LET’S TALK – EP. 3 – SEASON 2 – CHÂTEAU RIEUSSEC: FRESHNESS, PATIENCE AND DARING AT THE HEART OF SAUTERNES
Château Rieussec is a First Growth of Sauternes, owned by the Rothschild family since 1984. In this episode of Let’s Talk, Nicolas Berthommier and Matthieu Crosnier discuss the history, philosophy and ambitions of this exceptional estate.
Through this sincere conversation, discover how Château Rieussec brings a new freshness to the world of great sweet wines.
Introduction
In this episode of Let’s Talk, our series of intimate conversations devoted to the leading figures of the Bordeaux wine world, Nicolas Berthommier sits down with Matthieu Crosnier to discuss one of the great names of Sauternes: Château Rieussec.
A First Growth in the 1855 Classification, Rieussec holds a singular place in the world of great sweet wines. Owned for several decades by the Rothschild family, one of the great wine dynasties, the estate has preserved its heritage while daring to challenge the conventions of an appellation often regarded as classic.
Through a spontaneous exchange, Matthieu Crosnier shares his vision of a Sauternes far removed from preconceived ideas. He explores what defines Rieussec today: a great wine built to stand the test of time, yet firmly rooted in its era.
Over the course of the conversation, the discussion turns to terroir and savoir-faire, as well as some rather unexpected comparisons. Anecdotes that reveal a more open and approachable Rieussec than one might imagine.
Through this episode, we continue our commitment to giving a voice to the great estates and to the women and men who bring them to life, in order to better understand the exceptional terroirs and the stories behind Bordeaux’s finest wines.
Château Rieussec: a sweet wine full of freshness
Nicolas Berthommier: If you had to describe the estate in three words?
Matthieu Crosnier: Innovative, patience and freshness.
Three words which, taken together, paint the portrait of a Sauternes very much of its time.
Innovation is apparent at first glance. Rieussec has chosen to completely redesign its packaging, a bold decision in an appellation attached to its traditions, showing that a great sweet wine can also appeal to a new generation of wine lovers.
Daring, however, does not rule out the long view. In Sauternes, nothing can be rushed: time is needed in the vineyard while nature does its work, then in the cellar, and finally in the bottle, where the wine reveals its complexity over the years.
Then comes patience, a virtue that every great sweet wine demands. A Rieussec reveals itself fully to those who know how to wait.
Finally, freshness is the estate’s signature. Sweet wines are often associated with sweetness alone, but for Matthieu Crosnier, a great Sauternes is above all a matter of balance. It is this freshness that gives the wine its vibrancy and invites you to return to it.
Nicolas Berthommier would have added one more word: eternity. A great Rieussec can be cellared for twenty, thirty or forty years, making it a wonderful gift to mark a birth.
Château Rieussec: a great family story
Nicolas Berthommier: Château Rieussec, a family story?
Since 1984, Rieussec has belonged to the Rothschild family, first under Baron Éric de Rothschild and today under Saskia de Rothschild.
A fine family story, carried by a great wine house that has taken Rieussec to even greater heights.
A touch of fate: 1984 is also the year Matthieu Crosnier was born, as if their paths were destined to cross.
Château Rieussec: terroir or savoir-faire?
Matthieu Crosnier: The recipe for a great wine, terroir or savoir-faire?
Nicolas Berthommier answers with an image: nature provides, people shape. A chef may have the finest ingredients, but without technique or creativity, it is difficult to elevate them.
Matthieu Crosnier shares this view. Terroir brings the history and the raw material; savoir-faire defines the style.
A complementarity found in every vintage of Château Rieussec, where nature and human craft move forward together.
Château Rieussec: feet in the sand
Matthieu Crosnier: An extraordinary place to enjoy Rieussec?
Nicolas Berthommier: There is no need to wait for an exceptional occasion, otherwise great bottles would rarely be opened.
His ideal setting is a simple one: by the ocean, feet in the sand, as the sun sets, with a well-chilled glass of Rieussec.
A simple image, reminding us that Château Rieussec is not reserved for grand occasions and can also be enjoyed in moments of relaxation, far from the usual conventions of wine tasting.
Team music
Nicolas Berthommier: Tasting Rieussec, with music or in silence?
For Matthieu Crosnier, music without hesitation. But a music made of clinking glasses and shared laughter.
His finest wine memories are not necessarily linked to the greatest wines, but to the moments that surrounded them.
Rieussec naturally finds its place amid these shared moments: team music!
Château Rieussec: portrait of a modern icon
Matthieu Crosnier: If Rieussec were a celebrity?
For Nicolas Berthommier, Rieussec would be Thomas Pesquet: an internationally recognised figure who appeals to every generation and embodies a certain French excellence.
Matthieu Crosnier returns to what he sees as the very heart of the wine: its freshness and vibrancy. He thinks of resolutely modern personalities such as Dua Lipa or Adèle Exarchopoulos.
Figures who have freed themselves from convention and forged their own style. A portrait which, for Matthieu Crosnier, closely resembles that of Rieussec.
The future of Sauternes is written together
Nicolas Berthommier: What is your ambition for the Sauternes appellation?
In Sauternes, a new chapter is being written. Estates are working more closely together and sharing their thinking to move the appellation forward, a momentum in which Matthieu Crosnier fully takes part.
For him, it is through collective effort that Sauternes will continue to raise its profile and win over new wine lovers.
Château Rieussec, a Sauternes of its time
Through this episode of Let’s Talk, a sincere and modern Rieussec comes into view. A First Growth that combines the heritage of a great wine family with a genuine freedom of tone.
Innovative in its packaging, patient in its making, and driven by a freshness that is its true signature. A wine made for sharing, in an appellation moving forward together.
Château Rieussec embodies a Sauternes that is both faithful to its heritage and firmly rooted in its time.
Watch to the conversation between Nicolas Berthommier and Matthieu Crosnier.
