Nectar of the Gods!

Product information

Château Rieussec, 1er Cru 375ml 2015

Semillon from Sauternes, Bordeaux, France

$97

$93ea in any 3+
$89ea in any 6+
Closure: Cork
Rieussec along with Climens, de Fargues, Doisy-Daëne & of course d'Yquem is one of my favourite sweet whites from Bordeaux.

Description

The complexity and sophistication of the wine, particularly after it has had 10+ years in bottle is stunning. Beautiful to drink young, divine to drink with a little age on it. I had a half of 1996 early this year. Stunning!

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Check out all of the wines by Château Rieussec

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Château Rieussec was acquired by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in 1984. The estate then consisted of 110 hectares, 68 hectares of which were vines. To enhance Château Rieussec’s potential, rigorous measures were implemented, including meticulous sorting of the grapes and fermenting in barrels, which provides a much finer selection for the blending of the Grand Vin.

A new cellar was built in 1989 to extend the ageing period in barrels. The quantities of the Grand Vin that were produced were much reduced in the 1990’s due to more meticulous selection, to the point that none at all was produced in 1993 (this was also the case in 1977 and again in 2012).

In 2000, the renovation of the maturing cellar, the construction of a fermentation room, and the modernisation of the reception and pressing areas also represented strides forward in a quality policy that was launched in 1985.

The first attempts at selection were rewarded by a remarkable trio of vintages in 1988, 1989 and 1990. This was crowned by an entire decade of very good wines from 1995 to 2005. The weather proved to be no obstacle for the remarkable vintages of 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005, among others!

Château Rieussec 2001 was declared Wine of the Year in 2004 by Wine Spectator magazine.

GRAPE VARIETIES
90 to 95% Sémillon, 5 to 10% Muscadelle and Sauvignon.

AGEING IN OAK BARRELS
18 to 26 months depending on the year, 50 to 55% in new barrels.

The 2015 Sauternes Vintage

We have seen a string of excellent Sauternes and Barsacs coming out of the 2015 vintage.

Dry and Sweet Whites – The dry whites have turned out better than I expected. The best 2015s have terrific freshness and energy coupled with the mid-palate richness that was born from the warm, dry summer. As good as the dry whites are, the sweet whites are even better. Grace, depth without excess weight and terrific freshness are the signatures of the best wines from Sauternes and Barsac. Antonio Galloni

Drinking Sauternes

👶🏻👴🏻Uncommonly rich and fresh, the wines of Sauternes and Barsac can be enjoyed either young or old.

🌡Young vintages are best enjoyed on the cool side (9°C), while it is preferable to serve older ones at a higher temperature (12°C). Younger wines can benefit from early decanting very old wines are worth decanting just prior to drinking them. They typically throw some harmless tartrate crystals that settle easily and are worth removing.

🧀🦆 Sauternes match so many foods from the beginning to the very end of a meal! In Bordeaux they kick off the meal with Foie Gras and Sauternes, it’s beautiful alongside poultry and any meat you’d cook with fruit. Of course, it’s delicious with fruity desserts and cheese, think blue, Comté and beyond! We had the Carmes, Rieussec’s 2nd wine, with a blood orange granita and went to a happy place.

Doc shared the story of visiting Christian Moueix of Pétrus and having a stew made for the pickers during harvest that included 3L of Sauternes in the pot! There were a lot of pickers.

🕯Sauternes can be incredibly long-lived. Bottles of Yquem from before the turn of the last century are still drinking well!

Where in the World Are They?


Play around with this interactive map of Bordeaux.

97 Points

The 2015 Rieussec is gorgeous. Scents of apricot jam, honey, mint and wild flowers lift from the glass. Delicate and gracious, with terrific freshness, the wine is all polish. Reflecting both the style of the year and the desire to make a slightly lighter Sauternes, the 2015 is rendered in a style the emphasizes finesse over power. The blend is 86% Sémillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc.

Antonio Galloni

99 Points

OMG. This is amazing. This is the new 2001. Incredible purity of botrytis and ripeness. Full-on. So driven and precise. Full-bodied, very sweet and electrified. Pineapple jam and mangoes — endless tropical fruits. This ends very clean and is almost tannic on the finish. A truly great Sauternes. Energy. Drink or hold. 93 in his Top 100 for 2018

James Suckling

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Château Rieussec, Fargues, France

Sauternes
Bordeaux
France