2003 Rieussec, Sauternes (375ml)

Medium yellow-gold. Reticent but pure aromas of fruit salad, spices and vanilla, lifted by floral and mineral nuances. Wonderfully honeyed, fat fruit flavors are complemented by cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. The sexy oak treatment gives lift to the wine. A bit youthfully aggressive but very long on the back end, showing vanillin oak and a bit of warmth. But this one offers superb potential. (ST) 93+

Poured from a half bottle, this vintage of Rieussec, tasted at twenty years of age, now displays a remarkably rich amber-gold hue in the glass. It aromatic profile feels very roasted and toasted, with layers of baked orange and apricot fruits, with veins of axle grease, black liquorice, caramel and ginger snap biscuits, accompanied by scented notes of bay leaf. It has a beautiful texture, voluptuous and polished, typical of the 2003 vintage, with intertwined threads of caramel, toast and baked apricot, plump and underpinned by fabulous grip. This is a welcome addition to the structure, because the acidity is fairly low-key, to say the least. It drinks well now, although I can see this losing focus with more bottle age.