CHATEAU RIEUSSEC CARMES DE RIEUSSEC SAUTERNES 2021

Carmes de Rieussec honors the Carmes de Langon monks who owned this First Growth Sauternes estate in the 18th century before it passed through multiple owners and was acquired by Domaines Barons de Rothschild in 1984. The 227-acre vineyard sits in Fargues adjacent to Château d'Yquem, where cold autumn mornings create mist above the Garonne River that promotes botrytis development on Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes harvested at optimal noble rot concentration. At 13.6% ABV, this second label wine ferments in new barrels with regular lees stirring until December, then ages 12 months to develop mineral notes of hot stone and dry grass, fresh apricot, white flowers, and a lemony brightness from the Sauvignon Blanc that provides tension against subtle honeyed sweetness, with integrated oak contributing structure rather than overt vanilla or spice. The selection process mirrors the Grand Vin's standards but employs shorter barrel aging.