Variety: Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc

Chateau Rieussec is one of the most noteworthy châteaux in all of Bordeaux, hailing from the same great talents as Lafite Rothschild. The Rieussec winery and vineyard is located in the region of Graves (aka gravel) on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. In Graves is the appellation of Sauternes, famous for its honeyed, rich dessert wines, but Rieussec also makes an incredible Bordeaux Blanc Sec. The winery was begun in the 18th century under the Carmelite monks, who valued the vineyards' gravelly clay and sandy soil. During the great 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, Rieussec was ranked as a First Growth for its Sauternes and Barsac wines. Another turning point occurred in 1984 when Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) acquired the estate, implementing meticulous measures often described as “Draconian.”

This Bordeaux Blanc comes from the same vines as the Sauternes, though the main difference here is that the grapes are harvested much earlier before their potential exposure to noble rot, otherwise known as botrytis. The wine is always fermented in barrels in order to balance it and extend its ageability in the cellar.