Rieussec - Sauternes 1988

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe1/31/2017

Tasted in Sauternes with Charles Chevalier, the 1988 Rieussec is a vintage that Chevalier himself claimed to be his favorite. I can understand why. It has an unerringly youthful bouquet with vibrant citrus fruit, wild honey, mandarin and mineral scents, a bouquet that seems to have electricity flowing through it. The same can be said for the palate that is full of tension and vigor, almost clinical in terms of focus with alluring viscosity and wonderful length. This bowled me over with its charm and breeding. Hunt a bottle down and share with your best friends—this is a superlative Rieussec, one of the best produced. Tasted April 2016.

Decanter Magazine

17,5 / 20

byJames Lawther MWthe10/1/2009

A reference vintage for Rieussec played with an element of risk. Charles Chevallier stopped the harvest on 4 novembre to start 10 days later on 16 november, finishing on 18 november. Now an incredibly elegant wine; fresh and balanced wit a linear purity of fruit. The palate has a delicate harmony, the fruit and botrytis still apparent, the acidity adding vitality and life. Drink up to 2015.

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe1/1/1998

The 1988 remains a very backward wine. Full-bodied and powerful, extremely rich and dense, it may be the least evolved 1988. The nose offers enticing coconut, orange, vanilla, and honeyed scents. The flavors are highly extracted. The wine's acidity and youthfulness suggest this wine needs another 5-10 years of cellaring. It should keep for 30 years. Last tasted 11/94

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1995

Although the 1988 received the highest marks of the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages, it remains a very backward wine. Full-bodied and powerful, extremely rich and dense, it may be the least evolved 1988. The nose offers enticing coconut, orange, vanilla, and honeyed scents. The flavors are highly extracted. The wine's acidity and youthfulness suggest this wine needs another 5-10 years of cellaring. It should keep for 30 years.

Wine Spectator

91 / 100

the4/15/1995

Splendid, elegant, intensely spicy botrytis fruit character, rich and fat, kept in balance by an undertow of lemon-laced acidity. Drink now or can hold until 1998. 6,000 cases made.

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/31/1993

The 1988 is a great Rieussec. It is an utterly mind-blowing performance for the chateau, with a hauntingly perfect bouquet of honeyed fruit, vanillin, and spring flowers. The rich yet graceful flavors reveal great precision and persistence. The wine has remarkable clarity, stunning power and depth, and a finish that must last several minutes. It is a winemaking tour de force, and one of the greatest young Sauternes I have had the pleasure of tasting. Nearly impenetrable at present, the wine has closed down, as have many 1988s. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. Last tasted, 6/93.

Wine Spectator

94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/1993

Sweet, ripe and loaded with honey, toffee, carameland nutmeg-scented pear and apricot aromas andflavors. Generous fig and tobacco notes echo onthe long finish. A silky, supple, succulent winefrom France that should improve through at least 2000.