private_tasting.label • Paris
Selection cellar Maison des Millésimes Paris
In the 18th century, the Rieussec estate belonged to the Carmelite monks of Langon. The confiscation of the estate during the revolution led around 1790 to its sale as “National Property” to Mr. Marheilhac, owner at the time of Château La Louvière in Léognan.
In the Classification of 1855, Mr. Mayne is the owner. The quality of the Rieussec terroir is recognized as a Premier Cru Classé of Sauternes and Barsac. From this date, the history of Rieussec is strewn with changes of owners: Charles Crepin (around 1870), Paul Defolie (1892), Mr. Bannil (1907), then the Gasqueton family (owner of Château Calon-Ségur in Saint-Estèphe), PF Berry during the war (American citizen brother-in-law of the Vicomte de Bouzet), M. Balaresque (1957) and finally, Albert Vuillier (1971), a passionate lover of the "sweet wines" of Sauternes.
Château Rieussec was acquired by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in 1984, the estate then comprised 110 ha including 68 ha of vines. To better express the potential of Château Rieussec, rigorous measures are put in place with, among other things, more meticulous sorting of grains and fermentation in barrels which allows a much finer selection during the assembly of the great wine.
A new cellar is built to extend the period of aging in barrels from the 1989 vintage. The quantity of great wine is considerably reduced in the 90s by a more rigorous selection, the year 1993 even sees the absence of great wine lack of quality (this was also the case in 1977 and again in 2012).
From the year 2000, the renovation of the aging cellars, the construction of a fermentation cellar and the technological development of the reception and pressing room also make an additional contribution to the permanent qualitative effort carried out since 1985. .
The first efforts of selection had been rewarded by the remarkable triad of the vintages 1988, 1989 and 1990. But then from 1995 to 2005, it is a decade of very beautiful wines which crowned these efforts. Time will have no hold on the remarkable 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005, among others!
The Château Rieussec 2001 was also distinguished by the magazine Wine Spectator as -Wine of the Year- of the year 2004.
The vineyard of Château Rieussec extends to the junction of Fargues and Sauternes, it is contiguous to Château d'Yquem. Rieussec is one of the most important properties of Sauternes and Barsac, the vines cover 93 ha of gravelly sandy clay soil.
The emblematic Sauternes grape variety, Sémillon dominates (90%), supplemented by Sauvignon (7%) and Muscadelle (3%). The techniques used are traditional in Sauternes and the harvest is done in several successive sorts according to the state of maturation of the grapes and the evolution of botrytis cinerea (noble rot). They are spread over 6 to 8 weeks, from September to November.
Production is low and variable at the whim of Mother Nature, the traditional reference of a vine stock producing a bottle of wine in the Médoc is here rather a vine stock producing a glass of wine!
The vineyard is managed by Olivier Trégoat, Technical Director of Château L'Evangile, Château Rieussec, Château Paradis Casseuil and Domaine de Long Dai, assisted by Jean de Roquefeuil, vineyard manager and Bertrand Roux, cellar master.
The fermentations are carried out in barrels. Each sort from a well-identified parcel is isolated in a batch of barrels to assess whether or not it will enter into the great wine after the end of fermentation. Several tastings of each barrel are then carried out for a strict selection of the great wine.
The cellars are located in the heart of the Château Rieussec vineyard in Fargues. Each vintage ages in oak barrels mainly from the Tonnellerie des Domaines and half of them are renewed each year. The duration of aging in barrels varies according to the vintages from 16 to 26 months during which the wines are periodically racked. Bottling takes place at the Château.
The production of Château Rieussec and Carmes de Rieussec varies greatly depending on the vintage, but averages 12,000 cases per year.
Rieussec also produces a limited dry white wine, the "R" of Rieussec.
Cancellation policy : Strict
The Maison des Millésimes is a historic wine merchant in the heart of Saint Germain with a sharp selection of wines mainly from Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley. The winery is also known for its... See more
The Maison des Millésimes is a historic wine merchant in the heart of Saint Germain with a sharp selection of wines mainly from Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley. The winery is also known for its depth of vintages and many customers cross Paris (or even more) to come and find some rare vintages for their birthday gifts and / or have fun on old vintages. See less
Languages French
Selection of wines by Stéphane Montez, Domaine du Monteillet
Selection of Burgundy: Château du Clos de Vougeot Wines
Selection of Bordeaux: Chateau Gombaude-Guillot Pomerol Wines
Selection of Bordeaux: Château de Carles - Haut-Carles Wines
Selection of Bordeaux: Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Wines
Selection of Rhône and Lyonnais: Maison Clusel-Roch Wines
Selection of Nuits-Saint-Georges: Bertrand and Axelle Machard de Gramont