Very dark color but clear. Expressive nose displaying generous decadent yellow fruit, dry fig, dry peach, peach preserve, caramel, a hint of saffron, sweet spices and earth. Very good concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated sweet yellow fruit, rich and deeply toned, bright acidity and mineral, and a long ripe yellow fruit driven finish. It won't improve obviously but will not decline either due to concentration and acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a 375 and in perfect condition. Intense nose of honey and apricots, more of the same on the palate plus orange marmalade and honeycomb. Sweet without being cloying, nicely balanced with the acid and long finish. Went very nicely with the banana pudding served by our hosts!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Level base of neck; some evidence of seepage so probably a sub-optimal bottle. Dark amber. Hints of erstwhile headiness on the nose. Good balance of sweetness and acidity, with a definite bitter marmalade note. It suggested an old Bual madeira, both in appearance and flavour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with Salil, Brian, and Mark: Extremely dark in color, more than I would expect for its age. Nevertheless, the sweetness comes through with apricots and honey dancing on the palate. There remained some acidity to balance it out but it could have done with more. The finish was long but turned somewhat bitter with air.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The very dark cola color is a prelude to this massively rich and sweet Sauternes which has more than a passing resemblance to Yquem. The acidity is fortunately sound so it is less cloying than it could be. K judges it "too pruney" and I see what she means but it small quantities, this is very impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark brown, appropriate for the age. Excellent palate of apricot, orange rind, creme brulee top, with a firm acid backbone. Very impressive with decades of good drinking remaining.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Incredibly dark color, perhaps the darkest I've ever sen in person for a bottle os Sauternes. I would have guessed this was an ancient Yquem based on the color. The wine defies the color on both the nose and palate with a depth of flavor and concentration. Sweet orange marmalade with a hint of burnt citrus rind notes. Nice finish in the mouth, and a great finish to this meal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Superb. Rusty gold in appearance (as many old Sauternes often are). Beautiful nose of melons and pineapples. Worth opening just to inhale! On the palate, rich and long, a great match for our rich cheesecake. We savoured every last drop, a real experience. We thought probably better than a similarly aged d'Yquem. The cork was quite soft, but that didn't seem to have had any affect on the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a 375. Deep orange-tawny, darker than I remember my other halves; aromatic nose with orange rind, orange marmalade, some spice; palate is medium-full bodied with slight well balanced sweetness, pronounced fresh acidity throughout, dried orange, very slight coppery minerality (different from most of my past bottles which did not have this); medium length finish with nice clean acidity. This is somewhat more advanced than most of my last bottles, which I think is more variation than any serious evolution in the last year. Still very enjoyable to drink by itself or with a simple pairing, though not as profound as my best bottles. 92-93 Update: After drinking this more, it's just so darned delicious. The palate has superb freshness and cleans up so well after each sip that it makes me want to go back for more. I still think it's a half-step below my best bottles of this, but it's still amazing. 93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decades of 6 (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): From half bottle. Dark, caramel in colour. Once again ( This is our 4th and last half bottle and we have been testing this wine for a good 6 years now) consistent, good apricot, botrytis feel, rich, good acidity and very nice length. proper. 92
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with Friends (San Francisco, CA): From a half. Golden-orange color but still quite light; profoundly intense nose with minerality, dried orange rind, toffee; palate is full bodied, wonderful acidity throughout, dried orange, mandarin orange, slight minerality without ever being coppery; long finish. Wonderful Sauternes at peak maturity. 94-96
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a 375. Dark orange-caramel color; intense nose with burnt orange, caramel, earl grey tea; palate is full bodied, rich, but blends intense orange fruit flavor with vibrant acidity, not cloying at all, plenty of secondary and tertiary complexity with slight tea leaves, flavor that has complexity and depth as well as some persistence through the midpalate to a medium length finish. Cleans up quickly and nicely, leaving the palate fresh for another sip. I've had this wine many times, and it is always remarkably good, and could only be made better by even more complexity and depth. 93 today and a superb wine. At peak, but has plenty of time ahead of it. (Just to emphasize, the truly unique and thrilling character of this wine is how despite its intense flavors, the wine tastes balanced, light, and cleans up so cleanly due to its excellent balance without overarching or harsh acidity.)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rieussec Tasting (Tom's House, Palo Alto): My #4, group's #6. Darkest color, golden-orange; aromatic, dried apricot, losing its sweetness; palate is sweet, slight copper/metallic, balanced through midpalate but somewhat short, full bodied; short-med finish. Nice complex mature rieussec. Pegged this as the '76 based on the color. 92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coravin 8/30/13. From a 375. Dark orange color (darker than expected for age, but consistent with this particular vintage/producer); burnt caramel, slightly copper/metallic but not distracting, dried apricot fruit; palate has nice balance of sweetness headed towards dry, burnt apricot, midpalate has fantastic acidity, palate is somewhat simpler than the nose (which is very complex) but still excellent, some citrus fruit; finish is medium, excellent, clean finish. Long life ahead, absolutely lovely each time I've had this. 93 Coravin 9/11/13: Fresh, unchanged impression from my previous note. Great wine. Coravin 9/25/13: Unchanged. Still superb. Just a tiny bit left (~2oz), so if there is any oxygen in the half, it will oxidize quickly... 10/2/13: A bit more subdued and a tad dull, though still has good acidity. Lost a bit of freshness. There was literally 1 ounce left, so this probably doesn't work well when there's only a tiny bit left (though still drinkable 7 days after taking out 90% of this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
White Burgundy/Tuscan Lunch: Brown, almost black colour. Caramel, heading towards the brûlée, but with a bit of acid still there too. A hot year wine for sure, and probably a bit old, even given the sugar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful brown caramel color, from a magnum, my birthday gift to a friend, opened by him yesterday late evening, lots of honey, ambrosia apples, caramel, and cinnamon on the nose, more of the same on the palate, big intense wine, tasted 12 times over 20 years, simialar notes, best of 1976 escept for Chaeau Y'quem.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
If my note is similar to aagrawal, it is because of his generosity that we had this wine together. A big thank you! Deep orange in color with a wonderful bouquet of dried apricot, orange rind, caramel, burnt sugar, and Earl Grey. Similar flavor profile on the palate, with bracing acidity that provides just the right amount of lift for these amazing nuances to peel away in layer after layer. A wonderfully aged Sauternes. 93 + Pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From an excellent looking bottle with a fill into the neck, this wine had a tan/gold center and yellow rims. It was a bit lighter than many bottles. The high intensity nose displayed crystallized lemon, brown sugar, pears, and a hint of Cuban cigar.
In the mouth it was medium bodied with great complexity, solid acidity and great length. While you could detect the alcohol if you worked at it, this showed its heady nature a bit less than my last bottle.
Obviously, this wine will last but why wait. Enjoy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From half bottleDark caramel in colour. Lots of apricot, mandarins on the nose. Lots of palate presence and medium on body. Such a joy! Would agree again that aged rieussecs are such a joy bargain vs price. Drinks beautifly now but will last for a lot more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Coi (Coi, San Francisco): Deep orange color; citrus, caramel, great acidity. Drinking fabulously now. Fully mature, but no risk of falling off a cliff. An absolutely fabulous bargain at auction. 93-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a truly awesome wine. Deep, rich golden brown hue. A nose that lasts forever. Burnt caramel, nuts, sweet fruit, coffee and acidity. A real treat
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a good looking bottle, this wine had a deep amber center and tan/yellow rims. The high intensity nose displayed brown sugar, tea, lemon, and toffee. The nose alone was worth the price of admission.
In the mouth, the wine was rich with great acidity and fantastic length. The only element that held it back from true greatness was a bit of extra alcohol in the finish.
While at its peak, it will certainly hang in there for a decade or two. Always a winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
TN: Labor Day weekend at my place. (My place.): A deep amber/orange color. Fully mature and offering up pleasant grilled apricot, nut, candied orange peel and raisin flavors and aromas. Still nicely sweet,with balancing acidity and fully integrated oak, though the wine is showing clear signs of that it's on the back end of the bell curve. It'll certainly last for years to come, but it's not getting any better and will continue to shed fruit and sweetness. Drink up, unless you're a necrophiliac. Low A-.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Orange and copper in color, this fully mature Sauternes offers complex aromas of honey, nuts, nectarines, crème brulee, caramel and orange rind. The fruit is gently fading while more brunt aromas are appearing. Even though this was the best showing of this wine in a few years, there is no reason to cellar it any longer. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine from my LA Vacation; 7/23/2011-7/31/2011 (Los Angeles): Its always fun to drink old Sauternes, but I had no real expectations when Jeff pulled this out. Orange/gold in color. I got some hope when the nose offered apricots, honey and some canned peaches without showing much age. Nice texture and good balance. On the palate, the fruit still dominates with a fair amount of sweetness but not overwhelming. Lots of peaches and apricots with vanilla and honey. Enough acidity to work well with dessert. Long finish. Jeff said recent bottles had been disappointing, but this bottle was still shining. A great way to finish the evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was VERY dark amber-brown color and was suspect from the beginning. It was burnt, madeirized, and probably left in the sun for a long time. We brought a back up which was very good. 90% S.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rieussec Vertical (Vini di Domani, Eksel): Red-gold ('turkish') in colour. Nose is fine, filigreed, a little timid maybe, but very appealing. In the mouth hints of orange-marmelade, creme brulee, fresh figs and white almonds. Great balance and length. Fruit and complexity are diminishing and not top-notch anymore. Still a very, very nice wine at age 35. 17,5/20
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Super dark caramel in colour. Lots of apricots. Well aged rieussecs are a joy to have and a bargain vs price. Drinks beautifly now but will last another 30yrs easily
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amber color. Orange, iron and caramel candy in the bouquet. On the palate a lot of orange peel, polishing wax, figs, honey and dried apricots and peaches. A lot of botrytis. Beautiful and complex wine although I think the wine has even been better a few years ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep orange/brown colour; Slightly salty fishy nose with some semblance of sweet fruits; a little cloying on the palate - quite overripe. This isn't giving much pleasure - perhaps a faulty bottle?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine-Pages Pomerol Offline (28-50, London): Full, deep amber. Intense orange marmelade nose. Positive attack. Lovely acidity and length. Freshness here too. Still lip-smackingly sweet. Better and more exciting than a previous showing of this. ****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amber, typical of old style Rieussec; packed with botrytis, burnt caramel; real depth & power, full-on, splendid. If you want grace & style stick to Barsac, this is a subtle as a flying mallet*. Unabashed exuberance. * D. Edmunds.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lanessan Re-United at Chez Papies, London: From half bottle. Very dark caramel colour. Lots of appricot and caramel, round, long and delicious. mild ( and this is great btew) botrytis, balanced. superb
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely wonderful a true example of a mature Sauterne, bottle acquired 15 years ago and properly cellared wine turned a dark nut color, opened about 1 hour before serving and served at 58 degrees.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No formal notes, but a beautifully aged Sauternes. Dark amber color, rich honey, apricot and nutty notes. Paired beautifully with terrine of foie gras from D'artagnan. Deliciously complex and mature.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Manu's leaving bash: Amber colour. More orange and marmelade cf the 03. Some sweetness on the attack but less so in the middle. More a wine to consider as an aperitif or with foie gras etc than anything sweeter I think. Good, but I prefer the lush 03. ***1/2
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. Nut brown with an ochre rim. Huge, complex nose; brown sugar, apricot, candied fruits, excellent botrytis, toffee and burnt caramel. A hint of VA. Incredible luscious flavours. Rich with a massive full body. Honeyed palate with molasses, raisins, figs, caramel and toffee. Fabulous. Huge length, I could taste this for 5 minutes. Wow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Northern Rhone (Wildwood Restaurant (Portland, OR)): From a half bottle. Rich, caramel color. Tom mentioned candy corn on the nose, and I agree... though I think it's dipped in a sugar sauce. Wow, the palate is so delicious and pure, and fully mature. Drinking in a great place today. Nice spice, and heavy on the fruit cake on the finish. Really enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Showing burnt orange and copper colors. This bottle seemed dull, tired and lacking in sweetness compared to other examples I've tasted over the past few years. The wine is dropping its fruit. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark colour on this bottle which seems to be a characteristic of this wine in this vintage. Beautiful nose with good botrytis character and apricots. On the palate it is still hanging in there with excellent fruit, good acidity and a nice finish. A very satisfying and classic wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed as part of 30th birthday celebration of a friend. Deep amber gold color wtih honeyed/caramelized apricot and peach nose. Palate was rich but not oxidized despite color. Long finish with good acidity still showing. Very good, but not for the long haul, in my opinion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
30th Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand: Seattle, WA): Dark gold / caramel in color. This is thick, rick, and full bodied on the palate. Sweet and balanced by racey acidity. This bottle was very slightly oxidised but I felt it added to the complexity. On the nose there is botrysis, peach, mango, and pineapple. Also displays some caramel notes and a hint of brown sugar. Long pleasing finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A long time favourite wine from a stupendous vintage for Rieussec. This was my last half bottle. A very dark gold/amber colour, crystal clear, barley sugar botrytis nose, lovely sweet entry with excellent acid balance & long finish. A perfect old Sauternes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This fully mature, cooper hued Sauternes is a showcase for sweet, ripe, tropical fruit soaked in honey with layers of caramel dripping from the sides. This is not a dessert wine, it's a dessert
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux Legends with Leve at Sona (Los Angeles, CA): Deep color. The nose is fairly mute with light notes of oxidation. The palate shows loads of caramel with orange peel. The body is fantastic; you can feel this squishing through your teeth. The finish is a little too short and too burned to merit an outstanding score.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2000 Cali Cab Dinner (Vancouver, BC Canada): I thought this might have been oxidized as I did not find as much botrytis that others in the group found. I initially did not find this very appealing, but with time it started to show aspects of caramel and almonds. Not the best aged Sauternes I have had, but enjoyable and I thank Anthony for bringing this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A heavenly night of Pichon!!! (Seattle, WA, USA): Deep caramel color. Wow! Amazing balance on this one, incredibly lush in texture with a thick mouthfeel that is balanced with very pleasing acidity. Yummy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The wine was the color of molasses with a texture almost as thick. It’s luscious style offered aromas of peaches, apricots, vanilla and coffee. The palate consisted of burnt orange, vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel dipped in honey. This was just as good on day two! This is not a dessert wine, it is dessert!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A gift from a fellow Burgundy enophile, paired with pate, lovely nose of honey, caramel, and caramel covered apples, more of the same on the palate, big body, very tasty, at peak, intense, concentrated, balanced, long, flavorful finish and lovely aftertaste, one of my favorite Sauternes and favorite vintages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Compared a 1988 and 1976 tonight, more honey and caramel here than the 1988, creamier, more caramel, very tasty, like better and best, both showed well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, warm, orange-gold, typical for Rieussec from this era; harmonious, deep and rich, a ripe nectar of peaches, cream, honey and raisins, full and sweet, with a hint of toffee; velvety, fleshy, luxurious, perfect balance, rich and sweet, wonderful mouthfeel, fabulous weight, very flavoursome, no detectable VA; excellent length.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
9/28/2022 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Very dark color but clear. Expressive nose displaying generous decadent yellow fruit, dry fig, dry peach, peach preserve, caramel, a hint of saffron, sweet spices and earth. Very good concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated sweet yellow fruit, rich and deeply toned, bright acidity and mineral, and a long ripe yellow fruit driven finish. It won't improve obviously but will not decline either due to concentration and acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2022 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a 375 and in perfect condition. Intense nose of honey and apricots, more of the same on the palate plus orange marmalade and honeycomb. Sweet without being cloying, nicely balanced with the acid and long finish. Went very nicely with the banana pudding served by our hosts!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2021 - Acratophorus Likes this wine:
Level base of neck; some evidence of seepage so probably a sub-optimal bottle. Dark amber. Hints of erstwhile headiness on the nose. Good balance of sweetness and acidity, with a definite bitter marmalade note. It suggested an old Bual madeira, both in appearance and flavour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2017 - prof b wrote: 90 Points
Dinner with Salil, Brian, and Mark: Extremely dark in color, more than I would expect for its age. Nevertheless, the sweetness comes through with apricots and honey dancing on the palate. There remained some acidity to balance it out but it could have done with more. The finish was long but turned somewhat bitter with air.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2017 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
The very dark cola color is a prelude to this massively rich and sweet Sauternes which has more than a passing resemblance to Yquem. The acidity is fortunately sound so it is less cloying than it could be. K judges it "too pruney" and I see what she means but it small quantities, this is very impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2017 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark brown, appropriate for the age. Excellent palate of apricot, orange rind, creme brulee top, with a firm acid backbone. Very impressive with decades of good drinking remaining.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2016 - ATBridge wrote:
Incredibly dark color, perhaps the darkest I've ever sen in person for a bottle os Sauternes. I would have guessed this was an ancient Yquem based on the color. The wine defies the color on both the nose and palate with a depth of flavor and concentration. Sweet orange marmalade with a hint of burnt citrus rind notes. Nice finish in the mouth, and a great finish to this meal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2016 - Keith Cooper wrote: 96 Points
Superb. Rusty gold in appearance (as many old Sauternes often are). Beautiful nose of melons and pineapples. Worth opening just to inhale! On the palate, rich and long, a great match for our rich cheesecake. We savoured every last drop, a real experience. We thought probably better than a similarly aged d'Yquem. The cork was quite soft, but that didn't seem to have had any affect on the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
From a 375. Deep orange-tawny, darker than I remember my other halves; aromatic nose with orange rind, orange marmalade, some spice; palate is medium-full bodied with slight well balanced sweetness, pronounced fresh acidity throughout, dried orange, very slight coppery minerality (different from most of my past bottles which did not have this); medium length finish with nice clean acidity. This is somewhat more advanced than most of my last bottles, which I think is more variation than any serious evolution in the last year. Still very enjoyable to drink by itself or with a simple pairing, though not as profound as my best bottles. 92-93
Update: After drinking this more, it's just so darned delicious. The palate has superb freshness and cleans up so well after each sip that it makes me want to go back for more. I still think it's a half-step below my best bottles of this, but it's still amazing. 93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2016 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Decades of 6 (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): From half bottle. Dark, caramel in colour. Once again ( This is our 4th and last half bottle and we have been testing this wine for a good 6 years now) consistent, good apricot, botrytis feel, rich, good acidity and very nice length. proper. 92
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2016 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 96 Points
Simply superb. Knocks the socks off D'Yquem in 1976. This is the pinnacle of what great Sauternes can achieve.
Delicious bitter orange nose. Fantastically concentrated, endless finish with not a hint of bitterness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Friends (San Francisco, CA): From a half. Golden-orange color but still quite light; profoundly intense nose with minerality, dried orange rind, toffee; palate is full bodied, wonderful acidity throughout, dried orange, mandarin orange, slight minerality without ever being coppery; long finish. Wonderful Sauternes at peak maturity. 94-96
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
From a 375. Dark orange-caramel color; intense nose with burnt orange, caramel, earl grey tea; palate is full bodied, rich, but blends intense orange fruit flavor with vibrant acidity, not cloying at all, plenty of secondary and tertiary complexity with slight tea leaves, flavor that has complexity and depth as well as some persistence through the midpalate to a medium length finish. Cleans up quickly and nicely, leaving the palate fresh for another sip. I've had this wine many times, and it is always remarkably good, and could only be made better by even more complexity and depth. 93 today and a superb wine. At peak, but has plenty of time ahead of it. (Just to emphasize, the truly unique and thrilling character of this wine is how despite its intense flavors, the wine tastes balanced, light, and cleans up so cleanly due to its excellent balance without overarching or harsh acidity.)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2014 - SimonG wrote:
95 Burgundy (La Trompette, London): Deep orange, almost brown. Didn't really get a chance to taste this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Rieussec Tasting (Tom's House, Palo Alto): My #4, group's #6. Darkest color, golden-orange; aromatic, dried apricot, losing its sweetness; palate is sweet, slight copper/metallic, balanced through midpalate but somewhat short, full bodied; short-med finish. Nice complex mature rieussec. Pegged this as the '76 based on the color. 92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2014 - affordableCollector wrote: 87 Points
dark orange, in color. raisin, brown sugar, honey, on the nose. citrus, sugar, broken taste, falling apart, on the palate. medium acid, on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Coravin 8/30/13. From a 375. Dark orange color (darker than expected for age, but consistent with this particular vintage/producer); burnt caramel, slightly copper/metallic but not distracting, dried apricot fruit; palate has nice balance of sweetness headed towards dry, burnt apricot, midpalate has fantastic acidity, palate is somewhat simpler than the nose (which is very complex) but still excellent, some citrus fruit; finish is medium, excellent, clean finish. Long life ahead, absolutely lovely each time I've had this. 93
Coravin 9/11/13: Fresh, unchanged impression from my previous note. Great wine.
Coravin 9/25/13: Unchanged. Still superb. Just a tiny bit left (~2oz), so if there is any oxygen in the half, it will oxidize quickly...
10/2/13: A bit more subdued and a tad dull, though still has good acidity. Lost a bit of freshness. There was literally 1 ounce left, so this probably doesn't work well when there's only a tiny bit left (though still drinkable 7 days after taking out 90% of this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2013 - abh wrote:
White Burgundy/Tuscan Lunch: Brown, almost black colour. Caramel, heading towards the brûlée, but with a bit of acid still there too. A hot year wine for sure, and probably a bit old, even given the sugar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2013 - Shash wrote: 90 Points
Gorgeous dark orange-brown color. Flavor of oranges, cinnamon, tea, caramel. Fully matured - I actually think this may have passed its peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - Grape Stuff wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2012 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful brown caramel color, from a magnum, my birthday gift to a friend, opened by him yesterday late evening, lots of honey, ambrosia apples, caramel, and cinnamon on the nose, more of the same on the palate, big intense wine, tasted 12 times over 20 years, simialar notes, best of 1976 escept for Chaeau Y'quem.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2012 - Jamie Manley wrote: 93 Points
If my note is similar to aagrawal, it is because of his generosity that we had this wine together. A big thank you! Deep orange in color with a wonderful bouquet of dried apricot, orange rind, caramel, burnt sugar, and Earl Grey. Similar flavor profile on the palate, with bracing acidity that provides just the right amount of lift for these amazing nuances to peel away in layer after layer. A wonderfully aged Sauternes. 93 + Pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Deep orange color; caramel, apricot, earl grey tea; palate is balanced, great acidity, nice residual sweetness, dried apricot; med finish. Nice! 93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2012 - fclarity wrote: 94 Points
From an excellent looking bottle with a fill into the neck, this wine had a tan/gold center and yellow rims. It was a bit lighter than many bottles. The high intensity nose displayed crystallized lemon, brown sugar, pears, and a hint of Cuban cigar.
In the mouth it was medium bodied with great complexity, solid acidity and great length. While you could detect the alcohol if you worked at it, this showed its heady nature a bit less than my last bottle.
Obviously, this wine will last but why wait. Enjoy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2012 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
From half bottleDark caramel in colour. Lots of apricot, mandarins on the nose. Lots of palate presence and medium on body. Such a joy!
Would agree again that aged rieussecs are such a joy bargain vs price. Drinks beautifly now but will last for a lot more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Coi (Coi, San Francisco): Deep orange color; citrus, caramel, great acidity. Drinking fabulously now. Fully mature, but no risk of falling off a cliff. An absolutely fabulous bargain at auction. 93-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2012 - mhauser wrote:
This is a truly awesome wine. Deep, rich golden brown hue. A nose that lasts forever. Burnt caramel, nuts, sweet fruit, coffee and acidity. A real treat
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2012 - don_quichotte wrote: 91 Points
Very dark. Don't have much to add to what's been said in the notes below... Lovely wine, though. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2011 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
From a good looking bottle, this wine had a deep amber center and tan/yellow rims. The high intensity nose displayed brown sugar, tea, lemon, and toffee. The nose alone was worth the price of admission.
In the mouth, the wine was rich with great acidity and fantastic length. The only element that held it back from true greatness was a bit of extra alcohol in the finish.
While at its peak, it will certainly hang in there for a decade or two. Always a winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2011 - humagne wrote: 95 Points
Amber color. Rich nose of honey, caramel, dried apricot, saffron. Opulent and sweet, but has good acidity. Excellent!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2011 - BradKNYC wrote:
TN: Labor Day weekend at my place. (My place.): A deep amber/orange color. Fully mature and offering up pleasant grilled apricot, nut, candied orange peel and raisin flavors and aromas. Still nicely sweet,with balancing acidity and fully integrated oak, though the wine is showing clear signs of that it's on the back end of the bell curve. It'll certainly last for years to come, but it's not getting any better and will continue to shed fruit and sweetness. Drink up, unless you're a necrophiliac. Low A-.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Orange and copper in color, this fully mature Sauternes offers complex aromas of honey, nuts, nectarines, crème brulee, caramel and orange rind. The fruit is gently fading while more brunt aromas are appearing. Even though this was the best showing of this wine in a few years, there is no reason to cellar it any longer. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Wine from my LA Vacation; 7/23/2011-7/31/2011 (Los Angeles): Its always fun to drink old Sauternes, but I had no real expectations when Jeff pulled this out. Orange/gold in color. I got some hope when the nose offered apricots, honey and some canned peaches without showing much age. Nice texture and good balance. On the palate, the fruit still dominates with a fair amount of sweetness but not overwhelming. Lots of peaches and apricots with vanilla and honey. Enough acidity to work well with dessert. Long finish. Jeff said recent bottles had been disappointing, but this bottle was still shining. A great way to finish the evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2011 - peternelson wrote: 0 Points
This was VERY dark amber-brown color and was suspect from the beginning. It was burnt, madeirized, and probably left in the sun for a long time. We brought a back up which was very good. 90% S.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2011 - jkoenen wrote: 90 Points
Rieussec Vertical (Vini di Domani, Eksel): Red-gold ('turkish') in colour. Nose is fine, filigreed, a little timid maybe, but very appealing. In the mouth hints of orange-marmelade, creme brulee, fresh figs and white almonds. Great balance and length. Fruit and complexity are diminishing and not top-notch anymore. Still a very, very nice wine at age 35. 17,5/20
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2011 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Super dark caramel in colour. Lots of apricots. Well aged rieussecs are a joy to have and a bargain vs price. Drinks beautifly now but will last another 30yrs easily
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2011 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Amber color. Orange, iron and caramel candy in the bouquet. On the palate a lot of orange peel, polishing wax, figs, honey and dried apricots and peaches. A lot of botrytis. Beautiful and complex wine although I think the wine has even been better a few years ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2011 - vespasian wrote: 79 Points
Deep orange/brown colour; Slightly salty fishy nose with some semblance of sweet fruits; a little cloying on the palate - quite overripe. This isn't giving much pleasure - perhaps a faulty bottle?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Wine-Pages Pomerol Offline (28-50, London): Full, deep amber. Intense orange marmelade nose. Positive attack. Lovely acidity and length. Freshness here too. Still lip-smackingly sweet. Better and more exciting than a previous showing of this. ****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2010 - chbeaumont Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amber, typical of old style Rieussec; packed with botrytis, burnt caramel; real depth & power, full-on, splendid. If you want grace & style stick to Barsac, this is a subtle as a flying mallet*. Unabashed exuberance.
* D. Edmunds.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2010 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Lanessan Re-United at Chez Papies, London: From half bottle. Very dark caramel colour. Lots of appricot and caramel, round, long and delicious. mild ( and this is great btew) botrytis, balanced. superb
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2010 - helicopterbob wrote: 90 Points
Absolutely wonderful a true example of a mature Sauterne, bottle acquired 15 years ago and properly cellared wine turned a dark nut color, opened about 1 hour before serving and served at 58 degrees.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2010 - don_quichotte wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful mature sauternes. By no means fading.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2009 - Grape Stuff wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes, but a beautifully aged Sauternes. Dark amber color, rich honey, apricot and nutty notes. Paired beautifully with terrine of foie gras from D'artagnan. Deliciously complex and mature.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2009 - SimonG wrote:
Manu's leaving bash: Amber colour. More orange and marmelade cf the 03. Some sweetness on the attack but less so in the middle. More a wine to consider as an aperitif or with foie gras etc than anything sweeter I think. Good, but I prefer the lush 03. ***1/2
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2009 - Biggsy wrote: 96 Points
Wow. Nut brown with an ochre rim. Huge, complex nose; brown sugar, apricot, candied fruits, excellent botrytis, toffee and burnt caramel. A hint of VA. Incredible luscious flavours. Rich with a massive full body. Honeyed palate with molasses, raisins, figs, caramel and toffee. Fabulous. Huge length, I could taste this for 5 minutes. Wow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2009 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 91 Points
Northern Rhone (Wildwood Restaurant (Portland, OR)): From a half bottle. Rich, caramel color. Tom mentioned candy corn on the nose, and I agree... though I think it's dipped in a sugar sauce. Wow, the palate is so delicious and pure, and fully mature. Drinking in a great place today. Nice spice, and heavy on the fruit cake on the finish. Really enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2008 - kris.h wrote: 92 Points
32nd Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand - Seattle, WA): Brown sugar, apricot. Dark gold color. Moderate acidity with a medium to long finish. Burnt custard. Full body, sweet, lush.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2008 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
I’ve had better bottle of this, lots of caramel and toffee, drying out and passable at best.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 87 Points
Showing burnt orange and copper colors. This bottle seemed dull, tired and lacking in sweetness compared to other examples I've tasted over the past few years. The wine is dropping its fruit. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2007 - lbosche wrote:
Very dark colour on this bottle which seems to be a characteristic of this wine in this vintage. Beautiful nose with good botrytis character and apricots. On the palate it is still hanging in there with excellent fruit, good acidity and a nice finish. A very satisfying and classic wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2006 - fredb wrote:
Consumed as part of 30th birthday celebration of a friend. Deep amber gold color wtih honeyed/caramelized apricot and peach nose. Palate was rich but not oxidized despite color. Long finish with good acidity still showing. Very good, but not for the long haul, in my opinion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2006 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Chateau Rieussec vertical (Bentley Hotel, London): Also browning, another one with an odd nose, but much better on the palate and again, brown sugar and dried fruits
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2006 - kris.h wrote: 93 Points
30th Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand: Seattle, WA): Dark gold / caramel in color. This is thick, rick, and full bodied on the palate. Sweet and balanced by racey acidity. This bottle was very slightly oxidised but I felt it added to the complexity. On the nose there is botrysis, peach, mango, and pineapple. Also displays some caramel notes and a hint of brown sugar. Long pleasing finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2006 - gout wrote: 96 Points
A long time favourite wine from a stupendous vintage for Rieussec. This was my last half bottle. A very dark gold/amber colour, crystal clear, barley sugar botrytis nose, lovely sweet entry with excellent acid balance & long finish. A perfect old Sauternes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2006 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
This fully mature, cooper hued Sauternes is a showcase for sweet, ripe, tropical fruit soaked in honey with layers of caramel dripping from the sides. This is not a dessert wine, it's a dessert
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2005 - Eric wrote: 89 Points
Bordeaux Legends with Leve at Sona (Los Angeles, CA): Deep color. The nose is fairly mute with light notes of oxidation. The palate shows loads of caramel with orange peel. The body is fantastic; you can feel this squishing through your teeth. The finish is a little too short and too burned to merit an outstanding score.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2005 - ChillyWino wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Deep caramel color and intense caramel nose Incredibly smooth and intensely sweet. Paired great with caramel pears over vanilla ice cream.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Deep orange, honey colored hue. Oranges, apricots, burnt sugar were easy to find in the nose. Very sweet with good depth, balance and length
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2005 - DelYap wrote: 88 Points
2000 Cali Cab Dinner (Vancouver, BC Canada): I thought this might have been oxidized as I did not find as much botrytis that others in the group found. I initially did not find this very appealing, but with time it started to show aspects of caramel and almonds. Not the best aged Sauternes I have had, but enjoyable and I thank Anthony for bringing this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2004 - Eric wrote:
Seattle Tasting Group does 1990 & older Bordeaux (Seattle, WA, USA): Nail polish, caramel, and awesomely dark color. Perhaps this slightly oxidized on the nose, but it is a delicious Sauternes with so much caramel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2003 - Eric wrote:
A heavenly night of Pichon!!! (Seattle, WA, USA): Deep caramel color. Wow! Amazing balance on this one, incredibly lush in texture with a thick mouthfeel that is balanced with very pleasing acidity. Yummy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2003 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
The wine was the color of molasses with a texture almost as thick. It’s luscious style offered aromas of peaches, apricots, vanilla and coffee. The palate consisted of burnt orange, vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel dipped in honey. This was just as good on day two! This is not a dessert wine, it is dessert!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2001 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
A private dinner (Restaurant Châlet Royal *, Den Bosch, Netherlands): Brilliant. Very un-Sauternes, almost a Spätburgunder TBA! Incredibly concentrated, incredible botrytis, honey and acidity, big yet stylish and elegant - perfect.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/1999 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
A gift from a fellow Burgundy enophile, paired with pate, lovely nose of honey, caramel, and caramel covered apples, more of the same on the palate, big body, very tasty, at peak, intense, concentrated, balanced, long, flavorful finish and lovely aftertaste, one of my favorite Sauternes and favorite vintages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/1996 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 96 Points
Compared a 1988 and 1976 tonight, more honey and caramel here than the 1988, creamier, more caramel, very tasty, like better and best, both showed well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/1995 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
Deep, warm, orange-gold, typical for Rieussec from this era; harmonious, deep and rich, a ripe nectar of peaches, cream, honey and raisins, full and sweet, with a hint of toffee; velvety, fleshy, luxurious, perfect balance, rich and sweet, wonderful mouthfeel, fabulous weight, very flavoursome, no detectable VA; excellent length.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment