternes, 2016, 750ML

Feature

Tasting Note

Wine Advocate 96+, Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Pale lemon colored, the 2016 Rieussec comes sashaying out of the glass with a beautiful floral and citrus perfume of orange blossom, pink grapefruit, yuzu, lime leaves, lemongrass and fallen leaves with hints of nutmeg and candied ginger. Having shed a lot of the puppy fat from when I last tasted this from barrel, the palate reveals loads of elegant, tightly wound layers and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

James Suckling 98-99

Lots of botrytis here in addition to dried mushrooms and dried fruit such as pineapple and peaches. Medium to full body. Medium sweet. Very long and intense. A triumph.

Winemaking

The grapes of Chateau Rieussec are divided according to the plot and put into different batches of oak barrels for fermentation. After fermentation, the winemaking team tastes the wines in the oak barrels several times to determine which wines have the potential to become real wines. Thereafter, the wines are aged in oak barrels for 16 to 26 months, with frequent decanting and wine additions. Finally, the bottling process takes place inside the castle. It is worth mentioning that the oak barrels in the winery come from Lafite's own cooperage, and half of the old barrels are renewed every year.

Winery

Chateau Rieussec in the Sauternes region of Bordeaux, and Chateau Lafite Rothschild, one of the five famous wineries, belong to the industry of the prominent Jewish Rothschild family. Rieussec was owned by the abbey of the Carmes de Langon in the 18th century, and it was confiscated and auctioned during the Revolution before it became a private property. When the top wineries were classified in 1855, the winery was listed as a first growth winery in Sauternes, which shows that it already had a very high reputation in the market at that time.