"R" de Rieussec Bordeaux 2020 or
How I changed my "à priori" about this wine.
About 4 years ago, I bought a few cases of this wine for a private party, without expecting much of it. The host was looking for a quaffable white Bordeaux, and the supplier I was buying champagne and red wines from, which were also going to be served at the party, only had a choice of three Bordeaux white wines in sufficient quantities. So, there was not much choice.
The organizing team and I held a tasting lunch about a month before the party with three different whites, and "R" was the one that was chosen. It was good, but not as satisfying as I had hoped.
Also, 2020 wasn't a particularly good vintage for white Bordeaux, definitely not as strong as 2019 or 2021, for example. Even the average critic scores on Wine-Searcher only reached 87/100, which is relatively low, especially for a wine priced around 25 Euros.
I had so much "à priori" about this wine that I even wanted to contact another supplier to make a last-minute choice. Still, I was advised not to, as it was easier to order all the necessary wines from one supplier, given the good discount that would be hard to match.
Although I have nothing against Rieussec, I have always been fond of their Sauternes. When it comes to Bordeaux white, "R" de Rieussec is definitely not the first to come to mind. Although it was selected, my expectations for guest satisfaction were pretty low. This made me uneasy when we served it, since I like to create a "wow" factor with all the wines I serve.
Among a crowd of over 100 people, this white was the least consumed and, obviously, the least appreciated of the wines served that night.
I'm usually very critical of my choices, and with decades of experience, I rarely make mistakes. Still, I was disappointed to have made such a rookie mistake. As a Bordeaux native with thirty years of experience selling Bordeaux wines, I know I could have made a better choice.
After the party, I put the leftover wine aside in a corner of the cellar, about 30 bottles, promising not to serve it and even forget about it until recently.
Not knowing how it tasted after nearly 4 years and thinking it probably had lost all its freshness, I brought a bottle to a recent event and asked my colleagues to taste it with me to see if it had changed and to check whether its quality was still good enough to drink or if it was better to give it to our chef to cook with.
"R" de Rieussec Bordeaux Blanc 2020
"R" de Rieussec is a dry white wine made by Château Rieussec, the renowned Sauternes estate better known for its sweet wines. The wine was introduced after Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) purchased the estate in 1984 as part of a broader effort to highlight the estate's potential. It also helped improve vineyard selection and more careful sorting, as it is produced from young vines and certain plots not used for the Grand Vin. The 1997 vintage is significant because it marks the transition to the current winemaking method, which involves complete vinification in barrels to add more texture, structure, and complexity to the wine.
Although both wines usually come from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (with citrus, herbaceous notes, and acidity), Semillon (the backbone of most Sauternes, adding body and aromas of apricot and beeswax), and Muscadelle (for aromatic complexity), the blend of "R" generally has a higher percentage of Sauvignon Blanc compared to Sauternes.
The 2020 vintage is a blend of approximately 57% Sauvignon Blanc and 53% Sémillon. In the glass, it displayed a pale gold color with green reflections. To my surprise, the nose was quite intense and more complex than I remembered. It offered enticing aromas of citrus, apricot, and yellow stone fruits, with hints of exotic fruits mingling with notes of butter and minerals. The palate was surprisingly coating, rich, ample yet still lively (not too flabby as I thought it would), with more citrus, apricot, beeswax, and buttery notes. The finish also seemed longer than I remembered. It could have used a bit more acidity to balance it, but it still maintained some freshness.
I left the bottle for my colleagues, who really appreciated it and even asked for more; however, I had only brought one bottle to taste. It made me reconsider not serving it again. In fact, I might use it at one of our next events.
I was pleasantly surprised, as memories of when I last tasted it four years ago had led me to expect it would have worsened. Yet, I was wrong, and revisiting it changed my "à priori" opinion about this wine. It had nicely evolved, and although it is not the most exciting white Bordeaux, it remains a very quaffable choice, which is what was required in the first place.
That is the beauty of wine: it is a living being that constantly evolves over time, changing its potential, taste, flavors, and profile depending on its environment and storage conditions. Therefore, one should never assume or approach wine with "a priori" thinking (like I did), and should always taste a wine as if it were the first time, because you never know— it might have evolved and improved.
Cheers! Santé!
Dom
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