2018

Carmes de Rieussec

AOC Sauternes, Bordeaux, France

The vintage

The winter of 2018 was the coldest we have had since 2010, mainly due to particularly severe weather in February.
It was very rainy, with endless showers that continued throughout the spring. To find such wet conditions at the beginning of the season, you would have to go back to 2001. As a result, there was an unusually high threat of mildew that persisted from May into July. Such violent outbreaks of mildew had not been seen within living memory. Fortunately, the situation significantly improved over the summer, thanks to dry, hot weather which enabled us to restore the vineyard’s health and produce excellent quality grapes.

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

89 %

Sémillon

6 %

Muscadelle

5 %

Sauvignon blanc

Tasting

Beautiful sparkling gold colour.
The nose is already surprisingly subtle. The barrel-ageing is still present but blends perfectly with notes of apricot and candied melon.
The attack is light, but the wine then develops volume and gradually fills the entire palate. The wine has not been affected by the often excessively high summer temperatures.
The finish is long and well-defined. This is a wine that has already substantially opened up and should be at its peak in about five years.