The Sauternes appellation

World famous, the Sauternes appellation extends on the left bank of the Garonne. It covers a wide variety of terroirs composed of sand, gravel and clay. In Bordeaux, the most prestigious sweet wine in the world is undoubtedly Château d’Yquem. Coming from noble rot and gold in color in their youth, the great Sauternes take on increasingly dark amber tones over time, while their bouquet gains in complexity. The largest ones have an exceptional aging potential of up to a century! The aromatic palette is very vast with scents of honey, hazelnut, candied orange, quince, white flowers and toasted notes. On the palate, the wine is powerful, rich and very elegant. Sauternes are the only white wines to have been classified in 1855. Twenty-seven estates appear in the 1855 classification of white wines.

What is the origin of Sauternes ?

According to legend, it all started in 1836, when the merchant Focke, of German origin and also owner of Château la Tour Blanche, decided to wait for the end of an autumn rain to harvest his grapes. By a miracle, the sun appeared after the rain, creating favorable conditions for the development of Botrytis Cinéréa. The berries then dried out, concentrating the sugars and producing an exquisite sweet wine.

Another story tells that in 1847, the Marquis de Lur Saluces went hunting and ordered people to wait for his return to harvest the grapes. During its absence, the harvest has time to ripen and noble rot sets in. He decides to harvest the grapes on his way back and the wine is excellent.

The true origin of the sweet wines of the Sauternes appellation is more down to earth. In the 17th century, the Dutch were strongly established in Bordeaux, playing an essential role in the wine trade. Fervent lovers of white wines, they added sugar, alcohol, syrups, etc. to the production in order to satisfy the demand of customers from Northern Europe.

What are the characteristics of the Sauternes appellation ?

Sauternes is mainly composed of 80% Sémillon, 15% Sauvignon and 5% Muscadelle. Its thin skin promotes the perfect development of Botrytis in good years. However, during rainy harvests, gray rot can quickly attack the grapes, which compromises the harvest. Sémillon is a delicate grape variety with uncertain yields. Its juices release a slightly musky flavor and great aromatic finesse, revealing notes of apricot, orange or smoke, announcing all the promises of the wine.

The particular climate is the result of the meeting of the cold waters of the small river Ciron with the warmer waters of the Garonne. At the end of September, we can slowly observe the rise of the morning fogs coming from the two rivers, which dissipate a few hours later to give way to sunshine and mildness.

Food and wine pairings

The marriage between foie gras and sweet wines from the Sauternes appellation is recognized by all gourmets. As for cheeses, the combination of the two “noble rots” Penicilium roqueforti from Roquefort and Botrytis from Sauternes is also an excellent choice, we will also mention cooked pressed cheeses such as Comté. Finally, fruit-based desserts will also go very well with sweet wines from the Sauternes appellation.

The best vintages of the appellation :

1921, 1929, 1937, 1945, 1949, 1959, 1990, 2005, 2009.

The biggest Châteaux :

Château d’Yquem, Château Climens, Château Coutet, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Château Rieussec, Château Gilette, Château Suduiraut et Château La Tour Blanche.