The product image is for illustrative purposes only and may not exactly reflect the actual characteristics of the wine.
The wine
- Colour
- Dolce
- Alcohol
- 14.0% vol
Critics' scores
- Robert Parker / Wine Advocate 95
Tasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. The Château Rieussec 2011 transcends its somewhat “middling” performance from barrel and delivers a knockout wine in bottle. For sure, it demonstrates a lot of vanilla from the new oak on the nose, complemented by almond, French patisserie and touches of white peach. The élevage is more expressive than the terroir at the moment, although there is clearly a lot of fruit underneath. The palate is very well balanced, with thickly textured honeyed fruits that lacquer the inside of the mouth and stay there. This is extremely well balanced but very young and primal, yet the crescendo of flavors is very impressive. Tasted blind, I hazarded a guess that this might be Yquem ’11. Enough said.
- Wine Spectator 93-96
A very ripe, juicy, spicy style, with bold apricot, tangerine, toasted almond and papaya notes. Shows lots of power, with the length to match. A winner in the making.—J.M.
- James Suckling 96-97
This is a fabulous Sauternes with dried peaches, pineapples and mango. Apricots and hints of spices. Even jam. Full-bodied, medium sweet with intense and powerful palate. This wine has 147 grams of residual sugar. So balanced and long. We will see what is better -- Rieussec or Yquem?
- René Gabriel 18
Mittleres Gelb, lindengrüne Nuancen darin, leuchtend. Reifes Traubenbouquet, viel Kamille, Mirabellen und Orangenblüten, das ist auch etwas Pfeffriges drin. Im Gaumen sehr fruchtig bei recht üppig daherkommender Süsse, pikante Extraktnote mit viel Mineralität, die nasale Süsse ist hier nicht mehr so dominant und somit bleibt das Finale sehr elegant. warten (2015 - 2045)
The producer: Château Rieussec
Under the same ownership as Lafite-Rothschild, the Château Rieussec vineyard is one of the largest properties in Sauternes and Barsac. The 93-hectare estate stretches from the border of Fargues and Sauternes, neighboring the vines of rival Château d’Yquem. Since 1984, Rieussec has belonged to Domaines Barons de Rothschild. They have made large investments in the cellar, as well as in the vineyards. This increase in quality-conscious procedures, including grape selection has led to smaller production numbers - here a single vine produces about a glass of wine. Fermentation is carried out in new-oak barriques, made by their very own cooper. The resulting wines are consistently powerful but classically structured, showing the opulence of Sauternes in an age-worthy Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend. This First Growth estate is undoubtedly a reference-point for sweet wine producers around the world.