Château Rieussec
“The wines of Sauternes are so wonderful that we wanted to have our own, and Rieussec’s vineyard is outstanding”
WHY BUY IT ?
- The wine of Château Rieussec is one of the first references of Sauternes
- Amazing terroir – neighbour to Château d’Yquem. As early as 1868, Charles Cocks remarks that “Rieussec produces wines very similar to those of Yquem”
- Belongs to Domaines Barons de Rothschild, true sign of excellence and savoir-faire
- Excellent scores, every vintage
- A ccomplete metamorphosis: Rieussec is reinventing Sauternes!
Histoire
In the history, and particularly in the 18th century, Domaine de Rieussec belonged to the monks of the Carmelites of Langon. The confiscation of the Domain to the revolution led to its sale in 1790 as “National Good” to Mr. Marheilhac, owner at the time of Château La Louvière in Léognan. In the 1855 classification, under Mr. Mayne’s ownership, château Rieussec was ranked Premier Cru Classé of Sauternes and Barsac. From this date, the history of Château Rieussec is dotted with changes of ownership. Château Rieussec was acquired by the Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Ch. Lafite Rothschild) in 1984, the estate then had 110 ha including 68 ha of vines. To better express the Château’s potential, rigorous measures have been enforced with, among other things, more meticulous grain sorting and fermentation in barrels. These measures have enabled a much finer selection during the blending process of the great wine.
Terroir
Rieussec is one of the largest properties in Sauternes and Barsac, covering 93 hectares of gravel sitting on sandy-clay soils. The grape variety is 90% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Muscadelle.
Wine Making
Over the years, the Rieussec production equipment has undergone successive renovations and modernizations, including in 2000, the renovation of aging cellars, the construction of a fermentation cellar and the technological evolution of the reception and pressing room. All these changes made also made a significant contribution to the overall effort to improve the wine quality. The techniques used are traditional in Sauternes and the grape harvests are done in several successive sorts according to the state of ripening of the grapes.
The cellars are located in the heart of the Château Rieussec vineyard in Fargues. Each sorting from a well-identified plot is isolated in a batch of barrels to appreciate its ability to enter or not into the great wine after the end of fermentations.
Then all batches are pressed individually in small pneumatic presses. After a few hours of cold settling, the must is transferred into new oak barrels from the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac for fermentation. Lastly the alcoholic fermentation is interrupted when the desired balance between alcohol and sugar had been reached. After fermentation, the wine is aged in barrels for 24 months.
Tasting
On the palate, the Château Rieussec offers a liquoreux of a great finesse and perfect harmony.
Discover more on http://www.lafite.com/fr/les-chateaux/chateau-rieussec/les-vins/chateau-rieussec/
Their Team
- Owners: Domains Barons de Rothschild
- Technical Director : Olivier TREGOAT
- Cellar Master: Serge LAGARDERE
- Vineyard Manager: Jean DE ROQUEFEUIL
