Chateau Rieussec Carmes de Rieussec is a delicious and well-balanced sweet white wine from the Sauternes region of Bordeaux, France. The wine is produced from a blend of carefully selected grapes, including Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. The wine is named after the monks who established the Rieussec Estate in the 18th century, known as the Carmes de Langon. The wine offers a wonderful balance of sweetness and acidity, with notes of honey, apricot, and vanilla and pairs well with a variety of desserts including creme brulee, fruit tarts, and blue cheese. The wine has a rich complexity and a smooth finish, making it an excellent choice for wine enthusiasts looking for a quality sweet white wine.

Tasting Notes

The colour is a beautiful bright, pale yellow, with glints of green indicating the wine’s youth. The nose is already intense and reveals notes of tropical fruit such as mango and pineapple. There are still some well-integrated oaky notes from the barrel ageing. The attack is subtle and elegant with a beautiful liveliness that very much characterizes the vintage. Superb volume on the mid-palate. The wine remains balanced and consistent through to the finish, which reveals a very mild sweetness with lightly roasted notes evoking caramel.

About the Winery

The history of Chateau Rieussec begins in the 18th century. During that time, the estate was under the ownership of Carmelite monks in the commune of Langon in France. In 1790, the plot got subjected to public sale. It ensued at the time of the revolution and due to confiscation of the estate. Finally, the winery got acquired by Mr. Marheilhac. At that time, he was the owner of Château La Louvière in the commune of Léognan.

M. Mayne became the owner of the land for the classification that took place in 1855. After that, Chateau Rieussec experienced multiple changes of proprietors. In 1984, Domaines Barons de Rothschild obtained the estate with its 110 hectares of land. Out of them, 60 hectares remained dedicated to growing and cultivating grapevines. Furthermore, numerous rigorous measures got incorporated. It entailed careful sorting and separation of grapes. Fermentation using barrels was another applied method. It allowed for a better taste and aroma of the produced wines.

The year 2000 saw further changes and modernization of Chateau Rieussec. It included the construction and development of a new fermentation room and the cellar renovation. The latter was where the grapes got left to mature. The makeover of the pressing areas and reception were two more alterations done.

Today, the vineyards owned by Chateau Rieussec extend over 93 hectares. They include sandy-clay soil that has a gravel-like texture. Additionally, the microclimate of the region is highly beneficial for the growth of most noble grape varieties. The winery uses conventional Sauternes techniques in the fields. The harvest of the matured grapes gets done selectively. It depends on the colour, texture, and plumpness of the fruit. Chateau Rieussec works with a low production to focus on each bottle of wine it develops. It ensures their high quality and standard.

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