R de Rieussec

An expressive and complex nose of citrus and white-fleshed fruits, enhanced by a floral touch. On the palate, it reveals a round and pure attack thanks to its delicate oakiness. Its freshness confers a beautiful tension. The finish is supported by a gentle bitterness and an almost saline minerality.

Wine Advocate 90: Reimagined in a more vibrant style, in a Burgundy/Loire bottle, the 2021 R de Rieussec exhibits scents of citrus oil, gooseberry and botanicals, followed by a medium-bodied, bright and vibrant palate, with tangy acids and a nicely defined finish. It's an attractive middleweight that avoids the pungently varietal, heavily sulfitic caricatural style so prevalent in contemporary Bordeaux, while managing to reinvent what was historically a rather richer, more fruit-driven wine.

Decanter 93: Vanilla-laced citrus and tropical fruit aromas with soft floral flecks. Generous and lively with pineapple, lemon and mango fruit giving richness while an undercurrent of salty, flint minerality gives tension and drive. Concentrated, long and balanced. 59% Sauvignon Blanc (vinified in stainless steel) and 41% Semillon (new oak barrels for six months with regular lees stirring). Grapes are grown on gravel soils over sandy clay.

Falstaff 91: Light yellow green colour with silver reflections. Delicate notes of meadow herbs, a hint of pears, tobacco nuances, restrained bouquet. Light-footed, lemony, subtle fruitiness, pleasantly integrated acidity, lime, salty finish, an animating aperitif wine.

Decanter 92: Sharp and tangy, bright, energetic and so lively in the mouth. Keeps a sense of calm and seriousness, the brightness softens quite quickly with more of a cool, creamy, salty touch at the end and some flinty minerality on the finish. I love the initial brightness and intensity of apple, lemon, peach and apricot fruit before it narrows into a long finish.