Les Grands Sauternes: the wine legend!

Wines produced in France, the world's leading producer, include the legendary Sauternes. This is the sweet white wine produced in the Sauternes region, renowned for its prestigious wines. 

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Special features of Sauternes

The growing climate and the quality of the soil in this region give its wines the qualities that make Sauternes sweet white wines so highly prized in France and around the world. The appellation Sauternes is shared by the communes of Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Sauternes. The great Sauternes wines can be kept for between 30 and 50 years.

 

• The quality of Sauternes 

The quality of Sauternes has its origins in a legend that has been passed down through the generations. It tells of a landowner who was late in supervising his harvest and found some grapes over-ripe or almost rotten with a kind of mold. Nevertheless, he decided to go ahead with the harvest, and to his great surprise, he discovered a particular aroma in the wine produced from these grapes. Known as "noble rot", this disease quickly became a sign of quality to be noticed before the grapes were harvested, which was done in selective batches. These very late harvests produced enriched wine that required aging for several years. From fermentation in vats or barrels to ageing in oak barrels, Sauternes rids itself of particles and acquires an aromatic evolution.

 

• The great Sauternes

Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) Sauternes depends on the official Bordeaux wine classification of 1855.

Prestigious Sauternes wines give star billing to Château d'Yquem the only Sauternes classified Premier Cru Supérieur since 1855. With a surface area of 100 hectares, Château d'Yquem produces wines with a sweet and acidic aroma, brought out by the Botrytis Cinerea (noble rot).

Apart from the premier cru supérieur, Château d'Yquem, the classification is divided into two grands crus, according to the 1855 certified classification of Bordeaux wines.

Premiers grands crus : Château Guiraud, Château Sigalas-Rabaud, Château Climens, Château Rieussec, Château Rayne-VigneauChâteau Haut-Peyraguey, etc.

Second growths : Château Myrat, Château d'Arche, Château Caillou, Château Romer, Château de Malle, etc.

 

• The price of Sauternes

Depending on the tries, the Sauternes appellation will offer "vin crème de tête", "vin de tête", "vin de center" and "vin de queue". Sometimes well above the cost of production, these prices are propelled upwards by the reputation enjoyed by the owner, the esteem in which the wines are held by buyers, the scale of demand and wine speculation. If in 2004, the 1906 vintage was estimated at around 1,300 euros, the rare 1871 was valued at over 3,000 euros.

 

• Sauternes tasting

When you buy a Sauternes premier crus like Château d'yquem 1990Store it properly and enjoy! Sauternes, like all wines of a certain quality, cannot be served at too low a temperature. 10°C to 12°C are the average temperatures tolerated by most Sauternes. On the other hand, the best Sauternes can be served at a temperature of 14°C (the limit not to be exceeded).

Considered a dessert wine, Sauternes is best appreciated at the end of a meal, and can also be enjoyed with foie gras, shellfish or exotic cuisines based on sweet spices.