Château Rieussec 2003

No tasting note was given.

Big, 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.

So rich and powerful with so many dried apricot and citrus aromas and flavors. Caramel and toffee. Full and very sweet. Amazing.

Some honey tinge. Very intense slight brulée character on the nose. Very, very sweet – one slightly seeks a bit more acid. Still quite simple – barley sugar at the moment. I’d like a little more acid and complexity - but this will surely outlive the reds! (JR)

Thick, rich, intense and packed with layers of perfectly ripe tropical fruit slathered in honey, vanilla and nuts, this is a beautiful sweet Bordeaux that offers a lot of pleasure today and in the future.

Medium, bright yellow, with pale golden highlights. Spicy bouquet, hazelnuts, very complex, botrytis still a bit restrained, a hint of orange. On the palate, dense, concentrated, with a well-balanced play between acidity and sweetness, not as rich as other hefty Sauternes from the same vintage. For once, a rather feminine Rieussec that focuses on elegance.

04: Medium, bright yellow with light golden highlights. Spicy bouquet with hazelnut notes; very layered, the botrytis is still somewhat restrained, a hint of orange on the nose. On the palate, dense and concentrated with a well-balanced sweet–acid interplay, not as rich as some of the heavyweights this year. For once, a rather feminine Rieussec focused on elegance. (18/20). 14: It’s still showing well, and I hope it won’t meet the same fate as many other highly praised Rieussec wines—namely, that they mature too quickly. Very sweet, soft acidity, great concentration.

Wonderful balance on the palate, despite a liqueur-like richness greater than any known vintage, with the slight caramel note specific to this harvest; a sumptuous wine, with nothing that could cast doubt on its longevity.

Very beautiful nose: delicate, fruity, fresh, and spicy. After a smooth, generous entry, the wine becomes fleshy and rich, yet remains very airy. It shows lively sensations on the mid-palate that give it what I would call a classic profile, as this is usually the norm. Long, slightly oaky finish, evoking pineapple, vanilla, licorice, and herbal tea notes.