The vintage began well with a mild, dry winter. The fine weather continued into early spring, resulting in an early start to the growth cycle. Day and night-time temperatures then cooled down and, between March and May, there were six occasions when we held our breath fearing a frost. During this period, the colder and above all drier than usual weather slowed down the vines’ growth. After a relatively cold, rainy start, June suddenly changed, bringing an early summer heat wave the likes of which had not been seen since 2003. Fortunately, it was short-lived and the vines, which were catching up in terms of growth, seemed better equipped than in previous years to cope with the heat. Some miraculous rain arrived on 26 July, at just the right moment to trigger véraison (colour change).
This year, as in 2017, the rain in September was very helpful for the botrytis. But the harvests turned out to be more complex, with sour rot threatening the purity of the grapes. We had to sort through the fruit like gold diggers to remove the sour grapes, only keeping the nicely botrytized ones. A window of opportunity arrived on 8 October to pick perfectly balanced grapes with 20% potential alcohol for the Grand Vin, including some superb Muscadelle!

The winter of 2018 was the coldest we have had since 2010, mainly due to particularly severe weather in February.
It was very rainy, with endless showers that continued throughout the spring. To find such wet conditions at the beginning of the season, you would have to go back to 2001. As a result, there was an unusually high threat of mildew that persisted from May into July. Such violent outbreaks of mildew had not been seen within living memory. Fortunately, the situation significantly improved over the summer, thanks to dry, hot weather which enabled us to restore the vineyard’s health and produce excellent quality grapes.

By the end of August, we had been able to see the positive effect of this early and cool year in Sauternes. The rains in mid-September were ideal, falling on a perfectly ripe and healthy crop, thus allowing the Botrytis to take good hold. With the return of dry and cool weather, everything came together perfectly; the successive passes and the concentrations, punctuated by harvesting at historic speed, revealing a vintage with exceptional aromatic intensity.

After very varied weather in 2015, 2016 proved to be a more uniform vintage throughout the Gironde region. While the vintage offered both quantity and quality, it was also not without its fair share of surprises.
The beginning of the winter was very mild and wet, suggesting that bud break would be early. However, it was subsequently delayed by cold weather in February and March.
The cold spring, with a lot of rain in Pauillac and Pomerol in June, threatened to disrupt flowering, but fortunately this went well on both the left and right banks.
The summer was characterized by extreme dryness. The vines had to endure significant water stress for two months until the end of véraison (when the grapes change colour). This hot period lasted longer than in 2015, and seemed likely to affect the ripening stage, when to our relief some rain finally arrived on 13 September. The growth cycle could therefore be completed without hindrance.
The weather remained hot and dry until the end of the red grape harvests, enabling them to reach perfect ripeness. In Sauternes, the botrytis did not develop until very late; the best rounds of selective picking were between 20 and 28 October.
The vinifications took place in ideal conditions, and the great potential of a vintage that had been something of a dark horse was finally revealed.

The weather was generally warm with very varied rainfall. The beginning of winter was mild and dry. It was not until the end of January that beneficial colder temperatures arrived, accompanied by rain.
Bud break began in early April as usual, and the vines then grew quickly, as they had ample reserves of water and the weather was mild. The flowering in June was early and uniform, which is always a promising sign. Temperatures frequently exceeded 35°C during the summer months. Water stress was high but rain in August brought the freshness required for the grapes to change colour and then to ripen perfectly.
Conditions were ideal during the harvests, enabling us to obtain optimal ripeness for each terroir.

After a rather mild winter, bud break was early; it was followed by a uniform flowering in the first week of June, helped by the relatively high temperatures.

As always, the impact of the weather on the vineyard was the primary concern, and the teams worked throughout the year to ensure that the grapes reached maturity in perfect health. The onset of ripening occurred over two periods, first in late July and then again after 15 August, creating differences in the ripeness of the bunches on the same vine.

The very wet, cold winter resulted in work in the vineyard being considerably delayed; bud break was late, and flowering was three weeks later than the average for the last 50 years; the changeable weather resulted in some flower abortion and uneven grape size, and therefore in lower potential yields than usual.

Then at the end of June, the weather suddenly changed, and it was as if we were in the middle of the summer, with no transition, although there were a lot of localized storms.

The harvest period put our technicians in a cold sweat: rain, sun, and a long, slow ripening, which became difficult to manage with an “explosive” outbreak of botrytis in late September! Fortunately, the sorting teams were very efficient despite the difficult harvest conditions.

The selective picking continued to the end of October with excellent botrytisation.

The beginning of the vines’ cycle was complex to manage, being characterized by relatively low rainfall from January to March and very little rain in April. The morning dew combined with low humidity and high temperatures created favourable conditions for the development of powdery mildew (a cryptogamic disease), requiring extreme vigilance in the vineyard.
 
There was sporadic rain in August and September, this humidity was conducive to the growth of botrytis, and was followed by a beautiful Indian summer which enabled us to wait for optimal ripeness and to spread the harvests over an extended period (with 7 selective pickings) until 2 November.

Due to fairly high rainfall, the first part of the vineyard cycle, up to mid-June, was complex to manage; the rain disrupted the flowering period and resulted in small amount of flower abortion and uneven grape size. July, August and September were then very dry (with an average of 20 mm of rain) with excellent daytime temperatures and cool nights, which is ideal for a slow but complete ripening of the grapes. However, the dry weather resulted in smaller grapes, and the volume of the harvest was reduced.

The start of the growing season was difficult to manage. Our technical team had to show great vigilance in order to protect the vines. Good weather finally arrived in June, followed by a drought interspersed with some light rainy spells in July, August and September. Relatively high daytime temperatures and cool nights allowed a long, slow ripening.

During the winter, the frosts were very beneficial and restful for the vines. However, these were followed by some spring frosts that were harmful for the young buds and unfavourably affected yields. The growth cycle was quite difficult because of a constant alternation between sun and rain. We had to wait until the beginning of September for stable weather conditions.

A cold, rainy winter, early budburst and very mild spring temperatures stimulated the vines’ growth. This was followed by a moderately hot summer that continued until August without excessive temperatures. Fine weather stabilized in early September, ensuring that the grapes were able to ripen correctly.

The autumn/winter period of 2005-2006 was exceptionally dry, which was then compensated for by heavy rain during March. There was fine weather and warm temperatures from April to July; August was cooler but the sun returned at the beginning of September to complete the ripening process.

2005 was marked by drought. Only 127 mm of rain fell during the winter, and  after an April with slightly more rain (129 mm), the dry weather began again at the end of May. The summer was very hot in June and July, then cooler in August and September, which allowed slow ripening and good balance between body and freshness.

2004 was a stormy year up until July with three heavy hail storms including a very violent one on 21 July. The annual rainfall was within the norm for the Bordeaux region and June and September were rather cool.

The year was marked by low rainfall and a heat wave in the first two weeks of August, with temperatures above 40°C. This made for an exceptionally early vintage.

At the beginning of the year the weather conditions were average but improved towards the ripening period. Fortunately, the colder than usual July and August were followed by a superb September with favourable conditions for the development of botrytis: dry, hot and sunny in the day, cool in the evening. The first grapes affected by noble rot were picked on 12 September, and the first selective harvests went on until 2 October under perfect conditions. The selective picking started again on 15 October. The beautiful weather was back, resulting in an outbreak of botrytis which produced rich, concentrated, fruity juice for the Sauvignon and Muscadelle. The last grapes were picked on 5 November.

Nothing in the year’s weather suggested such great results. The harvests began in mid-September with a preliminary sorting. And then the perfect scenario played out: light rains came on the weekend of the 22-23 September, and botrytis was absorbed by the grapes, causing rapid and uniform concentration, enhanced by a warm and windy Indian summer. The vineyard went from a golden yellow to botrytis violet in just three days. Under the action of the eastern wind, the botrytis wrinkled and contracted the grapes, concentrating the juices. Harvesting was quick and focused, with a single picking for certain plots, an unprecedented phenomenon for Rieussec. 

A tiny but high quality yield for this vintage. The fine early harvest, with well-developed botrytis on ripe grapes, was unfortunately followed by rain and so the later harvest could not produce high quality wines. In the end, only the first rounds of selective picking were kept, which made this vintage the lowest volume since 1993 (when there was no Grand Vin due to insufficient quantity). 

An early year that required us to maintain a brisk pace during the growing season. Risks of disease were present due to the alternation of great heat and humid conditions. Harvests of the first sweet grapes began on 31 August, with excellent concentration. Selective picking began again on 4 October and lasted until 15 October. Concentration was superb, and we had to harvest the grapes quickly. 

The year was very classical, in terms of weather, with a rainy and rather mild winter and a dry and extremely hot summer. The warm weather in August enhanced the richness of the grapes, which had thick, robust skins. Botrytization led us to begin harvesting on 22 September, with excellent concentration for the first selective pickings. 

Once again, this vintage is very different from the classic pattern. Tropical weather in the second half of August caused the rapid development of noble rot, and we began harvesting on 27 August, which was so early as to be almost unheard of  in Sauternes. Selective picking continued until 3 November, virtually without a drop of rain. The harvests were long and difficult, because the vines had to be carefully cleaned.

The lead up to the harvests was perfect in Sauternes, with a very dry early September, bordering on drought. Alternating with foggy mornings, this led to the development of excellent botrytis. The musts were very rich, clean and perfectly healthy.