1989 Château Rieussec

First bottle: Hint of copper in the gold. Note of wet wool on the nose. Too much sulfur? Second bottle: Big and bold and still a little sulfidey. Round and blows its own trumpet extremely loudly though it certainly doesn’t belong to the squeaky clean school of winemaking. Burnt notes on the finish and quite burly – and not especially sweet. Good acidity. A very valid style – and distinctive. (JR)

After a period of prolonged disjointedness, this wine has pulled itself together. The color is deep straw, and the wine displays an intense perfume of creme brulee custard, baked apple pie, and sweet, ripe pineapples and pears. Full-bodied, rich, alcoholic, and fat, with low acidity and considerable sweetness, this is a luxuriously rich, unctuously-textured, heavyweight Sauternes that should become more civilized with age. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025. Last tasted 11/97

Lively, complex, fresh aromas of tropical fruit, honey and spicy oak. Sweet and viscous in the middle palate; kept fresh by apple and pear notes and harmonious acidity. Very concentrated and deep. Very long on the aftertaste; has the sheer material to buffer its alcohol. Rieussec switched to later bottling with this vintage: 30 rather than 24 months after the harvest.