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In October a mystical fog hangs over the 1,700 hectares of Sauternes — the basis for some of the world’s greatest sweet wines. The interplay of the rivers Garonne (warm) and Ciron (cool) encourages noble rot, which brings concentration and complexity to the sweet wines. Low yields make the wines particularly precious. Icons such as Château d’Yquem and Rieussec stand for salty elegance despite the sweetness.
Original photos
of the bottles
All wines on offer
ready to ship
Stored in a
climate-controlled cellar
Everyone is on edge in October. And yet there is barely anything to see — at least between dusk and dawn. That is when the 1,700 hectares of vineyards in the AC Sauternes turn mystical and misty, the source of some of the very finest sweet wines in the world — extraordinarily delicate and costly to produce. It is October, and the time of harvest has come.
The reason for the fog? The special mesoclimate between two rivers.
The rivers? The wide (warmer) Garonne and the cool, spring-fed waters of the Ciron flow together.
The varieties? Sémillon (80%), Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. How fortunate that Sémillon is so susceptible to noble rot and loves the autumn fog!
The yield? At most 25 hl/ha; at Yquem a modest average of just 9 hl/ha.
The AC Sauternes is reserved for five communes. 540 hectares fall to the AC Barsac, whose wines are a touch fresher. The famous classification of 1855 provides for “Premier Cru” and “Deuxième Cru”.
We love: the saltiness of the sweet wines from this area, the elegance despite the sweetness.
And quite especially: Château d’Yquem and Château Rieussec.
