利诗之星干白葡萄酒
Presentation
The “R” de Rieussec is produced on the Château Rieussec estate, a 1st growth Sauternes wine.
Harvesting in Rieussec starts with the plots which do not have the required amount of botrytisation and by sorting the healthy grapes on the other plots.
Fermentation takes place for 20% in new barrels. This technique gives the wine great potential for ageing, while preserving its freshness and the grapes’ fruity essence.
The vintage
The winter of 2014-2015 started out mild and dry. But, as is often the case, February brought colder weather, to the extent that bud break was delayed.
Spring was warm and fine, but too dry, almost exposing the vines to water stress. Fortunately there was some rain at the beginning of June, which created ideal conditions for flowering. The summer was very hot until mid-August.
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 Bortrytis Cinerea, also known as noble rot.
Terroir
Château Rieussec sits on the border of Fargues and Sauternes, bordered by Château d'Yquem to the West. Rieussec is one of the largest properties in Sauternes and Barsac, covering 93 hectares of gravel sitting on sandy-clay soils.
Winemaking
Grapes are harvested by hand in small crates. They are refrigerated prior to being brought to the press, which helps prevent oxydation. The pressing is gentle in order to retain the aromatic freshness of the grapes. Once the must has settled, most of the semillon are placed in new oak barrels to undergo alcoholic fermentation, whilst the sauvignon is predominantly fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Once fermentation is completed, the wine in barrel is kept on its lees for a period of six months with regular stirring, whilst the sauvignon are racked and left to age in the tanks to preserve their aromatic qualities.
Grapes
Tasting
Beautiful nose dominated by flowers and lively citrus notes. Its refined style is enhanced by the very well-integrated wood that brings a pleasant complexity.
On the palate, the attack is subtle, the wine then gains in volume, remaining perfectly balanced. Despite being the minority in the blend, the Sauvignon is well-expressed, without overpowering the Sémillon's elegance.
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