Wines from Sauternes

Sauternes

All nervous in October. But you can hardly see anything. At least between evening and early morning: because that is when it’s mystically foggy on the 1,700 hectares of vines of AC Sauternes, which produces some of the finest sweet wines in the world – extremely delicate and costly to produce. It’s October and harvest time has arrived.

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 good that Sémillon is extremely susceptible to botrytis and loves the autumn mists!

The yield? A maximum of 25 hl/ha, with Yquem only producing a modest average yield of 9 hl/ha.

AC Sauternes is reserved for five communes. AC Barsac, whose wines are somewhat fresher, accounts for 540 hectares. The famous 1855 classification provides for ‘Premier Cru’ and ‘Deuxième Cru’.

We love: The savouriness of the sweet wines from this region, the elegance despite the sweetness.

And especially: Château d’Yquem and Château Rieussec.