Provenance

Private Client

Critics Ratings

‘First bottle: Hint of copper in the gold. Note of wet wool on the nose. Too much sulfur? Second bottle: Big and bold and still a little sulfidey. Round and blows its own trumpet extremely loudly though it certainly doesn’t belong to the squeaky clean school of winemaking. Burnt notes on the finish and quite burly – and not especially sweet. Good acidity. A very valid style – and distinctive.’ – Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Jul 2004)

‘Lively, complex, fresh aromas of tropical fruit, honey and spicy oak. Sweet and viscous in the middle palate; kept fresh by apple and pear notes and harmonious acidity. Very concentrated and deep. Very long on the aftertaste; has the sheer material to buffer its alcohol. Rieussec switched to later bottling with this vintage: 30 rather than 24 months after the harvest.’ – Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, 92/100 (Jul 1998)

‘The 1989 Rieussec is a fat, rich, broad-shouldered wine, with great depth and richness, and a formidably high alcohol content. I did not detect as much botrytis as I would have hoped. Nevertheless, it is a blockbuster, massive wine in the style of the richest 1983s. Its evolution should be fascinating to follow. Anticipated maturity: 1998-2015.’ – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 94/100 (Jan 1993)