Château Rieussec
The vintage
The winter of 2021 will remain engraved in the memories of our winegrowers. With temperatures plunging to -9 degrees, frost has never affected the whole of France so severely. It arrived without warning, with a brazen attitude, following no rules. Then spring came and the vines began to flower at the end of May. June and July were rainy, and as the millimetres of water accumulated. Veraison began mid-July under unstable skies that lasted until mid-August. Fortunately, the following months were more stable.
After a dry white harvest, rain on 15 September and regular fog allowed noble rot to set in gradually. A first sorting on 1 October was promising but confirmed the very low yields of the vintage. Things accelerated in the second half of october and the teams and the teams carried out up to 4 selections, ending up with some magnificent grapes on 29 October.
Location
The Sauternes appellation stretches along 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's vineyards lie at the junction of Fargues and Sauternes, and it is one of the most important estates in Sauternes and Barsac. Its vines cover 85 hectares of sandy-clay gravel.
Winemaking
The grapes are harvested by hand in small crates. On arrival at the winery, they are immediately pressed in small pneumatic presses. After settling, the must is transferred to barrels for fermentation (new barrels for the Semillon, one-wine barrels for the Sauvignon). Each parcel is pressed and vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation is stopped as soon as the desired balance between alcohol and sugar is reached. At the end of fermentation, the wines are kept on their lees and stirred regularly until mid-December. After a resting period, the wines are racked and blended before being put back into barrels to age for around 18 months.
Grapes
Tasting
The nose is powerful, with notes of dried fruit (apricots and currants) and roasted pineapple, enhanced by hints of toast and smoke. The palette then evolves towards grilled almonds and apricot crumble.
On the palate, the wine offers a fine balance of freshness, with a gentle sensation of exotic fruits such as papaya and mango. Cooked apricots round out the flavours.
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