R de Rieussec 2024

Characteristics and tasting advice for R de Rieussec 2024

Tasting

Nose
Expressive, the nose reveals fragrances of citrus, white-fleshed fruit and delicate floral notes.

Palate
On the palate, the attack is round and precise, supported by subtle oak. Its freshness brings tension and balance, while the finish, marked by a slight bitterness and saline minerality, extends the tasting with elegance.

the refinement and vibrancy of a great dry white Bordeaux wine

The estate

Owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite since 1984, Château Rieussec has ranked alongside the Premiers Crus Classés of Sauternes since 1855. The château is renowned for the quality of its luscious wines, offering rich texture combined with freshness and power, which develop beautifully over time. Respect for the environment is a core element of the estate’s philosophy. Harvesting is therefore carried out by hand, allowing the finest grapes to be picked almost berry by berry and to express themselves in highly authentic wines.

The vineyard

Located in the heart of the Sauternes vineyard, Château Rieussec spans 85 hectares of sandy clay gravel soils. Here, the Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grape varieties slowly ripen to reach an exceptional level of maturity, giving rise to the noble rot for which the appellation is famous.

The wine

Since the 2021 vintage, R de Rieussec has been presented in an innovative bottle. Echoing the characteristic silhouette of Burgundy bottles, ESSENTIA is a “Post-Consumer Recycled” (PCR) glass bottle made from 96% recycled household glass. The packaging has also evolved, featuring a compact kraft carton designed for the responsible transport of 6 bottles of this cuvée produced as a Bordeaux Dry White wine.

The vintage

The 2024 vintage stands out for a very rainy and mild winter, followed by a wet spring that led to high mildew pressure, especially on Sauvignon. Flowering was affected by some coulure and millerandage. The hot, dry summer resulted in slow ripening. Harvesting, which began in August, was complicated by September rains. An unprecedented situation at Rieussec: the harvest of sweet wines began at the same time as that of dry whites, requiring intense mobilization of the teams.

Vinification and aging

Harvested manually in small crates, the berries are chilled to limit oxidation before gentle pressing to preserve aromatic brightness. Cold settling is followed by vinification of part of the Sémillon musts in new and one-wine barrels. The Sauvignon musts are vinified mainly in stainless steel tanks, as well as in one-wine barrels. Vinification in barrels is followed by aging on lees for six months with regular bâtonnage. Once aging is complete, the blend is made from wines aged in stainless steel tanks (50%) and barrels (50%).

Blend

Sauvignon Blanc (65%)
Sémillon (35%).