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Château Rieussec, Sauternes 2010
White (botrytized Sauternes)France2010
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2019-12-01 · Published 2026-09-15 · Updated 2026-09-15
At a glance
Five critic scores on file on Vivino — (90-92) points (May 2011), 91 (Jan 2017 re-rating), 18/20 equivalent to 93 (June 2011), 89 (Apr 2011), and a high of 95 (Sept 2013); publications not named
Market note: Rieussec is the only Premier Cru Classé directly below d'Yquem in the 1855 Sauternes classification, and its vineyard borders d'Yquem's along a shared wall to the west. Since the 1984 Lafite Rothschild acquisition, sustained investment has followed, including a new cellar completed in 1989.
What this wine is
In the 18th century, this land belonged to monks of the Carmes de Langon — hence the name of Rieussec's second wine, Carmes de Rieussec. The French Revolution seized church property and sent it to auction, and around 1790 a man named Marheilhac bought the estate. Ownership changed hands repeatedly after that: Charles Crepin (around 1870), Paul Defolie (1892), banker Edgar Bannel (1907), the Gasqueton family, the American P.F. Berry during wartime, a Mr. Balaresque in 1957, and Albert Vuillier in 1971. Under an owner named Mayne at the time of the 1855 Bordeaux classification, the estate was named a Premier Cru Classé (first growth) of Sauternes and Barsac.
Rieussec's 93-hectare vineyard shares a wall with Château d'Yquem to the west — the most famous neighbor a Sauternes estate could have. In 1984, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) acquired Rieussec and soon built a new winery, completed in 1989. That acquisition marked a turning point, and the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages were widely praised.
The mechanics of Sauternes noble rot are the same here as at d'Yquem: Botrytis cinerea mold pierces the Sémillon grape's skin, evaporating water and concentrating sugar, acid and aroma. The 2010 vintage is a Sémillon-led blend with Sauvignon Blanc, aged roughly 16 months in new oak.
What the world says
The five critic scores on file span 89 to 95 between 2011 and 2013 — 90–92 (May 2011), 91 (Jan 2017 re-rating), 18/20 equivalent to 93 (June 2011), 89 (Apr 2011), and a high of 95 (Sept 2013). Publications aren't named, but they mostly cluster in the low-to-mid 90s.
The Vivino community's 1,861 ratings on this 2010 vintage average 4.3, with 89% at 4 stars or above. The whole label (24,099 ratings) averages slightly higher at 4.4. It ranks 12,016th among 3.36 million French wines and 268th of 12,521 wines from Sauternes-Barsac — a strong showing within its own region.
The flavor keywords are dominated by the stone-fruit group — peach, apricot, pear (1,644 mentions) — followed by earth and honey (904), citrus (582), and oak and vanilla (396). Structure: sweetness 4.9/5, intensity 4.8, acidity 3.2 — nearly matching d'Yquem's sweetness and intensity (4.9, 4.7) while measuring a bit lower on acidity.
"Nectar golden in colour. A pleasant and delightful treat. Apricot, peach, honey, nashi pear, exotic spices and floral notes. Part of a good meal wine pairing." — Vivino review, Feb 2023, 4.4 stars
"This beautiful Sauterne is absolutely delicious! Apricot and honey with a tropical note. Fantastic paired with a chocolate brownie!" — Vivino review, Mar 2025, 4.4 stars
How I drank it
"Gold silk color. Honey, cedar. Orange, grapefruit, pineapple. Very deep fruity candy. The intense aroma and flavor show off the true value of Sauternes Sémillon. Feels like the perfect time to drink it. An hour after opening, tannins like Merlot started closing in — but unlike Merlot, they hold things together in a pleasant way. Someone said to wait until it congeals, and I wonder if this is what they meant. By the end I couldn't tell if I was enjoying wine or enjoying candy. My own experience: Rieussec beats d'Yquem. Recommended!" 1 December 2019, 4.5 stars.
The key line in this note is the last one: 'Rieussec beats d'Yquem.' I gave Château d'Yquem 2008 a 4.0 that same day. Both bottles are top-tier Sauternes estates from the 1855 classification, and their vineyards are literal neighbors sharing a wall. My note on d'Yquem was short and factual — 'Honey, cedar, apricot, balanced' — while Rieussec got a much longer, more sensory description, complete with someone else's advice about waiting for it to 'congeal' and a direct observation of how it changed an hour after opening. That gap in attention reads as a gap in how absorbed I was in the wine that night.
The numbers tell a different story, though. Vivino's community average for the 2010 Rieussec vintage is 4.3, against 4.7 for the 2008 d'Yquem vintage — the community rates d'Yquem higher. Critic scores lean the same way: d'Yquem 2008 got a 96 from Parker, edging out Rieussec's best listed score of 95. By the world's measure, d'Yquem comes out slightly ahead. My own palate said the opposite that night — one of the few cases in this whole magazine where my personal rating flips a wine the community and critics rate higher.
Vivino community data
2010 vintage rating distribution (1861 ratings, average 4.3)
| 5★ | 416 (22%) | |
| 4★ | 1245 (67%) | |
| 3★ | 172 (9%) | |
| 2★ | 14 (1%) | |
| 1★ | 14 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Stone fruit | 1644 | peach 493 · apricot 337 · pear 324 · apple 136 · melon 83 |
| Earth | 904 | minerals 250 · honey 244 · stone 155 · earthy 84 · smoke 26 |
| Citrus | 582 | citrus 236 · lemon 139 · grapefruit 72 · lime 43 · orange 25 |
| Oak | 396 | oak 143 · butter 90 · vanilla 83 · tobacco 21 · clove 10 |
| Dairy | 271 | cream 121 · oil 73 · cheese 45 · banana 16 · yeast 7 |
| Tropical fruit | 225 | tropical 92 · pineapple 60 · mango 28 · lychee 14 · passion fruit 9 |
| Floral | 210 | honeysuckle 73 · acacia 31 · jasmine 23 · orange blossom 16 · perfume 16 |
Structure: Acidity 3.2/5 · Intensity 4.8/5 · Sweetness 4.9/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 24099 ratings, average 4.4)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|
My original note (Vivino, 2019-12-01)
“Gold silk color. Honey, cedar. Orange, grape fruit, pineapple. Very deep fruity candy. 진한 향과 맛이 소테른 세미뇽의 진가를 보여준다. 지금먹기 딱좋은 시기일듯 하다. 오픈 후 한시간 메를롯 처럼 조여오는 타닌이 느껴지기 시작했는데 메를롯과는 다르게 기분이 좋게 잡아준다. 누구는 엉겨붙을때 까지 기다리라고 하던데 이게 그건가 싶다. 마지막엔 내가 와인을 즐기는 건가 캔디를 즐기는건가 싶다. 나의 경험은 디켐보다 리우섹이 좋다^^ 추천!”
Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Château Rieussec 2010?
A botrytized (noble rot) wine from the 1855 Premier Cru Classé (first growth) estate in Sauternes, Bordeaux, owned since 1984 by the Rothschild family. Its vineyard shares a wall with Château d'Yquem to the west. Vivino: 4.3 average from 1,861 ratings on this vintage; listed critic scores run 89–95.
How much does it cost?
World average price not yet confirmed for this piece (US$85 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026)). As a first-growth Sauternes, it's generally known to command high prices.
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino data points to the classic pairings — fruity desserts and blue cheese. With sweetness at 4.9/5, it's especially suited to foie gras, blue cheese, and fruit tarts.
How does it compare to d'Yquem?
Both are top-tier Sauternes estates from the 1855 classification, and their vineyards share a wall. D'Yquem outranks Rieussec — it's the only Premier Cru Supérieur (above the first growths) — and both the Vivino community average (4.7 for the 2008 vintage) and critic scores (Parker's 96) edge out Rieussec's. But I compared the two directly on 1 December 2019 and scored Rieussec 4.5 against d'Yquem's 4.0, writing that I preferred Rieussec.