The 2019 Rieussec is pure golden charm—luscious, lifted, and irresistibly inviting. This vintage beautifully walks the line between richness and energy, layering bright citrus and exotic fruit with honeyed depth and floral elegance. It’s a Sauternes that feels both indulgent and fresh, with a sleek, modern twist—elevated by its stylish new bottle and just the right amount of flair. A delightful, complex wine to sip slowly and savor, whether as an aperitif or with dessert.

Decanter | D 96
Published: Jan 5, 2022
Drink: 2027-2045

Lovely noble rot aromas but quite modern in profile with freshness and energy. On the palate there is expressive and open flavours of honeyed lemon, orange rind and pineapple well wrapped in a viscous, rich, sumptuous and seductive layer of sweetness. Great acidity backbone, not mouthwatering as such but just enough that it lifts the overall feeling so much then the structure comes in supporting the frame making you think this is a serious and super charming wine. Great texture also the flavours glide across the palate. Excellent intensity but also freshness. A great aperitif style to enjoy before a meal - serve cold and let the wine reveal more complexity and nuance as it warms and opens. A new, fun bottle was introduced for this vintage. Dark glass was used 'obliging you to pour it as you can't see the colour' says Saskia de Rothschild with a reusable cork stopper so it can be kept in the fridge and consumed in several sittings.
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 13.80%
Body: Full
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 2% Muscadelle 9% Sauvignon Blanc 89% Sémillon

The Wine Advocate | RP 94-96
Published: Sep 30, 2020
Drink: 2025-2055

Pale lemon-gold in color, the 2019 Rieussec flaunts a delicately scented nose of fresh grapefruit, lemon curd, lime leaves and clover honey with wafts of jasmine, white truffles and nutmeg. The palate slowly builds, revealing layers of apple and citrus fruits with loads of savory accents, framed by refreshing acidity and a seductively oily texture, finishing on a lingering honey-nut note. 

Jamessuckling.com | JS 93
Published: Jan 12, 2022

This is so delicious, with a medium body with medium sweetness. Dried mango and pineapple, as well as some vanilla. Bright and fresh. Lighter than some years. Yummy. Tarte-tartin. Love the new bottle. Drink and enjoy.

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 16
Published: Jan 30, 2023
Drink: 2026-2038

Tasted blind. Floral and edgy. Tastes as though there is a real mix of ripeness levels in this wine. 

Lafite.com

2019 Tasting
Delicate golden colour with soft green glints. Intense nose with tremendous aromatic richness. Initial notes of citrus zest are followed by lemon tart, and then toasted notes reminiscent of freshly baked brioche. The palate offers mandarin zest and candied orange, enlivened by a touch of star anise which underscores the wine’s aromatic freshness. Dense and rich, the palate has good length with a pleasant hint of bitterness on the finish.

The vintage began well with a mild, dry winter. The fine weather continued into early spring, resulting in an early start to the growth cycle. Day and night-time temperatures then cooled down and, between March and May, there were six occasions when we held our breath fearing a frost.
During this period, the colder and above all drier than usual weather slowed down the vines’ growth. After a relatively cold, rainy start, June suddenly changed, bringing an early summer heat wave the likes of which had not been seen since 2003. Fortunately, it was short-lived and the vines, which were catching up in terms of growth, seemed better equipped than in previous years to cope with the heat. Some miraculous rain arrived on 26 July, at just the right moment to trigger véraison (colour change).
This year, as in 2017, the rain in September was very helpful for the botrytis. But the harvests turned out to be more complex, with sour rot threatening the purity of the grapes. We had to sort through the fruit like gold diggers to remove the sour grapes, only keeping the nicely botrytized ones. A window of opportunity arrived on 8 October to pick perfectly balanced grapes with 20% potential alcohol for the Grand Vin, including some superb Muscadelle!