Château Rieussec, 1er Cru Classé, Sauternes, 2009
A blend of 85% Semillon, 11% Sauvignon and 4% Muscadelle. The first wine represents 25% of the whole crop. Harvest finished by the 4th October, earlier than many other Sauternes, but this is probably one of the ripest and most explosive wines in the vintage. The residual sugar is 160g/l, well above the region’s average for the year, but there is a lot more to this than just sugar. Intense, multi-layered, powerful but very compact, a true vin de garde, deeply concentrated notes of wild honey, nectarine, peach, apricot and salts, very dense but not heavy or cloying, a long bright and very clear fruit finish. Very impressive.
critic reviews
The 2009 Rieussec has long been a favourite of mine. It is a little deeper in colour than its peers. This is rich and powerful with clear honey, acacia, orange blossom and quince aromas, just a hint of crème caramel in the background. The palate is very well balanced with another superb line of acidity. Very pure and focused with captivating tension on the finish, the tongue tingling with Szechuan peppers on the aftertaste. Wonderful. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.