Château Rieussec

In the 18th century, the land that would become Château Rieussec belonged to the Carmelite monks of Langon, in the heart of Sauternes. At the 1855 classification, under owner M. Mayne, the estate’s terroir was recognized as a Premier Cru Classé of Sauternes and Barsac, a distinction it has held ever since. Ownership changed hands many times over the following century — Charles Crépin around 1870, Paul Defolie in 1892, M. Bannil in 1907, the Gasqueton family (also owners of Château Calon-Ségur), F.F. Berry during the Second World War, M. Balaresque in 1957, and finally Albert Vuillier, a passionate devotee of Sauternes’ sweet wines, in 1971. In 1984, the estate joined the Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite family, who quickly built a new cellar at the heart of the vineyard. That renewed focus on quality was soon rewarded by a remarkable run of vintages in 1988, 1989, and 1990, followed by another standout decade from 1995 to 2005 — including the 2001 vintage, later named “Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator in 2004.

Château Rieussec sits at the junction of Fargues and Sauternes, bordering Château d’Yquem, on 85 hectares of sandy gravel (80%) and clay (20%) soils. Sémillon is the estate’s signature grape, planted across the majority of the vineyard, rounded out by Sauvignon Blanc (17%) and Muscadelle (3%). The vineyard is farmed using traditional Sauternais methods, with harvest stretching from September to November across several successive passes as botrytis cinerea, or noble rot, develops on the grapes. Today, Olivier Trégoat manages the estate and also serves as technical director for several other Domaines Barons de Rothschild properties, working alongside Mathieu Crosnier and the rest of the on-site team. Rieussec joined the B Corp community in December 2023. Alongside its celebrated Sauternes, the estate also produces a second wine, Carmes de Rieussec, and a dry white Bordeaux, Blanc de Rieussec — described by the estate as “the new face of a great dry white Bordeaux,” made partly from the same vines that produce the Sauternes.