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 95-97
The Château Rieussec 2014 is a blend of 93% Semillon, 5% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle, picked from 15 to 29 October through seven tries, the yield half the normal crop at 13 hectoliters per hectare. Charles Chevalier, how lest we forget started here and not chez Lafite, told me that the beginning of September had overripe grapes with passerillage – the second part had very good levels of botrytis. The blend is from these two parts. The bouquet is very well defined with crystal clear honeysuckle and white peach scents. The palate is beautifully balanced with nigh on perfect acidity that makes this seem just so…effortless. I would like to see a little more persistence on the finish, but otherwise this is classic Rieussec that might...and I stress might...just give that Sauternes beginning with the 25th letter of the alphabet, a run for its money.
- Wine Spectator 92-95
Praline, peach and pecan notes lead the way, followed by apricot and nectarine fruit flavors. Juicy and lush, this has good depth and the vibrancy to match through the finish. Tasted non-blind.—J.M.
- James Suckling 95
The aromas of botrytis are all there. Very spicy mushroom-powder and flower character. Dried-lemon undertones. Full-bodied, medium sweet, dense and flavorful with so much fruit intensity and bright acidity. Vibrant. Drink or hold.
- René Gabriel 18
Mitteldunkles Gelb, somit recht intensiv, leuchtender Rand. Sehr traubiges Bouquet, helle Sultaninen, gekochte Nektarinen, Pektinnoten, dezent leimig im Untergrund. Im Gaumen mit einer ausgeprägten Süsse, wirkt dabei aber schön saftig. Er ist jetzt schon wunderschön und hat irgendwie schon einen kommerziellen Touch in seiner Gefälligkeit. Aufgrund der Erfahrung mit früheren Jahrgängen bin ich mit dem Alterungspotential sehr vorsichtig geworden. Gefiel aber allen Degustatoren durchs Band. 18/20 2020 – 2040
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.