Carmes de Rieussec

The vintage
The winter of 2021 will remain engraved in the memories of our winegrowers. With a thermometer that went down to -9 degrees, frost will never have affected the entire French wine-growing territory so severely. It arrived without warning, with a cheeky attitude, not following any rules. Then spring settled into a serene rhythm and the vines blossomed at the end of May. The months of June and July were rainy, with millimetres of water accumulating, and our winegrowers gathered their strength to fight against mildew. The veraison began in mid-July under unstable skies and lasted until mid-August. Fortunately, the following months were more clement.
The rain of September 15th and the regular fog allowed the noble rot to progressively take hold. A first sorting on October 1st was promising but confirmed the very low yields of the vintage. Everything accelerated in the second half of October. The teams carried out up to 4 selections to end up with magnificent grapes of great freshness on 29 October.
Varietals
Sémillon : 61%
Sauvignon blanc : 39%

Tasting
The nose is subtle, with an initial minerality, with notes of hot stone and dry grass after the storm. This is followed by fruity notes of fresh apricot and some white flowers.
On the nose and palate, we are guided by a Sauvignon aroma (39% Sauvignon Blanc in the blend) with a light lemony feel and plenty of freshness on the palate.
The confit is discreet, the wood very well integrated, giving life to a chiselled wine to which we want to return.