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  • Country ranking ?

    859
  • Producer ranking ?

    8
  • Decanting time

    5h
  • When to drink

    now to 2040
  • Food Pairing

    Sweet Treacle Tart

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Each year, Wine Spectator editors survey the wines reviewed over the previous 12 months and select our Top 100, based on quality, value, availability and excitement. This annual list honors successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world.

Château Rieussec 2001 was the Wine of the Year in 2004

Like lemon curd on the nose, turning to honey and caramel. Full-bodied and very sweet, with fantastic concentration of ripe and botrytiz...

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The Story

Château Rieussec has been a leading wine in Sauternes for several generations. Ranked as a Premier Grand Cru in 1855, it is made with a subtle blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle. Production varies a great deal depending on the vintage, but on average is about 6,000 cases (however, none was made in 1977, 1993 and 2012).

Blend:  90 to 95% Sémillon, 5 to 10% Muscadelle and Sauvignon

Ageing: in oak barrels from 18 to 26 months depen...

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Wine Information

Vintage 2001 / Nothing in the year’s weather could foretell such a great result. The harvests began in mid-September with a preliminary sorting. And then the perfect scenario played out: light rains came on the weekend of the 22-23 September, and botrytis was absorbed by the grapes, causing rapid and uniform concentration, enhanced by a warm and windy Indian summer. The vineyard went from a golden yellow to botrytis violet in just three days. ...

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Tasting note

color

Medium, Gold and Bright

ending

Long, Smooth, Round and Alcoholic

flavors

Apricot, Viscous, Vanilla, Waxy, Smoky and Honey

nose

Complex, Generous, Refined and Open

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, High alcohol content, Concentrated, Well-structured, Balanced, Medium-bodied, Rich, Silky, Elegant and Sweet

Verdict

Full-bodied and Impressive

Written Notes

Oh the anticipation! 2001 is, for me, one of the greatest Sauternes vintages of the past hundred years (okay, fair enough, I have not tried all of them but I have tried a number of wines from the truly great years and the stunning quality of the '01s is right up with anything). And Rieussec is always one of the best. This is no Yquem – but then that is unquestionably a 100 point wine by any standard. That said, it is still a monumental wine. Intensely flavoured, finely balanced, concentrated and just sooooo long. There are notes of orange rind and honey, and plenty of apricot. A complex wine with many years ahead. Oh, how I’d love a case (okay, I’d prefer a case of the 2001 Yquem, but I’d like world peace too). Just a lovely wine. 97
  • 97p

The 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.

  • 93p
Rich nose, apricots, vanilla, feels tight, that ball again. Still typically Rieussec rich and flamboyant. Fresher acidity than most Rieussec's, lots of fruit, and to be a real pain in the arse, for my palate, the acidity could still be fresher. But for once, the Rieussec bottle was finished. Long.
  • 94p
Some development of the colour here already. Some rich barley sugar touches to the nose intermingled with a fair degree of volatility. The palate is slightly drier than I expected but otherwise well balanced despite a somewhat disappointing lack of complaxity. Seems a little flat.
  • 89p
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Information

Origin

Bordeaux, Sauternes

Vintage Quality

Extraordinary

Value For Money

Best buy

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None
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