Dessert Wine

94+ Points - Stuart McCloskey

A truly fascinating and historic wine using a Solera system, which started its life nearly nine decades ago. The resulting liquid holds aromas of walnuts, fruitcake and caramel. An utter rare treat and perhaps the ultimate vinous accompaniment to cheese, tarte tatin and chocolate.

90 Points - Stuart McCloskey

Stylish Sauternes from an outstanding vintage. At perfect maturity and awaiting the company of Stilton or Roquefort.

93 Points - Neal Martin

Tasted single blind against its peers. The Château Rieussec 2008 should become an excellent Sauternes for the vintage. It has a floral bouquet with peach, tinned apricot and a touch of marmalade, all with fine delineation, and touches of lemon curd developing with aeration. The palate is mellifluous on the entry, with great depth and a luscious, vanillary note with hints of orange peel, marmalade and quince towards the long finish. Excellent.

Tasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. The Château Doisy-Védrines 2011 has a very fragrant, almost floral bouquet with pure honey, quince and yellow flower scents that soar from the glass and embrace you like your favourite aunt. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous texture and superb acidity that really set this Sauternes alight: real tension and a sense of energy here. It just “flows” toward a vibrant, honeyed finish that has only just begun to “motor." This surpasses its showing from barrel and constitutes a magnificent effort from Olivier Castèja and his team.

100 Points - Robert Parker

My notes essentially read the same every year, even though the bottlings are non-vintage and I taste the most recent releases. Consistency and greatness are the norm at this Rutherglen winery. The average age is 7-10 years for the regular cuvees, about 70 years for the grand cuvees, and the ancient rare cuvees date back to soleras from 1890. The Muscadelle (Tokay) reveals caramel, toffee, fig, prune, raisiny notes, an incredible, unctuous texture, and amazing zesty acidity which keeps it from being cloying. It is redundant to keep repeating the same tasting notes, so readers will have to take my word for it ... this is one of the world’s most remarkable dessert wines, and is worth every effort to latch on to a half bottle or so.

95 Points - Neal Martin

The 2011 Rieussec, a blend of 95% Semillon, 2% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Muscadelle is an absolute dream. There is wonderful precision and mineralité on the nose, the new oak more integrated than a few months ago. The palate is beautifully balanced with clear honey, brioche and pralines, a sensual Rieussec that is utterly charming, hints of nougat and almond lingering on the long finish. Gorgeous!