A. R. Lenoble
R. López de Heredia
Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2012
Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — 2 months ago
R. Pouillon & Fils
Solera Brut 1er Cru Champagne Blend
A good champagne. Drank kind of… young? Balanced but not graceful, hefty but a little too eager. All of the flavor was BOOM, right up front, and it was more green apple rind than anything. Good - maybe not my thing. — 5 years ago
R. & L. Legras
St. Vincent Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne Chardonnay 2008
Another bottle. This rocks. A little bread and biscuit on the nose. Lean and defined. Rocks and conserved lemon. Very good. — 6 years ago
R. & L. Legras
Cuvée St. Vincent Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne Chardonnay 2008
Really fresh, yeasty, with steel, lemons and good definition. A lot of promise. Young — 7 years ago
R. López de Heredia
Viña Bosconia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2014
Splash decanted and enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 2014 “Viña Bosconia” pours a deep garnet/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Montmorency cherry, dill, toasted coconut, tobacco, leather and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and elegant. Delicious already in its relative youth and there’s a long, bright future ahead. Drink now with patience through 2044. — 11 days ago
R. López de Heredia
Viña Tondonia Rioja Rosé Blend 2012
Blood orange and cloves as well as cherries in the nose. A bit of vanilla as it opens up. Tastes of tangerine and clove with a sweet cherry after taste. — a month ago
Thierry Allemand
Cornas Reynard (R) Syrah 2008
On paper they say 08 wasn’t a good vintage but hey I love it. Old vine Reynard is excellent in 2008 showing all the Allemand sigs with dark fruit, olive tapenade and a liquid rock minerality. 08 is particularly Bordeaux like and not at all thin—that magical Reynard vineyard really ups the concentration of any vintage. Always a thrill to drink Allemand, my favorite Syrah. — 6 months ago
R. López de Heredia
Viña Cubillo Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2013
Another great vintage of a wonderfully consistent Rioja. Made from fruit of vines that average 40 years old. Lots of aging in advance of this wine’s release. (And it’s considered a Crianza?) Aromas of blackberry, leather and dried rose petals. Blackberry and Black cherry on the pallet with a hint of orange peel. Hint of wood smoke on the finish. Dusty tannins and nicely balanced acidity. Solid QPR. — 4 years ago
Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite
Les Légendes R Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018
Light and fruity. Both the red and dark fruit, giving it good balance. A bit of acidity lingers. — 5 years ago
Maurice Schoech
Rangen de Thann Harmonie 'R' Grand Cru 2008
Domaine Serene
R Dry Rosé Blend
Citrus, light, hint of tang on finish. More full bodies than a French style wine. — 7 years ago
Château Rieussec
R Bordeaux Blanc Sec Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2020
Château Rieussec — R de Rieussec 2020
Bordeaux AOC, France 🇫🇷
Overview
A seriously over-delivering dry white from Château Rieussec, the celebrated Sauternes estate of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite. The 2020 is 57% Sauvignon Blanc and 43% Sémillon, combining Sauvignon’s freshness and energy with the texture and richness of Sémillon.
Aromas & Flavors
Passion fruit, citrus, grapefruit, ripe peach, and tropical fruit lead into subtle smoky and mineral nuances. Expressive and succulent without losing its Bordeaux identity.
Mouthfeel
Smooth and beautifully balanced, with enough volume from the Sémillon to give the wine substance while Sauvignon Blanc provides a sharp, refreshing backbone. Generous through the mid-palate, yet precise and lively through the finish.
Food Pairings
Oysters, grilled shrimp, scallops, crab, white fish, or seafood pasta. Equally enjoyable on its own.
Verdict
A hidden gem that punches considerably above its weight. Fresh, layered, succulent, and remarkably approachable, yet with enough structure and complexity to reveal its serious Bordeaux pedigree. One glass becomes two remarkably easily.
Did You Know?
Although 2020 may not be a headline vintage for white Bordeaux, R de Rieussec was a successful individual performer. The year was unusually warm and early, but Rieussec’s limestone-marl soils handled the dry summer well, with Sauvignon Blanc harvested exceptionally early in August to retain freshness.
🍷 Personal Pick
It took me a while to find other favorable vintages of this white, and I wasn’t sure 2020 would deliver, but I gave it a shot—and I’m glad I did. Succulent tropical fruit, beautiful balance, precision, and a sharp refreshing finish. Affordable enough to open casually, yet sophisticated enough to make you pay attention. Standalone or with seafood, this is exactly the kind of overlooked Bordeaux Blanc I love discovering. — 16 days ago
Raymond Vineyard & Cellar
R Collection Lot No. 5 Field Blend
I had a fruity to oak/earthy experience. Fruit up front Oak to Earth on the finish.
$10.+ at Costco.
Went well with my steak-filled salad...as well as with my chocolate-covered walnuts afterwards. — 6 years ago
R. López de Heredia
Viña Tondonia Rioja Tempranillo Blend 1985
1985 Lopez de Heredia Temperanillo. Lunch at Coq SF for A&S’ anniversary. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Excellent. Not too long a finish, but very soft and no hard end to the finish. Balanced and really delicious. — 7 years ago
Raymond Vineyard & Cellar
R Collection The Inaugural California Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Like this one more than the Zinfandel . The zif was sweeter. This has a hint of the tannin grape skins. “Ripe black fruits and bittersweet chocolate notes. Smooth texture due to firm fine tannins. Rich plum, cherry and black currant aromas with notes of rhubarb and pepper.” Super good! Might be a favorite? — 7 years ago
Daniel M
R. Lopez de Heredia, Viña Cubillo, Rioja Crianza 2017
This is one of the many bottles we brought back in the trunk of our car from Spain and France after our summer stay over there. The nose shows dark berries, prune, meat juice, autumn forest soil after rain, oak. This is rather complex and layered. The palate is very well made and defined. There is a good acid drive, some nice dark berries and dark cherry notes all along, some width, some spices, a good tannic wall in the rear, disturbing ever so slighlty the mouthfeel by leaving a grippy, drying layer over a long, fruity, spicy finish which goes on for quite a while. The meat juice note that was showing in the nose makes a come back in the very end, adding a savoury, umami touch which is pretty nice, I must say. It's not at the level of the viña tondonia 2011 I tasted a while ago (and it costs only a fraction of the price) but it's very good Rioja Crianza in its own right. Not in-your-face, fresh and balanced winemaking style. Great effort !
90 out of 100 — 6 days ago