A guide to the Sauternes wine region and the Sémillon grape
South of the city of Bordeaux is the heartland of Sauternes, where sumptuous and long-lived dessert wines have been made for centuries. Historical records involving the iconic Château d’Yquem indicate that it rose to prominence over 400 years ago. By the 19th-century, Sauternes was considered the pinnacle of fine wine among the wealthy establishment. The vineyards and prosperity of Sauternes, located on the left bank of the River Garonne, were considered immutable.
Regional changes
The 20th century witnessed a powerful swing towards the dry red and white wines of Bordeaux. By the end of the 1950s, sweet wines had fallen spectacularly out of vogue in the UK. The situation became so dire that even the best estates in Sauternes began to replace their white grapes with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Another solution has been to increase the production of dry white wines in the zone. Cuvée Saint Martin was the first dry white made in Sauternes, produced by Pierre Dubourdieu in 1949. This innovation caught on with illustrious neighbouring estates including Château d’Yquem, Climens, Guiraud, Rieussec and Rayne-Vigneau, all of which introduced dry wines of their own.
But Sauternes’ greatest gift to the world remains its inimitable dessert wines. They are rarely cloying or overly sweet, instead offering moreish flavours of apricot, honeysuckle and white flowers, always balanced by fresh acidity. With age, you’ll encounter complex tertiary notes of peaches, caramelized oranges, raisin and barley sugar.
Sauternes
Sauternes’ vineyards are located 40 miles south of Bordeaux, encompassing five communes. The appellation’s soils are very diverse: gravel, iron-rich clay, limestone and sand can all be encountered. There are approximately 1550 hectares under vine, exclusively planted to white grapes. Sémillon is by far the most important, followed by Sauvignon Blanc. There are also small amounts of Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris, though these seldom play a defining role in the area’s output.
Almost every vintage made in Sauternes will contain at least 70% Sémillon grape, celebrated for its waxy texture and ability to age into honeyed brilliance. It produces full-bodied, rich and unctuous wines, with aromas of tropical fruit and beeswax. However, this white grape variety is prone to producing large yields and consequently dilute wine. It is vital, therefore, to prune the vines judiciously in order to keep their natural vigour in check. It is usually blended with Sauvignon Blanc for added acidity and structure.
Winegrowers particularly love Sauvignon Blanc’s ability to retain good acidity even in hotter vintages. It is a versatile and sophisticated grape, able to adapt to its conditions with relative ease. Unoaked Sauvignon is fresh and zesty, yet it takes to French oak with relish. In cooler years Sauvignon Blanc offers aromas of lime, blackcurrant leaf and gooseberry, while tropical notes of guava and capsicum can be detected in hotter vintages. Although it rarely trumps Sémillon in the final blend, Sauvignon Blanc is still a vital part of Sauternes wine.
Terroir
The magic of Sauternes lies in its terroir, particularly its proximity to the Garonne River and the Ciron tributary. In fact, the local climatic conditions and vagaries of a particular vintage determine whether sweet wines can be made at all.
The foundation of all Sauternes is the so-called noble rot or botrytis cinerea mould. If all goes well, botrytis penetrates the grape’s skin (Sémillon’s thin skins are especially susceptible to this, hence its popularity) then starts devouring the flesh inside. The residual sugar in the grape then concentrates on the small amount of juice that remains, producing an intensely sweet syrup. The potential alcohol will be far too high to make a dry white but is ideal for balanced dessert wines. Nevertheless, certain vineyards within the zone’s boundaries will never develop botrytis, either due to their specific micro-climate or because they have been ‘protected’ with anti-botrytis sprays.
Winemaking process
Above all else, botrytis needs warmth and humidity. This is where proximity to water becomes vital; the Ciron is colder than the Garonne, creating a confluence that encourages the onset of early-morning damp mists, transporting moisture to the vineyards. Heavy morning dew can also provide the catalyst for the onset of the mould. Ideally, the mist will burn off by the afternoon and dry weather will continue to ripen the grapes, while simultaneously deterring black rot, which simply destroys the grapes.
Indeed, making Sauternes is always a balancing act. If there is too much rain, farmers will have a deluge of rank, rotten and unusable grapes. But all things being equal, properties can expect enough botrytis in their vineyards to start contemplating the harvest in September.
This period will test the resolve of even the most patient winegrower. All the best châteaux embrace the traditional method of harvesting botrytis-affected grapes; multiple passes are made through the vineyard so that pickers can carefully examine the bunches for botrytis and discard the rotten grapes. Each painstaking and time-consuming pass is called a ‘tris’, and the number of tris undertaken will depend on the vintage. In difficult years, châteaux have been known to harvest over a period of 50-60 days. This is often because only two or three grapes can be removed from the bunch at one time, as the grower waits for botrytis to finish its work on the remaining berries.
The next obstacle is pressing the grapes to release the juice (or must) ready for fermentation. The natural viscosity of botrytis-affected grapes and the high sugar content make this a slow process. Eventually, the juice will be transferred either to a stainless steel tank, concrete or barrel, although oak barrels are the preferred choice for many estates. Due to the high levels of sugar, the fermentation will typically stop naturally when the alcohol has reached about 13 degrees, as the yeast will run out of ‘momentum’ before all the sugar is turned into alcohol. The wine is then aged in French oak for an indeterminate period, as chosen by the winemaker.
Sauternes wine
The final product is always approachable from a young age, yet Sauternes gives pleasure at all stages of its very long life. A tasting of several d’Yquem vintages from the 19th century confirmed that only the very best red First Growths can equal Sauternes in longevity. The wines were remarkable; fresh, balanced and full of tropical fruit notes, complemented by toffee, white chocolate and butterscotch. The appellation’s inclusion in the 1855 Bordeaux classification shows that premium quality has been the chief concern here for over a century. The classification subjected the region’s châteaux to a hierarchical ranking, from First to Fifth Growth; Château d’Yquem was given its own ‘super category’ of Premier Grand Cru in 1855, an anomaly that has never been repeated.
There is also the question of value to consider. Sauternes is extraordinarily costly to make, due to the tiny yields, painstaking vineyard work and long maturation in wood. Yet the majority of Sauternes are priced below the Fifth Growths of Pauillac. Sauternes, in our opinion, is best appreciated on its own. You’re drinking a complex marriage of fruit, alcohol and acidity that has no counterpart anywhere else in the world. Such brilliance does not require a supporting act.