2001 - Rieussec, Sauternes

Opulent. Brilliant amber colour. An elixir of tarte tatin, dried figs, preserved lemon, honey and gingerbread, roast coffee bean and bitter orange. 145.3g/l residual sugar. This reminds us how a great Sauternes, with the right balance and acidity, ages beautifully.

The 2001 Rieussec is deeper in color than its peers, though this did come from a half-bottle. The bouquet features marmalade, peach and mango scents, though I aver that it does not deliver the mineralité of other, dare I say, more successful vintages. The palate is much better, offering harmonious honeyed fruit, marmalade, orange peel, apricot and light gingerbread notes. It feels long and tender on the finish. This is a great Rieussec that is slightly compromised by the aromatics.

The 2001 Rieussec is a blend of 96.5% Semillon and 3.5% Sauvignon Blanc picked between 17 September and 25 October in three tries. This is a somewhat controversial wine, one I have tasted many times. It seemed to flare with brilliance in its youth and subsequently never replicated that performance. Here, it has a mature nose with dried honey, yellow flowers and honeysuckle, the palate well balanced with ripe dried mango and orange rind notes, though it does not possess the same killer delineation as the 2005 on the finish. It remains a lovely Sauternes, but in this vertical tasting, I found more nervosité in the 2005, at least at this stage. The question is whether it will have a second wind later in life? Time will tell. Tasted April 2016.

Full bottle 1,367 g. Brilliant orangey gold (much less brown than many Rieussecs). Really fine with obvious botrytis, savoury notes and a surprisingly dry finish. This should go very nicely with our Roquefort tonight. (JR)