Chateau Rieussec, SAUTERNES 2008

93 WA / 93 WE / 92 WS

Tasted single blind against its peers. The Chateau Rieussec 2008 should become an excellent Sauternes for the vintage. It has a floral bouquet with peach, tinned apricot and a touch of marmalade, all with fine delineation, and touches of lemon curd developing with aeration. The palate is mellifluous on the entry, with great depth and a luscious, vanilla note with hints of orange peel, marmalade, and quince towards the long finish. Excellent. Tasted January 2012. Neal Martin

Barrel sample. Rich rather than sweet, this is stuffed full of botrytis. The wine is powered through with this dusty texture, rolling richly but catching the dried fruit character. Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

This cuts a broad swath, with dense fig, piecrust, green almond and golden raisin notes held together by ginger cream and tarte Tatin notes. The long, creamy finish lets a coconut milk hint check-in. One for the cellar. Best from 2014 through 2025. James Molesworth, Wine Spectator