Sauternes Wine Offers

About Sauternes Wines

Sauternes is a village about 40km south of Bordeaux, near the town of Langon, which produces exclusively sweet white dessert wines. Its location , far south in the Bordeaux region, nestled in southernly Graves, enjoys a unique microclimate, due partly to its proximity to the main rivers of the region, and its relatively flat location – hot summer days, with cool nights, and damp, cool breezes encourage the development of ‘noble rot’ ( botrytis cinerea) on the grapes. Sauternes wines can only be sweet and have to be made from the Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, with a little Muscadelle and Ugni Blanc.

There are strict regulations controlling the production of Sauternes, from average yield to the ‘must weight’, which has to reach 221g/lt – this means intensely ripe, almost shrivelled grapes, which have to be picked individually , once the noble rot has done its job. These wines are expensive, not just due to the intense manual labour, but also because of their vinification process and the fact that most are vinified and then aged in oak for over a year, thus adding to the cost structure. There is also a great risk factor – grapes could be left on the vines, which either do not become contaminated with Noble Rot, or simply turn rotten.

At their best the wines are sublime examples of dedicated craftsmanship.