| Sauternes |
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Wine for the Queen Sauternes is a dessert wine from the Sauternes region of Bordeaux. It is made of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grape varieties. The most peculiar characteristic of the grapes for Sauternes wine is that it is affected by the so called Noble Rot (Botrytis cinerea). Sauternes region has a climate that creates favourable conditions for the development of this rot. Sauternes region is located between the Garonne River and its tributary, the Ciron. These two rivers have different temperatures and this difference results into mist that descends upon the vineyards from evening to late morning. The mist promotes the development of the Botrytis cinerea fungus. However, when sun rises the mist disappears and warmth prevents the development of less favourable rot. As a result grapes become partially raisined. The wines produced of this kind of grapes have concentrated and distinctively sweet taste. Production of Sauternes wines therefore is wholly dependent on the development of the noble rot. The slightest variation in temperature may result eradication of the fungus or destruction of the grapes by it. That is why the vintages are so important. Another problem is that grapes cannot be picked by the machines, because they do not peak at the same time. That’s why grapes for Sauternes are harvested by hand, which makes production an expensive and labour-intensive affair indeed. Furthermore, nearly raisined grapes cannot produce as much juice as the regular ones. Taken together all these problems result in the fact that a relatively small amount of Sauternes is produced with each producer averaging 1000-7000 cases a tear. This also explains why this wine is relatively expensive.
Due the fact that Sauternes wines are sweet they are classified as dessert wines. And that is why it pairs well with various desserts, especially fruit tarts and crème brulee. It also complements such cheeses as Roquefort and goes absolutely brilliantly with foie gras. In order to qualify for the Sauternes label, the wine must have a minimum 13% alcohol level and have that very distinct taste characteristic only for the sauternes wines. The best Sauternes wine is Chateau d’Yquem. This is the only wine classified as Premier Cru Superieur in the three-level classification. There is rumour that this wine is favoured by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As an ambassador to France Thomas Jefferson visited Chateau d’Yquem, tried the wine and liked it very much indeed. Later he wrote to the family which owned the chateau at the time and ordered 250 bottles of wine for himself and several bottles for President George Washington. Sauternes are among the longest-lived wines. Some of the best exemplars have a potential to age for over 100 years. In any case the wine starts to show its best qualities after 10-20 years of maturing in appropriate conditions. Every year it acquires the new level of taste. This makes a few bottles of good Sauternes a great acquisition for the wine collectors. It is interesting to uncork those bottles at different times and to see how the taste changes over time. |
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