Chateau Rieussec

Château Rieussec is located in Fargues, in the Sauternes appellation in Bordeaux. It produces sweet wines from the classic Bordeaux blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc and was classified as 1st Cru in the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac, along with the best sweet white wines of the region.

In the 18th century, the estate was managed by the Carmelite order before it was confiscated during the French Revolution. After several changes of ownership, it is now under the Barons de Rothschild (who own Château Lafite Rothschild) in collaboration with Albert Frère from LVMH. Château Rieussec 2001 was ranked first on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list in 2004.

The 93 hectares of vineyards are predominantly planted with Sémillon, along with smaller areas of Sauvignon Blanc and a small amount of Muscadelle. The vineyards border those of Château d'Yquem to the west. The terroir in the Sauternes area helps spread Botrytis cinerea, and the grapes from Rieussec are harvested by hand as they are affected by noble rot.

The best grapes are used to produce the grand vin, which ages for 26 months in oak barrels, about half of which are new. The remaining juice is used to produce the second wine, Carmes de Rieussec, which ages only 18 months. The dry white wine, R de Rieussec, is made from a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc varieties and is partially fermented in barrels.