Originally published on August 29, 2009.
I found it!
Several months ago, I was bemoaning my store’s lack of a classic white Bordeaux. But a couple months ago, one walked into my shop that met all my criteria: a higher percentage of Semillon, some barrel ageing to add a bit of spice and creaminess, and little bit of bottle ageing. And it sits on the shelf at $29.99, the high end of my range, but well worth it.
The new addition? R de Rieussec Bordeaux Blanc 2004.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Chateau Rieussec is one of the top Sauternes, arguably second only to Chateau d’Yquem in sweet botrysized fabulousness. But this version, the “R” is not a Sauternes. Yes, the grapes come from the same plots of land as those that go into bottles labeled Sauternes. They may even come from the same vine – or even the same bunch. But the grapes that go into the “R” bottles haven’t been affected by botrytis, so the final result is dry rather than sweet. And Sauternes, according to French appellation laws, must be sweet. So “R de Rieussec” is labeled under the more generic Bordeaux Blanc appellation.
The only problem – the distributor will be moving into the next vintage in the near future. So unless the next vintage comes with bottle ageing already intact, I’ll be searching again.