This bottle of Chateau Rieussec 1975 has been properly stored since
shortly after release. The color is a very intense old gold, and others
also have noted the deep color. The wine is extremely rich and sweet
with good fruit with some dry fruit character. It could use a bit more
acid to balance the great honey-like sweetness. This is not at all a
typical Sauternes, and it reminded me of a cross between a Sauternes
and a very rich BA or TBA from the area around Rust in Austria. In
fact, in a blind tasting, I am not certain that I would identify it as
a Sauternes at all. Although not typical, this is a quite good wine.
However it is a bit heavy and not quite as well balanced as a top 75
such as Yquem. There is no point in keeping this wine, but it could
hold well for a few more years.

"cwdjrxyz" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> This bottle of Chateau Rieussec 1975 has been properly stored since
> shortly after release. The color is a very intense old gold, and others
> also have noted the deep color. The wine is extremely rich and sweet
> with good fruit with some dry fruit character. It could use a bit more
> acid to balance the great honey-like sweetness. This is not at all a
> typical Sauternes, and it reminded me of a cross between a Sauternes
> and a very rich BA or TBA from the area around Rust in Austria.

Thanks, that is helpful information about the balance. We actually were
checking out a bottle of this last night, after finishing a bottle of the 71
at a dinner.

The 75 was near in its orange, partly caramelized color to the 71's.
Yesterday's 71 showed the acid (and motor-oil Botrytis aromas) for which
many fine late-harvest wines are known, and did agree beautifully with blue
cheese. A big Stilton, actually not quite ideally tart -- a Roquefort or
something else was [Atherton Fleming wrote in 1933] "indicated." (If the
info above on 1975s is typical, that will call for different pairing "next
year" when its opening is promised.)

One thing about early-1970s Sauternes and Barsacs is that they could be
cheap. Historically cheap. An unusual glut on the market created a
situation where ordinary wine consumers got quantities of them for the order
of USD $4 at the time. Many people did so, and of course these wines are
durable -- unusually durable. Consequently private inventories exist among
people who happened to know what they were doing -- they did not need much
money -- who paid $4, 30 or 32 years ago and held the wines, and the wines
drink amazingly well now. With the right blue cheeses if possible, don't
forget.

Cheers -- Max