Carmes de Rieussec
The vintage
Another vintage that contrasts with the usual. At the beginning of the year, cool weather caused a two-week delay in vine growth. Despite low rainfall, all seemed well until April, when early morning frost hit our early terroirs. Fortunately, the most sensitive areas had not yet budded, thanks to late pruning. Dry, sunny weather right up to the harvest enabled the vines to catch up. Phytosanitary management was serene, and the team was able to focus on watering our young vines to limit losses. The harvest was early for our dry whites (17/08) and for the sweet wines we had to wait for the arrival of humidity and the onset of botrytis. It finally arrived, revealing great purity and virtually no waste. The rain of September 15th and the regular fog allowed the noble rot to progressively take hold. A first sorting on October 1st was promising but confirmed the very low yields of the vintage. Everything accelerated in the second half of October. The teams carried out up to 4 selections to end up with magnificent grapes of great freshness on 29 October.
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 85 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
Powerful, expressive nose. Pleasant fruity notes with nuances of candied apricot blend perfectly with the floral hints of rose from the Muscadelle. On the palate, there’s a great finesse with a pronounced candied character. The finish is delicate and fresh. A very pleasant wine to enjoy.
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