Château Rieussec

Presentation

The vintage

The autumn/winter period of 2005-2006 was exceptionally dry, which was then compensated for by heavy rain during March. There was fine weather and warm temperatures from April to July; August was cooler but the sun returned at the beginning of September to complete the ripening process.
Harvests took place in good conditions from 5 September to 10 October.

Location

The Sauternes appellation stretches on the left bank of the Garonne, about 50km South of Bordeaux. The natural humidity arising from the Ciron river provides the ideal conditions for the development of Botrytis Cinerea, also known as noble rot.

Terroir

Château Rieussec sits on the border of Fargues and Sauternes. Château Rieussec is one of the largest properties in Sauternes and Barsac, covering 93 hectares, made up of gravel on sandy-clay soil.

Winemaking

All batches were pressed individually in small pneumatic presses. After a few hours of cold settling, the must was transferred into new oak barrels from the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac for fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation was interrupted when the desired balance between alcohol and sugar had been reached. After fermentation, the wine was aged in barrels for 26 months.

Tasting

Beautiful pale golden colour with hints of orange. A fairly dense nose with a delightful combination of flowers (honeysuckle and acacia) and candied fruit. Starts subtly in the mouth and then intensifies with notes of honey and a long fruity finish with good freshness.

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