Château Rieussec
The vintage
The very wet, cold winter resulted in work in the vineyard being considerably delayed; bud break was late, and flowering was three weeks later than the average for the last 50 years; the changeable weather resulted in some flower abortion and uneven grape size, and therefore in lower potential yields than usual.
Then at the end of June, the weather suddenly changed, and it was as if we were in the middle of the summer, with no transition, although there were a lot of localized storms.
The harvest period put our technicians in a cold sweat: rain, sun, and a long, slow ripening, which became difficult to manage with an "explosive" outbreak of botrytis in late September! Fortunately, the sorting teams were very efficient despite the difficult harvest conditions.
The selective picking continued to the end of October with excellent botrytisation.
Location
The Sauternes appellation stretches on the left bank of the Garonne, about 50km South of Bordeaux. The natural humidity arising from the Ciron river provides the ideal conditions for the development of Botrytis Cinerea, also known as noble rot.
Terroir
Château Rieussec sits on the border of Fargues and Sauternes. Château Rieussec is one of the largest properties in Sauternes and Barsac, covering 93 hectares, made up of gravel on sandy-clay soil.
Winemaking
The grapes are pressed as soon as they arrive at the winery. After settling, the musts are transferred to new barrels for fermentation. Grapes from each plot are pressed and fermented separately. At the end of fermentation, the wines are kept on the lees and stirred regularly until mid-December. After a resting period, the wines are racked and blended before being returned to the barrels to age for about 12 months.
Grapes
Tasting
Beautiful, still youthful colour. Lovely nose of acacia flowers develops against a slightly woody background.
The palate offers the volume and richness characteristic of a sweet wine, continuing into a well-balanced finish of candied and fresh fruit.
The overall impression remains fairly ethereal and floral, making it a perfect accompaniment to an exotic fruit sorbet, or a grilled lobster, or simply a delicious aperitif to enjoy among friends.
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