Château Rieussec

The art of Metamorphosis

Imagining the consumption of Sauternes by positioning it as an accompaniment to a contemporary art of living.

In recent years, consumption of Sauternes has become rarer, limited to end-of-year celebrations, to foie gras once a year and desserts from time to time. And yet… How could it be shown that there is much more hidden behind this word “Sauternes”? How could the image of this wine be changed, to reveal all that its production implies, behind its golden labels?

For Rieussec and Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, it was urgent to act and put the spotlight on this region and the magic that is worked to produce these very great wines. In the light of the ecological transition stimulated, supported and accomplished by Saskia de Rothschild in all the family properties that she directs today, Rieussec had to signify this rebirth through a highly symbolic act of re-enchantment and break some codes to assert its personality, attract curiosity and evoke desire.

“The time had come for Rieussec to reinvent itself, so that the vineyard, wine and bottle all share the same commitment to sustainable development, from agriculture that is more respectful of the environment through to the preservation of natural resources provided by our new packaging,” explains Saskia de Rothschild. “Devising an original bottle, one that you want to keep when it’s finished, is part of this same philosophy.”

A durable bottle

This little revolution relies on a new durable bottle: the wine leaves behind the classic wine bottle format in favour of non-transparent 95% recycled glass marked with a simple yellow crown, to become a new kind of guest of honour. The bottle also has a replaceable cork closure, designed by Swiss design agency BIG GAME, to encourage those who open it to keep it: because when the cork is replaced, Sauternes can be stored for several weeks in the fridge, making it a versatile aperitif wine with many lives. And after enjoying the wine, it is easy to remove the label and turn the bottle into a water jug or vase.

The 2019 vintage

And inside the bottle? “We have chosen the 2019 vintage to be the first to go into the new bottle,” explains Jean de Roquefeuil, estate director. “The wine we produced that year corresponds well to our new identity, having an assertive aromatic freshness while retaining its classic soul.” It should be noted that few products demand as much resilience to the climate and depend as much on the weather. Because it is only in Sauternes and thanks to the Ciron river that botrytis, or noble rot, forms on the grapes and develops to give the wines their unique richness. “Each vintage is totally different depending on what nature, the climate and the action of noble rot want to give us, and even more so since we are undergoing conversion to a more responsible form of agriculture,” adds Jean de Roquefeuil.

Now, it remains to see these bottles start their new lives at tables everywhere. For its launch, Rieussec has organised various meals: whether at the estate for a country lunch with products from the Sauternes region, at Mokonuts for an intimate vegetarian dinner cooked by chefs Moko and Omar or at the Grand Bol for an Asian culinary celebration cooked by the owner with young chef Pierre Touitou, Rieussec has definitively learnt how to reinvent itself.

Available at the end of November in wine shops and restaurants

In the 18th century, the Rieussec estate belonged to the Carmelite monks in Langon. The confiscation of the estate during the revolution led to its public sale around 1790 as a “object of national heritage” to Mr. Marheilhac, the then owner of Château La Louvière in Léognan.

For the 1855 classification, M. Mayne was the owner of the estate. The quality of the Rieussec soil earned its ranking as a first growth Sauternes and Barsac. After that date, Rieussec’s history involves many changes of owners: Charles Crepin (around 1870), Paul Defolie (1892), Mr. Bannil (1907), then the Gasqueton family (owner of Château Calon-Ségur at Saint Estèphe), P.F. Berry during the war (an American citizen and brother-in-law of the Vicomte de Bouzet), Mr. Balaresque (1957) and lastly, Albert Vuillier (1971), who was passionate about Sauternes’ “sweet wines”.

Château Rieussec was acquired by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in 1984. The estate then consisted of 110 hectares, 68 hectares of which were vines. To enhance Château Rieussec’s potential, rigorous measures were implemented, including meticulous sorting of the grapes and fermenting in barrels, which provides a much finer selection for the blending of the Grand Vin.

A new cellar was built in 1989 to extend the ageing period in barrels. The quantities of the Grand Vin that were produced were much reduced in the 1990’s due to more meticulous selection, to the point that none at all was produced in 1993 (this was also the case in 1977 and again in 2012).

In 2000, the renovation of the maturing cellar, the construction of a fermentation room, and the modernisation of the reception and pressing areas also represented strides forward in a quality policy that was launched  in 1985.

The first attempts at selection were rewarded by a remarkable trio of vintages in 1988, 1989 and 1990. This was crowned by an entire decade of very good wines from 1995 to 2005. The weather proved to be no obstacle for the remarkable vintages of 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005, among others! Furthermore, Château Rieussec 2001 was declared Wine of the Year in 2004 by Wine Spectator magazine. 

The Château Rieussec vineyard extends to the border of Fargues and Sauternes, and adjoins Château d’Yquem. Rieussec is one of the largest properties in Sauternes and Barsac, the vineyard covers 93 hectares of gravelly soil layered with alluvial deposits.

The iconic grape variety of Sauternes, Sémillon dominates (90%), followed by Sauvignon (7%) and Muscadelle (3%). Traditional Sauternes techniques are used and the harvests are carried out with selective pickings depending on the ripeness of the grapes and evolution of botrytis cinerea (noble rot). They last for 6 to 8 weeks from September to November.

Production is low and firmly in the hands on Mother Nature. The traditional saying is that a single vine should produce a bottle of wine. Here, though, a single vine produces about a glass of wine! The vineyard is managed by Charles Chevallier, Technical Director of the Bordeaux Châteaus, with the help of Jean de Roquefeuil, Vineyard Manager, and Serge Lagardère, Cellar Master. 

Wines are fermented in barrels. The yields are sorted and each parcel is identified and isolated in a batch of barrels, in order to judge whether or not it can be used in the Grand Vin after fermentation. Several tastings from each barrel are then performed in order to ensure a rigorous selection for the Grand Vin.

The cellars are located in the heart of the Château Rieussec vineyard at Fargues. Each vintage ages in oak barrels produced mostly at DBR’s cooperage. Half of them are renewed every year. The length of ageing in barrels varies from 16 to 26 months, during which the wines are periodically racked. The wines are bottled at the Château.

Production at Château Rieussec and Carmes de Rieussec varies a great deal depending on the vintage, but on average it is 12,000 cases per year. Rieussec also produces small quantities of a dry white wine, “R” de Rieussec.