Rieussec 2015 (375ML)

99 JS / 97 AG / 97 DE / 96+ WA / 96 WANM / 94 WS / 18 JR

#93 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2018

#2 Wine Advocate Best New Releases from Bordeaux (Sweets) 2018

OMG. This is amazing. This is the new 2001. Incredible purity of botrytis and ripeness. Full-on. So driven and precise. Full-bodied, very sweet and electrified. Pineapple jam and mangoes — endless tropical fruits. This ends very clean and is almost tannic on the finish. A truly great Sauternes. Energy. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

The 2015 Rieussec is gorgeous. Scents of apricot jam, honey, mint and wild flowers lift from the glass. Delicate and gracious, with terrific freshness, the wine is all polish. Reflecting both the style of the year and the desire to make a slightly lighter Sauternes, the 2015 is rendered in a style the emphasizes finesse over power. The blend is 86% Sémillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Taking things to another dimension, this has power, spice, and a saffron-edged sexiness. Quince, roasted white peaches and bitter oranges are coupled with a biting seam of white pepper. There's such density here, and a soft, silky texture with a kick. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040. - Decanter

A blend of 86% Sémillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2015 Rieussec reveals a bright, pale straw-gold color and is a little closed at this youthful stage, yet it offers wonderful purity and depth, featuring notes of lemon marmalade, orange blossoms, beeswax and acacia honey with hints of preserved kumquats and peach compote. Very elegant and fine in the medium to full-bodied mouth, it features a racy backbone cutting through the earthy and citrus layers, finishing long and spicy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

The 2015 Rieussec is more backward on the nose compared to the Carmes de Rieussec, with scents of honey, freshly sliced pineapple and almond, a hint of acacia and white flower gently unfurling in the glass. The palate is well balanced, quite tensile and while not as heavy or as viscous as the second wine, there is greater mineralité and finer delineation toward the finish. It is simply a class act. Anticipated maturity: 2022 - 2055. - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

Intense, with warm peach cobbler, toasted coconut, orange curd and apricot aromas and flavors. Honeyed feel through the finish, but with a racy streak of bitter almond too. Drink now through 2040. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

The is a phenomenal wine with dried pineapple and pear aromas and flavors. Full, very sweet. Incredible depth and power. Super complex. - James Suckling

Not that dark in colour - yet. Very sweet nose with great creamy texture. Big and brawny but it knows what it's doing. Pretty high alcohol. Some savoury notes. Very confident. - Jancis Robinson