It would be impossible to miss Château Rieussec when driving through the Sauternes region; at a grand 78 metres altitude, the vineyard and its surroundings preside over all but one of its neighbours. Which neighbour? Only the exceptional Chateaux d’Yquem. So it only follows suit that the excellent wines of Rieussec should, in our opinion, share the best Sauternes title with Yquem.

It goes without saying that Yquem is the undisputed king of all Sauternes. However, at five times the price of Rieussec, investors would be wise to consider this not as an inferior Yquem, but as a wine that stands alone in its category. From a drinking perspective, the experience is very similar to Yquem, but at a much more affordable rate - the average price for a bottle of 2017 being around €58, against Yquem’s €291. This is still, however, a 4% increase on 2016s prices, a fact that could be put down to Brexit uncertainty and a week pound. Investors should note that in 2010 Rieussec was sold through Liv ex via a linkage system - thus distorting the market for that year. These lucky investors are now sitting a liquid gold mine, with some of the best returns the vintage has to offer.

Exportation to North America of all Sauternes has been traditionally difficult, but this has been largely compensated by the upsurge in demand from Asia, notably Hong Kong which makes up a whopping 14% of the Bordeaux white wine export market. This is largely due to the Chinese government lifting its ban on dessert wines in 2010. Interestingly, the biggest importers of Rieussec, is Germany, perhaps due to its value for money, considering its Premier Cru status. The wine is highly suited to ageing, meaning high ROI for a very affordable outlay.