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.
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.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
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.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/20/2023 - sjfunkenhauser wrote: 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.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2023 - wineforth Likes this wine: 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.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2023 - Srabkin90 Likes this wine: 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2023 - Bluth Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sémillon 83%, Sauvignon 12%, Muscadelle 5%
Classic, mellow, well balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2023 - TWSMike Likes this wine: 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!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2023 - Michael Mackenzie Likes this wine: 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2022 - D_RICH wrote:
No contemporaneous notes. PnP. Delicious, moderately complex and excellent. Enjoyed by all at dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2022 - skurtz Likes this wine: 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.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2022 - Putnam Weekley Likes this wine: 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/26/2020 - Cailles wrote: 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.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2020 - chbeaumont wrote: 90 Points
Pronounced primrose; botrytis, some oak, touch of pineapple, later hint of rhubarb; rich, decent cut, well balanced; zip to finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2020 - blackbrownbeige Likes this wine: 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 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.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2020 - OhPorto Likes this wine: 94 Points
From 375. Excellent young Rieussec, rich - almost oily - with a perfect amount of botrytis and great balance. Excellent value.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment