2017 Château Rieussec R de Rieussec Bordeaux Blanc 750 ml

The critic-favorite 2017 Château Rieussec R de Rieussec Bordeaux Blanc is the kind of complex and refreshing classic white wine that we always keep in stock. Crafted with First-Growth attention to detail overseen by the Rothschild family, this Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blend marries sophistication with easy-drinking charm in an irresistible one-two punch. 

James Sucking raved over this wine in his 95-point review, praising it as “exciting” and “very powerful and rich with depth and intensity that show superb power.” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has compared the cuvée to the greatness of Laville Haut-Brion.

Given the outstanding pedigree—Premier Grand Cru status, owned by Château Lafite Rothschild—and the score, this bottle should come with a big-league price. But you can stock your cellar with this addictively drinkable mineral white for just $32 a bottle—an awesome deal on a Bordeaux blanc standout.

Pale yellow and tinged with gold in the glass, this Premier Grand Cru bottling absolutely sings with freshly squeezed lemon, lilac, and a hint of sweet pears, underlined by a bracing, bright acidity that begs to be contrasted with briny Wellfleet oysters or tender lobster. There’s a kiss of salinity on the textured palate, where papaya melds with a touch of cream, and which closes with a sprightly, crisp finish.

Château Rieussec is one of the legendary estates of Sauternes, written into Bordeaux’s gilded history. Founded in the 18th century, it received a Premier Grand Cru designation at the 1855 Classification and was acquired by the Rothschilds (of First Growth Château Lafite Rothschild fame) in 1984.

We first found our way to this bottle years ago, at Le Pitt— our favorite breezy bayside restaurant in Arcachon, just southwest of Bordeaux. The owner wore a striped linen shirt unbuttoned to the sternum, and when he wasn’t seeing guests to a table, he was pulling up a chair to join two friends seated by the dock. There, while puffing on a Gitanes, he drained at least one bottle of the R de Rieussec Bordeaux Blanc from a small glass. It was our cue to order the same with our local oysters. The wine’s energy and purity—not to mention value—stunned us, and now we’re thrilled to share the 95-point 2017 with Wine Access members.  

Situated not far from Château d’Yquem, the vineyards at Rieussec are visited by the well-known autumn mists that help bring the tiny gold berries to a perfect pitch of succulent maturation. The château’s dry white, the R de Rieussec, has been produced for over 30 years, a roughly 50-50 blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc that borrows from many of the same vineyards as their world-famous Sauternes.

The location and the site's ideal blend of gravel, limestone, sand, and clay soils make for a wine that can age effortlessly. With some time in the bottle, it’s now mellowed to perfection: a 95-pointer that wows for just $32.