Saurternes and Barsac

Overview

Sauternes and Barsac are France’s, and arguably the world’s best sweet wine appellations. The wines of Sauternes and Barsac are revered as the most lush, complex sweet wines in the world. They are made primarily from Sémillon with smaller amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle blended in. The key point, though, is that this region has ideal conditions for the formation of “noble rot”, or botrytis cinerea. The combination of humid, misty mornings and sunny afternoons are perfect for the breeding of an indigenous strain of botrytis cinerea. This “noble rot” shrivels the grapes, concentrating flavors, which results in an amazingly well structured golden sweet wine. Many other wines of the world are made using botrytis affected grapes, but one thing that sets Sauternes apart is its relatively high level of acidity that balances out sugar in the wine.

The best producer of Sauternes, by far, is Château d’Yquem, which is housed in a medieval English castle that sits atop a hill. Yquem’s history dates back to 1152, when it was the property of the King of England, the Duke of Aquitaine, and has retained its superior quality ever since. One of the keys to the success of Château d’Yquem is that it houses and feeds expert pickers that harvest in tries, picking only grapes that are botrytis affected. This is an extremely expensive process, but one that has been perfected. In years that are less than ideal for the formation of “noble rot”, Yquem simply does not release a wine. In fact, in 1972, after attempting to harvest over the course of 71 days, no wine was released as Château d’Yquem. Their quality is so high that in 1855, it received a special classification of its own - Premier Cru Supérieur.

Geography

Situated geographically within the Graves appellation, Sauternes and Barsac lie near the confluence of the Ciron and Garrone rivers.

Temperature

The vineyards of Sauternes and Barsac lie along the small Ciron River, and when its cold water mixes with the warmth of the major Garonne river, a mist is formed that lies over the appellations. Consequently, this humid air creates an ideal situation for the formation of the botrytized wine.

Topography

Sauternes and Barsac are both fairly hilly.

Terroir

The soil is generally sandy and gravelly, with sub-soils of clay and occasional limestone.

Important Varietals

Sauvignon Blanc
Semillon
Muscadelle

The desert wines tend to be incredibly sweet, with the most common flavors being fig, lemon, honey, and apricots.