Château Rieussec
The vintage
The dry weather in August and September was a hopeful sign, but was not as favorable as expected. The wet and rainy conditions at the end of the harvest were a serious threat to the grapes. This resulted in a very small yield of quality grapes picked at the beginning of the harvest before the rain arrived. From 10 October, the vagaries of the weather came along with high rainfall which disrupted the harvest.
The development of botrytis was limited but progressed towards the end of September and the beginning of October. The first grapes selectively harvested from 22 September to 10 October were of very high quality, offering unbeatable rich, concentrated and complex grape juices to the barrels of the new vat house built for this vintage. Some clusters of grapes were still picked in the hope that the weather would improve. However, this was not the case and the harvests lasted until 3 November.
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
All batches were pressed individually in small pneumatic presses. After a few hours of cold settling, the must was transferred into new oak barrels from the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac for fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation was interrupted when the desired balance between alcohol and sugar had been reached. After fermentation, the wine was aged in barrels for 24 months.
Grapes
Tasting
Only the first grapes selected were kept for this vintage, making it the lowest in terms of quantity since 1993 (a ‘grand vin’ could not be made due to the lack in quality).
The wine presents a deep and intense golden color. The nose is complex and balanced with fine candied aromas. The intensity prevails in the mouth, making this a very fine wine with concentration and balance.
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