Size 750mL

93   Jane Anson for Inside Bordeaux
“The new identity of R de Rieussec arrives with the 2021 vintage, a white wine with great freshness with a completely redesigned bottle. The packaging is refined with the least possible impact on the environment: a Burgundy-shaped bottle, whose glass, opaque and therefore non-polluting, is made of 96% recycled glass. An understated label representing a logo both more modern and elegant.

Following on from the redesign of the main Rieussec wine last year, next up is the dry white, with a clean-lined label that does a good job of reflecting the crisp, pared down flavours that you are going to find in the bottle. Everything here is about accentuating the crisp, chiselled flavours that Sauvignon Blanc can deliver in cooler vintages such as 2021 – and the challenges of the year were far less of an issue for white wines that don’t need the same period of dry weather before harvest. Insead this is delicate, with gentle floral aromatics, but with grip and length in the glass. Thoroughly enjoyable. Olivier Trégoat consulting winemaker.”

Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“Two-thousand twenty-one is a brilliant vintage for the dry whites of Bordeaux. It is an unusual year in which the wines have the energy that is often associated with cooler seasons, but the textural richness that is often only achieved in warm years. That duality makes the best 2021 whites compelling and absolutely riveting in the finest examples.”

Lisa Perrotti-Brown for Wine Independent
“Generally speaking, the quality of the dry whites is better and more consistent than the vintage’s reds. The white grapes enjoyed a longer growing season than they did in the previous warmer vintages that necessitated earlier picking. Flavor compounds were nicely developed, and the wines are expressive, with plenty of crisp freshness that is well-balanced by the intensity of flavors. As with the red wines, the white wine alcohols are, for the most part, lower than in previous years, but not markedly so.”