Chateau Rieussec 1er Cru Classe (fruchtsüß) 2001 in 12er Holzkiste

James Suckling: This is a crazy wine! It’s sweet, but not sugary. Mushrooms, furniture wax, spices then dried oranges, lemons, pineapples, and just a hint of vanilla. Full-bodied, with great density and power, yet balanced and refined. So amazing, but give this five to six years still. 100/100 (2012)

Robert Parker: The 2001 Rieussec is a blend of 96.5% Semillon and 3.5% Sauvignon Blanc picked between 17 September and 25 October in three tries. This is a somewhat controversial wine, one I have tasted many times. It seemed to flare with brilliance in its youth and subsequently never replicated that performance. Here, it has a mature nose with dried honey, yellow flowers and honeysuckle, the palate well balanced with ripe dried mango and orange rind notes, though it does not possess the same killer delineation as the 2005 on the finish. It remains a lovely Sauternes, but in this vertical tasting, I found more nervosité in the 2005, at least at this stage. The question is whether it will have a second wind later in life? Time will tell. 93/100 (2017)

Lobenbergs: Ich habe viele Sauternes probiert, aber auf diesem Niveau den Rieussec noch nie! Enorm ölig und dicht im Mund, dabei sehr verspielt, viel Finesse, sehr individuelle Note. Sicherlich der herausragende Sauternes nach Doisy Extravagance überhaupt und vielleicht der beste Rieussec, der je erzeugt wurde. 96-98/100