2021 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes

Bottled in a special bottle, the 2021 Château Rieussec checks in as 91% Sémillon and 9% Sauvignon Blanc. It has a killer bouquet of orange marmalade, grilled peach, brioche, and minty herbs, with more spice and toasty notes emerging with time in the glass. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, yet gorgeously balanced with good acidity, it's a sensational Sauternes that deserves 4-5 years in the cellar and will evolve for two decades.

The 2021 Rieussec doesn't quite deliver the complexity one expects on the nose. Clean and pure, it displays yellow plum, acacia honey and a hint of apricot, but it needs more delineation and energy. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity. There's a bit of new oak here, but it is seductively smooth with fine acidity and a caressing, honeyed finish. This is not bad at all, though I would like to see the aromatics up their game.

Revealing a fruity, energetic bouquet, the 2021 Rieussec, a blend of 91% Sémillon and 9% Sauvignon Blanc, is a great performance in Sauternes. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it’s perfectly balanced with a fleshy core of fruit and a mineral, saline finish.