Château Rieussec 2024

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Rieussec 2024

Tasting

Appearance
This dessert wine reveals a medium yellow color, subtly threaded with light green highlights.

Nose
The bouquet offers a particularly airy expression, marked by delicate aromas of flowers, orange blossom, and lemon. It then opens up to indulgent notes of ripe fruit, evoking white peach and candied apricot.

Palate
On the palate, the wine stands out for its perfect harmony, supported by expertly balanced sweetness. A fine liveliness structures the whole, revealing a sensation of freshness with almost saline accents. This vintage shines with its chiseled profile, offering great finesse and remarkable aromatic precision.

The elegance and freshness of a great Sauternes by Château Rieussec

The estate

Founded in the 18th century by the Carmelite monks of Langon, the Château Rieussec is an iconic estate of Bordeaux. Confiscated during the French Revolution, this vineyard passed through several owners before being classified as a Premier Cru Classé in 1855. Since 1984, the estate has belonged to Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite. Today, under the impetus of this renowned name and the Rothschild family, the estate continues to reinvent itself. It combines international renown with strong environmental values, establishing itself as an essential reference for great dessert wines.

The vineyard

Located at the junction of the communes of Fargues and Sauternes, the terroir extends over 85 hectares. Reaching an altitude of 78 meters, it rests on soils composed of sandy-gravel and clay. This exceptional geographical location benefits from the morning humidity generated by the Ciron River. These climatic conditions are ideal for the development of Botrytis cinerea, the famous noble rot essential to the production of dessert wines. Committed to an eco-responsible approach, all plots have been grass-covered since 2020 and are currently being converted to organic farming.

The vintage

The year 2024 began with a particularly rainy winter accompanied by mild temperatures. Spring was then marked by strong mildew pressure, while flowering was affected by coulure and millerandage. The season continued with a hot and dry summer, leading to a slow ripening of the berries. In an unprecedented move for the estate, the harvest began very early, as soon as August. Finally, rainfall in September made harvest decisions more complex.

Winemaking and aging

To produce Château Rieussec 2024, the grapes are harvested by hand and placed in small crates. Upon arrival at the winery, they undergo direct pressing followed by a settling phase. Each plot is vinified separately. Fermentation takes place in oak barrels: new barrels are used for the Sémillon, while once-used barrels are reserved for the Sauvignon Blanc. This stage ends naturally once the ideal balance between alcohol and sugar is reached. The nectar is then aged on its lees, with regular bâtonnage until mid-December. After a resting period and blending, the wine returns to barrels to age for approximately 18 months.

Grape varieties

This wine is a blend of 83% Sémillon and 17% Sauvignon Blanc.