Rieussec Premier Cru Classe, Sauternes 2016 (750ml)
Product price
Description
Château Rieussec's 2016 Sauternes is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, harvested from botrytized fruit in the Bordeaux region's most celebrated sweet-wine appellation. This Premier Cru Classé represents the house style: full-bodied and medium-sweet, yet built on brightness rather than weight.
The nose opens with the characteristic perfume of noble rot, layered with spice (nutmeg, cinnamon, white pepper), dried citrus, and floral notes like orange blossom and honeysuckle. On the palate, botrytis density leads to a shift toward fresh fruit, mirabelle plum, yellow apple, pineapple, and white peach, with citrus (yuzu, lime leaf) providing lift and definition. The texture is silky and creamy, the finish long and fragrant. The wine shows elegance and refinement, balancing richness with an almost delicate freshness. It's approachable now, though it will continue to develop beautifully in bottle.
Product Details
| Category | Wine |
| Color | White |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Subregion | Sauternes |
| Varietal | Sauvignon Blanc - Semillon |
| Producer | Chateau Rieussec |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Size | 750 ML |
| Subtype | Still |
Expert Reviews
So much botrytis on the nose with spice, dried mushrooms and nutmeg. Dried lemons and mangoes. Full-bodied and medium sweet with density and, at the same time, lightness. I like that it is full of botrytis on the palate at the beginning and then turns fruity and very pretty at the end with citrus and fruit. Balanced, creamy and rich. Try after 2024, but already gorgeous.
A great Sauternes with a wonderful brightness and freshness, this gathers speed through the palate, developing flavours of cinnamon, caramel, white pepper, clove and smoked pineapple, all wrapped in an extremely silky texture. It's still in barrel, and will be for another few months. Around 50% new oak.
Pale lemon colored, the 2016 Rieussec comes sashaying out of the glass with a beautiful floral and citrus perfume of orange blossom, pink grapefruit, yuzu, lime leaves, lemongrass and fallen leaves with hints of nutmeg and candied ginger. Having shed a lot of the puppy fat from when I last tasted this from barrel, the palate reveals loads of elegant, tightly wound layers and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant.