Château Rieussec 1er Cru Classé, Sauternes, 2011

The 2011 vintage at Rieussec produced a Sauternes of opulent, generous character. From the first pour, this is a wine that announces itself with real authority: aromas of pineapple, ripe apricot, honeyed quince, and warm toasted oak fill the glass with an intensity that signals concentrated fruit. On the palate, the wine is rich and honeyed, the sweetness full-bodied yet never heavy, the acidity doing the essential work of carrying the fruit across the palate with freshness and lift. Beeswax, preserved citrus, and tropical fruit characterize a long, enveloping finish. At this level, Sauternes offers a form of pleasure that has no rival in the wine world, and the 2011 Rieussec makes that case persuasively.