Freddy R. Troya

9.0

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. — 4 days ago

romo

9.2

Just when you think it’s going to Thelma & Louise, it spawns wings and lifts off. - at Franklin PT — a month ago

Holly Morgan

10

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

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.1

To much of a fruit bomb good wine just not for me. — 2 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

Touch of over the hill but still OK. Lost color. More for the geeks and aficionados - than the casual wine drinker. So this review is for you guys. — 2 months ago

Chris MacLean

9.3

Big winner at dinner tonight — 6 months ago

with Alessandro, Sarah and 2 others

Ron Siegel

9.4

Still youthful — 7 days ago

Matt Schwartz

9.3

Opened too early, high acidity with bright red fruit flavors. Cherry cola all day with some oak notes and leather as well as raspberries and gooseberries. Really fresh and nice. In another 4-6 years this will be incredible. — 17 days ago

Turd Ferguson

9.4

Youthful but surprisingly accessible. This has some stuffing. — a month ago

Maggie Harrison

9.0

bright lifted red fruited nose. ripe red cherry on palate, medium bodied. moderate acid. medium tannins — a month ago

James Pauls

8.9

Upon opening, VERY bitter and strong. Have to let this one open. Upon opening got pretty good. Similar flavour to the previous rioja I’ve had many times that I love, but this is just more of it and much stronger and more flavourful. Not sure that I want that out of a wine, pretty sure I’m not willing to pay more for it. Not sure if I should attribute that to the wine or its age (oldest bottle I have yet tried).

Lighter and easier drinking reds are my preference at the moment. Maybe I will feel differently and prefer the stronger flavours once I am more seasoned into wines as I’ve become with scotch.

Definitely will return to this bottle if that becomes the case, otherwise prefer other favorites or to try new wines at the price.

It’s really not a bad wine. A lot of flavour and a lot going on.… I highly suspect I just am not able to fully appreciate what it is giving me at this point in my wine journey. — a month ago

Steve Mitchell

9.3

The 2023 is a ruby red, full bodied Pinot with a smooth silky finish. Paired with a salad and grilled salmon. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

It’s been a few years since I last checked in to the 2011 vintage of LdH Viña Bosconia and, to my palate, time has been kind. This is far more balanced and open than my previous experience. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2011 pours a ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe cherry, dill, toasted coconut, leather, tobacco, dried earth and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Delicious. Drink now through 2036. — 4 months ago

Garen Staglin

9.4

21 years and going strong. Acid and fruit still in perfect balance. Wish we had more. Last bottle — 11 days ago

Steve Mitchell

9.5

Bright, nice depth and complexity.
Paired perfectly with grilled salmon, tomatoes & burrata and small potatoes. — 15 days ago

Maggie Harrison

9.6

dried red cherries and berries, sweet fresh wood- red floral, woodsy. vineyard is near Rredwoods. integrates long tannins. moderate tannins. — a month ago

Maggie Harrison

9.2

lifted. hunt or red floral- lavendar? medium tannins. high acid. fuller mid palate than Sonoma Coast. — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.4

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

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.2

Quite a good bottle of this — 4 months ago

Craig Becraft

9.1

Still sublime vibrant, and enjoyable after 15 years — 5 months ago