Château Rieussec 2011

Plenty of everything—juice, breed, freshness, density, sweetness, length... an impressive wine.

The 2011 Rieussec, a blend of 95% Semillon, 2% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Muscadelle, is an absolute dream. There is wonderful precision and minerality on the nose, the new oak more integrated than a few months ago. The palate is beautifully balanced with clear honey, brioche and pralines, a sensual Rieussec that is utterly charming, with hints of nougat and almond lingering on the long finish. Gorgeous! Tasted April 2016.

Intense, with ginger, yellow apple chutney, dried pineapple and papaya flavors coursing through a finish that brims with singed almond and lemon chiffon flavors. This retains a touch of youthful rawness, featuring a bitter orange note that's yet to be absorbed. No need to rush or worry here. Best from 2018 through 2040. 6,000 cases made.

Lush, waxy stone-fruit nose, with some honey and botrytis tones. The natural acidity will keep this alive for many years. Very rich and succulent, velvety, with grip and structure and lots of finesse.

The 2011 Rieussec has a lifted patisserie, almond-scented bouquet, with touches of wild peach emerging with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a very unctuous entry, powerful and intense, almost heady in style, with a persistent finish that coats the mouth. What a fabulous Sauternes. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.

Fat, powerful, intense and concentrated, with sweet, lush, honey-coated tropical fruits, apricot and peach, complemented by vanilla and spice notes; primary yet already delicious. Give it time to develop and evolve and it should be even better.

Bright golden yellow, silver reflections. Fine blossom honey, ripe pineapple and peach fruit, a hint of lanolin, incredibly seductive bouquet, delicately underlain with ripe kumquats. Juicy, powerful, yet balanced, yellow tropical fruit, a hint of caramel, very good freshness, brilliant acidity, a hint of oak, mineral and long-lasting, with enormous certain ageing potential for further maturation.

Bright yellow with lime-green nuances. Ripe grape bouquet, plenty of chamomile, mirabelles and orange blossom, peppery. On the palate, very fruity, with fairly opulent sweetness, a piquant extract note with lots of minerality; the sweetness perceived on the nose is less dominant here, resulting in a very elegant finish.

Medium yellow with linden-green nuances, bright. Ripe grape bouquet, plenty of chamomile, mirabelle plums and orange blossom, with a hint of pepperiness. On the palate, very fruity with fairly generous sweetness, a piquant extract note and lots of minerality; the sweetness perceived on the nose is less dominant here, resulting in a very elegant finish.

(95% Sémillon, 2% Sauvignon Blanc, 3% Muscadelle) Mineral, dense, deep, and fresh bouquet, grapefruit, apricots, honey, nougat, mint, Alka-Seltzer. Velvety, finely opulent, elegant, fresh palate with velvety, plush sweetness, good acidity, powerful, fresh aromatics, dense structure, very long, powerful finish. 18/20 2024 - 2045

Open bouquet. Attack on woody notes and orange peel. Very rich, massive. Long, heady finish. A bit firm at this stage. Great potential.

A full-bodied, rich Sauternes with plenty of volume, good weight, generous, very much in the Rieussec style.

Yellow-green color. Intense nose with stewed fruit aromas. Soft attack on the palate, melting mid-palate, with delicate vanilla notes. It finishes flavorful, with good length and a rather refined profile. Alcohol: 14.3°, pH 3.79, TA 3.09. Residual sugar: 147 g/l.

95-97. Barrel sample. This wine shows sheer opulence; it's beautifully rich and ripe, powered by complex flavors of orange zest and superripe mango. It's fresh, showing this vintage's character.