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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.2 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 18 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by sjfunkenhauser on 11/20/2023 & rated 93 points: 93-95
A little shy on the nose, but the palate really shows the potential. Explosive flavour and a long and lingering finish that keeps evolving. Great purity and freshness. Absolutely incredible wine.
Medium gold colour
Pronounced aromas of yellow apple, peach, apricot, pineapple, marmalade, crystallized honey, orange zest, ginger, nutmeg, caramel, acacia.
Pronounced palate.
Medium body, high acidity, sweet, long finish. (2001 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 8/23/2023 & rated 94 points: First of 3 bottles. For a vintage rated 8/10 for Sauternes the colour is surprisingly light. There's nothing else lightweight about this excellent wine. Big nose of hazelnut, apricot and peach. Mouthfilling body with great balance of sweetness and acidity. Huge length of finish. Lovely wine. Like all good Sauternes of this age it is drinking beautifully now and will change rather than improve with time and have decades of life ahead. (2240 views) | | | Tasted by Srabkin90 on 4/5/2023 & rated 93 points: Decided to open up this young Sauternes for an after dinner treat.
Gold color in the glass. On the nose, fresh tropical fruit, and marzipan. Initial sips yielded orange marmalade, honey, citrus fruits and amaretto. Slight peach and dried fruit notes as this one matured. Very nicely layered flavors.
Incredible buttery mouthfeel. This is sweet, but not overwhelming, and incredibly smooth and delicious. Nice acidity. Noticeably young with less complex flavors, but very enjoyable. I cannot wait to try another. (2765 views) | | | Tasted by Bluth on 2/27/2023 & rated 91 points: Sémillon 83%, Sauvignon 12%, Muscadelle 5%
Classic, mellow, well balanced. (2850 views) | | | Tasted by TWSMike on 1/29/2023 & rated 91 points: Trying a baby Sauternes today.
Color is a nice medium lemon, clear. Nose is a bit closed with some sniffs of citrus, tropical fruit and honey. Palate though is full on fresh lemons, pineapples, starfruit, honeysuckle, sweet spices and soft ginger. Finish is a nice medium+ and acidity is high but keeps the flavours fresh and woven like good silk! Definitely a fun wine that will show a ton better in 20 years, but I still enjoy a Sauternes in its youth for those ripe fruits and lush acidity which pushes through gallantly! (2968 views) | | | Tasted by Michael Mackenzie on 1/8/2023 & rated 92 points: Sémillon 83%, Sauvignon 12%, Muscadelle 5%
Après un millésime 2015 très contrasté, la climatologie de l’année 2016 s’est montrée plus homogène sur l’ensemble de la Gironde. Si quantité et qualité sont au rendez-vous, ce millésime nous a réservé quelques belles surprises.
Le début de l’hiver, très doux et humide, a laissé présager un débourrement précoce. Les températures fraîches de février et mars l’ont finalement retardé.
Le printemps, froid et très pluvieux en juin, à Pauillac comme à Pomerol, semblait menacer la floraison qui fort heureusement s’est bien déroulée, rive gauche comme rive droite.
L’été a été marqué par la sécheresse. Pendant deux mois, les vignes ont dû supporter un stress hydrique important jusqu’à la fin de la véraison. Plus longue qu’en 2015, cette vague de chaleur risquait d’impacter la maturation, quant à notre grand soulagement la pluie est enfin tombée le 13 septembre. Le cycle végétatif a ainsi pu s’achever sans encombre.
Le temps est resté chaud et sec jusqu’à la fin des vendanges des rouges, leur permettant d’atteindre une parfaite maturité. En Sauternes, ce n’est que très tard que le botrytis s’est développé ; nous avons réalisé nos meilleures tries entre le 20 et le 28 octobre.
Les vinifications se sont déroulées dans des conditions idéales, révélant enfin le grand potentiel d’un millésime qui avait longtemps caché son jeu.
Source: château website.
Tasted against Suduiraut 2011, the latter being a half bottle and this a full bottle.
Colour: med gold, bright, clear.
Nose: v full, ripe yet fresh, citrus, honey, raisins
Taste: full bodied, rounded and opulent, floral, then dried apricots, elegant, king finish, ripe, apricots, good balance.
Overall, beats the Suduiraut which is a bit clumsy by comparison. (2430 views) | | | Tasted by D_RICH on 9/10/2022: No contemporaneous notes. PnP. Delicious, moderately complex and excellent. Enjoyed by all at dinner. (2676 views) | | | Tasted by skurtz on 4/29/2022 & rated 93 points: From a half bottle, this was served as dessert in a Bdx dinner celebration. Bright, intense honey, balanced with just enough acidity for a clean finish. Very young but enjoyed by all. (2852 views) | | | Tasted by Putnam Weekley on 1/23/2022 & rated 93 points: NOSE: wood honey, Azelia, walnut. Tender (for some reason I was expecting a wallop of lemon oil and grape-sour juice—not here.) Surprisingly attenuated. Bitter nut skin. Mocha. Black cherry drip. Lemon chiffon. Snowflake butter crust. Spearmint film stock. Blanched macadamia nits (sic.). Green nutmeg oil. Chalk dunes. Ginger, cleared of its heat. There’s a pointed, bitter nut, liqueur sensation that marks its interaction with wooden barrels, and it’s flattering. Lovers of Jura wine will appreciate this trait. Sour, bing cherries weeping sugar. Toasted almond slices. Sea mint. 13.5% abv—guessing it’s that, plus. Why am I worried about the soul of this wine? 93- points. (3493 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 11/26/2020 & rated 94 points: That‘s how no 2015 Sauternes could ever shine: while the 15s have much more density and complexity and probably a brighter future, the 16s shine with freshness and lightness which is just what I want to drink. Wonderful. This young, great vintages like the 2015 are just to overwhelming and much more intellectually appealing than really fun to drink. The leaner 2016s, on the other hand, are what you can drink a bottle of. 94+ points.
TN: Intense, fresh saffron nose with some spices. A few more layers on the palate with saffron, spices, stone fruit and hints of minerality. Not super complex but very well delineated. A fresh and light wine with just the right amount of creaminess and an intense acidity to keep it super fresh and light. Medium length.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decanting needed. (5368 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 11/25/2020 & rated 93 points: Tasted blind. Honey melon, candid fruit, maybe some spices and green herbs, but otherwise limited complexity. A nice and creamy palate, however with some bitter notes I found. The texture was less sticky and the sweetness less over-whelming than is often the case especially with young Sauternes. I have had mixed experiences with Rieussec in recent years. 2001 and 2015 were outstanding. 1990 rather modest. 2010 was mediocre at first (tasted 2018) but then much stronger just a few months ago. The 2016 for now is somewhere in between. (4443 views) | | | Tasted by chbeaumont on 10/7/2020 & rated 90 points: Pronounced primrose; botrytis, some oak, touch of pineapple, later hint of rhubarb; rich, decent cut, well balanced; zip to finish. (3762 views) | | | Tasted by blackbrownbeige on 8/21/2020 & rated 91 points: Young, but really lovely. Deep and luscious, with layers of rich honey and burnt apricot. So much in reserve. It feels ripe and round on the palate but the fruit quality isn’t excessively tropical or exuberant. (3503 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 6/26/2020 & rated 95 points: Luscious, honeyed, yellow and orange tropical fruits, flowers, roasted nuts and apricots pop the moment the wine hits your glass. Plush, sweet and racy, so everything is on the up-side, the blast of honey-coated apricots, vanilla and candied orange rind in the finish hits all the right notes. This should age effortlessly for 25-30 years or more. (4706 views) | | | Tasted by OhPorto on 6/24/2020 & rated 94 points: From 375. Excellent young Rieussec, rich - almost oily - with a perfect amount of botrytis and great balance. Excellent value. (2150 views) |
| By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/21/2020)
(Ch Rieussec Sauternes White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Bordeaux 2016: Firing On All Cylinders (2/28/2019)
(Chateau Rieussec White Sweet) Login and sign up and see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (1/17/2019)
(Château Rieussec Sauternes, Dessert, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2016 Bordeaux…It’s All In The Bottle (Jan 2019) (1/2/2019)
(Rieussec Rieussec Sweet White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, The DBs: Bordeaux 2016 In Bottle (Jan 2019) (1/1/2019)
(Rieussec Rieussec Sweet White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, 2016 in bottle (10/7/2018)
(Cha^teau Rieussec, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France, White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2016 Bordeaux: It’s Now or Never, Baby (Apr 2017) (4/17/2017)
(Rieussec Rieussec Sweet White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/5/2017)
(Ch Rieussec Sauternes White) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (4/4/2017)
(Château Rieussec Sauternes, Red, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Bordeaux En Primeur 2016 Sauternes (4/2/2017)
(Cha^teau Rieussec, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France, White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2017 (4/1/2017)
(Château Rieussec Sauternes White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Southwold: 2016 Bordeaux Blind (Aug 2020)
(Rieussec Rieussec Sweet White) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and JebDunnuck.com and JamesSuckling.com and Vinous and Decanter and Winedoctor. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Rieussec Producer website | TheWineDoctor on Rieussec - Read more about Chateau Rieussec2016 Château RieussecVintage Conditions
After very varied weather in 2015, 2016 proved to be a more uniform vintage throughout the Gironde region. While the vintage offered both quantity and quality, it was also not without its fair share of surprises. The beginning of the winter was very mild and wet, suggesting that bud break would be early. However, it was subsequently delayed by cold weather in February and March. The cold spring, with a lot of rain in Pauillac and Pomerol in June, threatened to disrupt flowering, but fortunately this went well on both the left and right banks. The summer was characterized by extreme dryness. The vines had to endure significant water stress for two months until the end of véraison (when the grapes change colour). This hot period lasted longer than in 2015, and seemed likely to affect the ripening stage, when to our relief some rain finally arrived on 13 September. The growth cycle could therefore be completed without hindrance. The weather remained hot and dry until the end of the red grape harvests, enabling them to reach perfect ripeness.
In Sauternes, the botrytis did not develop until very late; the best rounds of selective picking were between 20 and 28 October. The vinifications took place in ideal conditions, and the great potential of a vintage that had been something of a dark horse was finally revealed.
Vinification
All batches were pressed individually in small pneumatic presses. After a few hours of cold settling, the must was transferred into new oak barrels from the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac for fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation was interrupted when the desired balance between alcohol and sugar had been reached. After fermentation, the wine was aged in barrels for 24 months.
Tasting
Bright, golden yellow colour. The nose is fresh and powerful with citrus notes, particularly tangerine skin. These are complemented by toasted aromas from the perfectly integrated oak. On the palate, the attack is very fresh and balanced, characterized by mellowness and finesse. The wine then reveals its power, with a sensation of fullness and tremendous density. The very long, lingering finish offers aromas of dried apricots, caramel and bitter orange.Château RieussecBeing owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (of Lafite fame) has been a boon for Chateau Rieussec. Since taking over the property in 1984, the planted vineyard area has increased from nearly 40 hectares to roughly 90 hectares today. Investment has also been made in the cellars, and the winemaking team are now better placed to work with the multiple small lots stemming from various parcels and picking runs through the vineyard. The vineyard is planted to 90% Semillon, 7% Sauvignon Blanc, and 3% Muscadelle, and the wines are aged in roughly 50% new French oak.
THE CHÂTEAU RIEUSSEC VINEYARD extends from the border of Fargues and Sauternes, adjacent to Château d’Yquem on the east. The vineyard covers 93 hectares of gravel interspersed with lime.
THE EMBLEMATIC GRAPE VARIETY OF THE SAUTERNES, Sémillon dominates (90%), followed by Sauvignon (7%) and Muscadelle (3%). Traditional techniques from Sauternes are used and the harvests are done by selective pickings depending on the ripeness of the grapes and evolution of botrytis cinerea (noble rot). They last for 6 to 8 weeks from September to November.PRODUCTION IS LOW AND LEFT IN THE HANDS ON MOTHER NATURE. The traditional reference is that a single vine should produce a bottle of wine. Here, though, a single vine produces about a glass of wine!
THE VINEYARD IS MANAGED BY the Director of the Domaines Charles Chevallier, with the help of cellar master Serge Lagardère and vineyard manager Jean de Roquefeuil.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanSauternes Le Grand Crus Classés de Sauternes et Barsac 1855 (Crus Classés de Sauternes et Barsac) - Read more about Sauternes, Barsac and its wines
– Read more about the 1855 Sauternes Barsac Classification
Forty kilometres south of Bordeaux, Sauternes is an AOC that includes together 5 communes, including Barsac. For centuries, humans have been patiently learning to master this region's climate, soils and grape varieties. But Mother Nature did a good job laying the foundation. The Sauternes terroir is distinguished by a geological predisposition to gravel and pebbles that cover limestone streaked with veins of clay. In the communes of Fargues and Sauternes, a layer of hardpan (iron-oxide cemented sand) in which vines flourish can be found. The vineyards at the highest elevations and farthest from the river have the best terroirs and produce the majority of the Crus Classés, including the monumental Château Yquem.Sauternes wines are made from Sémillon (80% of vines planted) and Sauvignon (15%) grapes. A bit of Muscadelle occasionally is used to give the wines an untamed touch. Sauternes have an "aged gold" colour that is denser and darker than other dessert wines. When they age, they develop a stunning amber colour. The nose has aromas of flowers and fruit that melt together to create a bouquet of remarkable complexity and balance. The primary aromas include almond, quince, mango, pineapple, stewed peach, dried apricot and passion fruit. There are also floral notes, with touches of linden, acacia, mimosa and honeysuckle. And as is typical with Sémillon, there are also notes of beeswax, almond and hazelnut. In the mouth, Sauternes wines have a powerful style that is viscous but extremely elegant. Its strong sweetness is captivating. Finally, its aromatic finish is something that simply must be experienced.
2013 Vintage Notes:
"the extractive ratios in th[is] year are in the phenomenal range and there's ripeness/botrytis to cover two treks around the globe [...] so appealing is the immediacy of the wines. Many can be enjoyed now for their sheer joy and delicious nature. [Some] should also age" - Jon Rimmerman
2014 Vintage Notes:
"a golden vintage for Sauternes. It may not have the depth or weight of 2010, but it has some of the richness. What has set 2014 apart is the intense lime and lemon flavors that cut into any overblown cloying character and allow both the fruit and the honeyed noble rot to sing." - Wine Enthusiast |
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