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Nectar-like if a bit on the sweet side, impressively complex, concentrated and focused. Deep gold, big, sweet and rich, with gobs of concentrated fig, brown sugar, butterscotch and oak flavor. A knockout.Wine Spectator | 94 WSLight golden with just the slightest tint of green, the 1983 Rieussec, from an excellent year for Sauternes, is certainly one of this property’s greatest wines. Well structured with excellent acidity, and a deep, long, rich, full-bodied, viscous texture, this wine, despite the richness and power, is neither heavy nor cloying. It has gorgeous balance and a very long, lingering, spectacular finish. One of the great successes of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: Now-2005. Last tasted, 3/88.Robert Parker | 92 RP

Captivating, tangy aromas of vineyard peach, pear, white flowers and curry powder. Supple and very concentrated; thick but lively thanks to perfectly integrated acidity. Fruit notes nicely complemented by spice tones. Conveys a tactile impression of extract. Long and strong on the back end. Still quite youthfully unevolved and built for long life.Vinous Media | 92+ VMThis wine contains an extremely high percentage of Semillon (usually about 90%), which was to its benefit in 1997. The wine is light medium gold-colored, with a blockbuster nose of Grand Marnier liqueur intertwined with flower blossoms, smoky new oak, and coconut. Well-integrated wood has resulted in a seamless, full-bodied, unctuously-textured wine with considerable sweetness. This is a stunningly proportioned, beautifully pure wine. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2025.Robert Parker | 91 RP

The 1998 Rieussec is medium gold colored and scented of paraffin, dried lemon peel, key lime pie and musk perfume with an earthy undercurrent. Very rich, concentrated and sexy in the mouth, it sports layer upon layer of citrus, earth and fungi notes with seamless freshness and fantastic length. Wow.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPPale yellow-gold. Superripe, nuanced nose combines peach, apricot, honey and a suggestion of tropical fruits. Silky, suave and opulent; very concentrated and spicy. This very rich Sauternes carries its 130 g/l r.s. quite gracefully, thanks to firm acids. Finishes very long, with spice and honey notes. Impeccably balanced wine with terrific material.Vinous Media | 93 VMMedium dark gold color. Aromas of cooked apple and lemon follow through to a full body, with lots of spice, salty nut and clove character. Big and dense, with lots going on. Oily. Drink now. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This is a crazy wine! It’s sweet, but not sugary. Mushrooms, furniture wax, spices then dried oranges, lemons, pineapples, and just a hint of vanilla. Full-bodied, with great density and power, yet balanced and refined. So amazing, but give this five to six years still. Pull the cork in 2016. 145 grams RS.James Suckling | 100 JSLike lemon curd on the nose, turning to honey and caramel. Full-bodied and very sweet, with fantastic concentration of ripe and botrytized fruit, yet balanced and refined. Electric acidity. Lasts for minutes on the palate. This is absolutely mind-blowing. This is the greatest young Sauternes I have ever tasted. Best after 2010. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 100 WSA monumental effort, the 2001 Rieussec boasts a light to medium gold color in addition to a fabulous perfume of honeysuckle, smoky oak, caramelized tropical fruits, creme brulee, and Grand Marnier. The wine is massive and full-bodied yet neither over the top nor heavy because of good acidity. With intense botrytis as well as a 70-75-second finish, this amazing Sauternes will be its apogee between 2010-2035.Robert Parker | 99 RPA magical Sauternes that shows how good the 2001 vintage was for the region, the 2001 Château Rieussec offers a spectacular nose of caramelized quince, honeyed flowers, crème brulée, and exotic spices. Wonderfully pure and precise, with good acidity, it still brings a monster of a mid-palate and has boatloads of fruit and opulence, flawless balance, and a brilliant finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JD(Château Rieussec (Sauternes)) The 2001 Château Rieussec has reached a very good point in its evolution to start drinking the wine. The bouquet is fresh, wide open and quite beautiful in its constellation of toasted coconut, apricot, orange zest, honey, a lovely base of chalky soil tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full, deep and focused, with blossoming complexity, lovely acids and fine length and grip on the suave, refined and zesty finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2015-2050)John Gilman | 93 JGThe 2001 Rieussec is deeper in color than its peers, though this did come from a half-bottle. The bouquet features marmalade, peach and mango scents, though I aver that it does not deliver the mineralité of other, dare I say, more successful vintages. The palate is much better, offering harmonious honeyed fruit, marmalade, orange peel, apricot and light gingerbread notes. It feels long and tender on the finish. This is a great Rieussec that is slightly compromised by the aromatics.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Medium yellow-gold. Young, pure and rather restrained on the nose, with the wine’s oak component currently dominating exotic fruits, hazelnut and honey. Quite opulent on the attack, then large-scaled and solidly structured in the middle palate, withflavors of apricot, honey and clove. Big but not heavy, and not yet showing the flavor interest of the 2003. But this is quite closed today. Finishes thick, strong and long, with notes of vanilla, spices and nuts.Vinous Media | 92+ VMAromas of apple tart, cream and honey follow through to a full-bodied palate, with lots of sweetness and a dried pineapple, vanilla and honey aftertaste. Outstanding intensity. Best after 2008. 7,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

So rich and powerful with so much dried apricots and citrus aromas and flavors. Caramel and toffee. Full and very sweet. Amazing.James Suckling | 97 JSNo written review provided | 96 RPMedium yellow-gold. Reticent but pure aromas of fruit salad, spices and vanilla, lifted by floral and mineral nuances. Wonderfully honeyed, fat fruit flavors are complemented by cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. The sexy oak treatment gives lift to the wine. A bit youthfully aggressive but very long on the back end, showing vanillin oak and a bit of warmth. But this one offers superb potential.Vinous Media | 92-95 VMBig, rich and juicy. Voluptuous, with aromas of caramel, apple and light tropical fruit. Full-bodied, round and very sweet, with loads of ripe fruit and a long butterscotch and piecrust aftertaste. Viscous texture. Hard not to drink it now. A wonderful sticky. Best after 2010. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Fruity, with lemon, apricot and lilac on the nose. Full-bodied, with a lovely intensity and bright acidity. Long and elegant. The palate builds on the finish. Not the 2001 (Wine of the Year), but very good indeed.Wine Spectator | 92-95 WSThe 2004 Rieussec is a blend of 89% Semillon, 9.5% Sauvignon Blanc and 1.5% Muscadelle picked between 16 September and 4 November. It has a more introverted bouquet than the 2005 with dried mango, honey, white flower and lanolin. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening, lightly spicy with an almost chutney-like element that makes the finish so enjoyable. It is not the most complex Rieussec in recent years, but there is harmony and freshness here in abundance. Enjoy over the next 15-20 years. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

The 2010 Rieussec is slightly more backwards on the nose. It is very focused with almond, saffron, orange pith and dried honey aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a harmonious entry. Impressive depth with lovely vanillary new oak, it is long and pure towards the finish. A Sauternes with pedigree. Superb. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 96 VMStructured firm, very spicy, while also showing fresh pineapple acidity. Concentrated and packed with botrytis.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA muscular version, with dacquoise and marzipan notes leading the way for creamed orange, white peach, ginger, mirabelle compote and tangerine accents that pump through the piecrust-filled finish. Has the vintage’s raw oomph, as well as range and cut for balance. Best from 2018 through 2035. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château Rieussec (Sauternes)) Château Rieussec has turned out one of the most elegant and refined examples of the 2010 vintage and this wine is an unqualified success. The nose is a bit less obviously botrytized than many of its neighbors this year, as the wine offers up scents of tangerine, pineapple, bee pollen, lovely, chalky soil tones and a very suave base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and dancing, with fine mid-palate intensity, excellent focus and a really impressive lightness of step on the long, complex and tangy finish. In a vintage prone to heavy-handedness, the ethereal quality of the 2010 Château Rieussec is most impressive. (Drink between 2015-2035).John Gilman | 93 JGThis is so delicious and fruity with loads of intense dried pineapple and apples. Full body, lightly sweet. It shows bright acidity and a wonderful finish. Hints of cream and vanilla. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSPale to medium lemon-gold in color, the 2010 Rieussec is evolving at a good clip, boasting roasted nuts, toffee apples and dried apricots scents with hints of beurre blanc, manuka honey and candle wax. The palate is a powerhouse of sweetness, with soft acidity and loads of savory/nutty layers, finishing on a praline note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The Château Rieussec 2014 is a blend of 93% Semillon, 5% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle, picked from 15 to 29 October through seven tries, the yield half the normal crop at 13 hectoliters per hectare. Charles Chevalier, how lest we forget started here and not chez Lafite, told me that the beginning of September had overripe grapes with passerillage – the second part had very good levels of botrytis. The blend is from these two parts. The bouquet is very well defined with crystal clear honeysuckle and white peach scents. The palate is beautifully balanced with nigh on perfect acidity that makes this seem just so…effortless. I would like to see a little more persistence on the finish, but otherwise this is classic Rieussec that might...and I stress might...just give that Sauternes beginning with the 25th letter of the alphabet, a run for its money.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95-97 RP-NMA powerful, juicy and engaging style, with lots of ginger, orange peel, mango and peach flavors that are unctuous and forward in feel. Vibrant twinges of green fig and bitter almond extend the finish.Wine Spectator | 93-96 WSVery refined nose of nectarine, peach, crystallised ginger and sweet spices. Layered, intense and suave, with extremely long-lasting flavours of ginger, sweet spices and tropical fruits. Very harmonious wine: a standout Rieussec.Decanter | 95 DECThe aromas of botrytis are all there. Very spicy mushroom-powder and flower character. Dried-lemon undertones. Full-bodied, medium sweet, dense and flavorful with so much fruit intensity and bright acidity. Vibrant. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2014 Rieussec is rich, creamy and ample. Orange peel, mint, apricot jam and tropical fruits grace the palate in a sensual, rich Sauternes that exudes class. Already showing slightly forward notes in its bouquet, the 2014 will enter its prime drinking window sooner than other recent vintages (the 2013 comes to mind). This is a very pretty and complete Sauternes with all of its elements in the right place.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGLayered botrytis that gives the wine both its richness and dense texture. It is sweet but with a dry core and crisp acidity, it will age well. It is going to be a beautiful wine, with tropical fruits, apricots and wonderful final acidity. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

OMG. This is amazing. This is the new 2001. Incredible purity of botrytis and ripeness. Full-on. So driven and precise. Full-bodied, very sweet and electrified. Pineapple jam and mangoes — endless tropical fruits. This ends very clean and is almost tannic on the finish. A truly great Sauternes. Energy. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSA blend of 86% Sémillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2015 Rieussec reveals a bright, pale straw-gold color and is a little closed at this youthful stage, yet it offers wonderful purity and depth, featuring notes of lemon marmalade, orange blossoms, beeswax and acacia honey with hints of preserved kumquats and peach compote. Very elegant and fine in the medium to full-bodied mouth, it features a racy backbone cutting through the earthy and citrus layers, finishing long and spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPSpice, honey and botrytis are the dominant characters of this full wine. The acidity comes later, with hints of citrus and lemon curd. It is still young and developing, but has excellent potential. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2015 Rieussec has a fragrant and quite floral bouquet, scents of yellow flower and earthy aromas filtering through the honeyed fruit. The palate is well balanced with a tang of marmalade and quince on the entry. This is pure and creamy in texture with shades of coconut and crème brûlée toward the punter, friendly finish. Lovely. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMIntense, with warm peach cobbler, toasted coconut, orange curd and apricot aromas and flavors. Honeyed feel through the finish, but with a racy streak of bitter almond too. Drink now through 2040. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSLavish apricot aromas on a nose that’s quite oaky. Velvety, concentrated, juicy fruit backed by fine acidity. Admirable force here, without sacrificing any piquancy. Still youthful but with great potential.Decanter | 94 DEC

A step up over the Carmes de Rieussec, the beautiful 2016 Château Rieussec has remarkable purity and freshness while still packing beautiful depth of fruit. Honeyed peach, apricot, flower oil, and even a hint of wet stone all emerge from this full-bodied, thick, opulent effort. I love it. It has a rounded, sexy style ideal for drinking any time over the coming 15-20 years. The 2016 is a final blend of 83% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSo much botrytis on the nose with spice, dried mushrooms and nutmeg. Dried lemons and mangoes. Full-bodied and medium sweet with density and, at the same time, lightness. I like that it is full of botrytis on the palate at the beginning and then turns fruity and very pretty at the end with citrus and fruit. Balanced, creamy and rich. Try after 2024, but already gorgeous.James Suckling | 97 JSPale lemon colored, the 2016 Rieussec comes sashaying out of the glass with a beautiful floral and citrus perfume of orange blossom, pink grapefruit, yuzu, lime leaves, lemongrass and fallen leaves with hints of nutmeg and candied ginger. Having shed a lot of the puppy fat from when I last tasted this from barrel, the palate reveals loads of elegant, tightly wound layers and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA great Sauternes with a wonderful brightness and freshness, this gathers speed through the palate, developing flavours of cinnamon, caramel, white pepper, clove and smoked pineapple, all wrapped in an extremely silky texture. It’s still in barrel, and will be for another few months. Around 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECMade by the Lafite-Rothschild team, this is a powerfully dense wine. It has intense botrytis and fine acidity, as well as sumptuous ripe marmalade and apricot flavors. This is certainly for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2016 Rieussec has plenty of botrytis on the nose, along with scents of honey, white peach, saffron, lanolin and walnut that gain intensity with aeration. The very well balanced palate presents a viscous opening and a fine bead of acidity. Generous and poised, with hints of marzipan and Turkish Delight decorating the finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMQuite fresh, with acacia and honeysuckle notes out front, followed by a stream of mirabelle plum, yellow apple, pineapple and white peach flavors. Offers an unctuous feel on the finish while staying on the brighter side. Among the top efforts in the vintage. Best from 2022 through 2035. 500 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 93 WS

Getting a big “Wow” in my notes, the 2017 Chateau Rieussec is an extraordinary Sauternes that has everything. Awesome notes of orange zest, honeyed flowers, ripe pineapple, peach, and spice all soar from the glass, and this beauty is already complex, has full-bodied richness and power, a great mid-palate, and a beautiful spine of acidity. It’s a brilliant, brilliant wine that can be enjoyed today or cellared for two decades or moreJeb Dunnuck | 98 JDInspirational depth with botrytis spice, toffee, dried-apricot and sponge-cake character. Full-bodied, very sweet and lively with a long, endless finish. Lively acidity balances the wine. Tight and linear. Compact column of fruit and botrytis. Give it age. Better after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSA blend of 83% Semillon and 17% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2017 Rieussec is pale to medium lemon-gold colored. To begin, the nose blows you away with intense lemon tart, lime cordial, mango and quince notes followed by a second wave of floral, orange blossoms and honeysuckle scents, and then notes of crushed rocks, crème caramel and marzipan join the party. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is still very tightly wound with concentrated sweetness and a racy backbone to match, delivering layer upon layer of citrus and savory flavors, finishing on a persistent mineral note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPStill in barrel, the 2017 Rieussec is just as impressive as it was en primeur. Rich, ample and voluptuous, the 2017 has all the intensity that is so typical of Rieussec, but with the extra kick of freshness that is now such an emphasis here. Candied orange peel, crême brulée, vanillin, passion fruit and pineapple emerge from the glass. I can’t wait to taste this from bottle.Vinous Media | 94-97 VMAn exceptional wine, this is just stuffed full of exotic fruits, layers of apricot, saffron, truffle and citrus, all powering through the palate with a mouthwatering finish. An early harvest - they finished picking in 2017 the same day that they started in 2018, and the crop showed unusually pure botrytis, needing less sorting than usual. Absolutely one to look out for.Decanter | 97 DECIntense and richly sweet, this wine is also balanced, with both botrytis and baked-apple acidity coming through. This essential dryness gives the wine a dense core and aging potential. A high proportion of Sémillon adds its weight at the end. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDelivers some rare floral lift for the vintage, with a honeysuckle edge out front, pulling creamed mango and papaya notes along. Flashes of green tea, hazelnut and piecrust emerge on the finish. Showy, but with nice detail buried within. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2035. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS