Sauternes

Sauternes

Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Sauterne appellation in Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis Cinerea or Noble Rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisned, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wine. More about this below! The above grapes are the only grapes permitted in Sauternes. Semillon is the dominate grape as it is thin skinned and its susceptibility to the Noble Rot. Sauvignon Blanc supplies the refreshing acidity and fruity aromas, while Muscadelle adds that exotic grapey aroma.

The Sauterne appellation is located 25 miles southeast of the city of Bordeaux along the Garonne River. The different temperatures from the Garonne River and its tributary the Ciron meet to produce a mist that descends upon the vineyards. These waterways provide the ideal microclimate in Sauterne that encourages the growth of Botrytis Cinerea.  This fungus generally forms on grapes in the fall when cool, humid mornings are followed up by warm, dry afternoons and the grapes are allowed extended time on the vine to over ripen. Botrytis changes the grape's composition by decreasing acidity levels and increasing the grape's sugar levels, resulting in shriveled, concentrated, raisin-like clusters. The production of this wine is very labor intensive as the grapes have to be handpicked by individual bunches of grapes that have been noticeability raisned or shriveled by the Noble Rot. An interesting note; a typical grape vine produces about a bottle of wine, while an average botrytis-infected vine will only yield a single glass of wine.

Sauternes are some of longest-lived wines, with premium examples from exceptional vintages properly kept having the potential to age well, even beyond 100 years. Sauternes typically starts out with a golden, yellow color that becomes progressively darker as it ages.  Sauterne wines have had a long standing reputation. In fact, Thomas Jefferson was an avid connoisseur of Chateau D’Yquem.

Sauternes are typically sold in half bottles, 375ml. Serve the wine chilled to around 50-55 degrees.  Sauternes pair with a variety of foods such as Foie Gras, which is a classic match, as well as Roquefort cheese. If those are not for you, try this with almond, apple and pear deserts. Sauternes are characterized by the balance of sweetness with the zest of acidity. Some common flavor notes include apricots, honey and peaches but with a with a unique orange marmalade aroma, which is a typically characteristic of Noble Rot.

You may be asking yourself WHY would you want to try a bottle of wine in which the grapes used to produce it where covered by this Noble Rot fungus? The wines are just outstanding! Here are two Sauternes that I would recommend: Chateau Doisy-Vedrines and Chateau Guiraud. They are under $30 depending on the vintage, compare to a bottle of Chateau D’Yquem which will cost you $250 plus depending on the vintage.

Until next time, cheers!

Wine Lingo

Have you ever been in a wine conversation, or overheard one with someone describing the wine as “this wine is complex”, “it’s full bodied”, “and high in acidity”, “tannic and it has long legs in the glass”. What the heck do all those things mean? Let’s explorer and demystify some wine lingo.
Or, you’re shopping at your favorite wine shop trying to pick out a good bottle of wine for dinner. As you cruise down the aisles, you pause to read a review taped to the shelf, and you suddenly realize you don’t understand half of what you’re reading. Well, take comfort: you’re not alone. Here are a few terms, and easy to understand definitions.

Acidity: refers to the tartness of a wine. A wine can be described as crisp or soft, depending on the amount of acidity. Usually high-acidity wines will be described as crisp, while those with low acidity are called soft. Acidity is a key element in successful food-and-wine pairing. Generally, the most food-friendly wines have moderate alcohol with a crisp acidity.

Body: wines that feel heavy and rich in your mouth are full-bodied, you may also hear the term “big” to describe these types of wines. Light wines with little to no mouth feel are light bodied. Medium-bodied wines fall in between. The amount of alcohol can also determine a wine’s richness and body, and also the intensity of flavor. Wines with low alcohol will feel light-bodied.

Complexity: refers to the aromas and flavors in a wine and how they interact with each other. The more layers of flavor and aroma, the more complex the wine and usually the higher its quality.

Finish: describes a wine’s aftertaste, be it a fruit, its acidity, or the oak, or tannins. Generally, the longer the flavor lasts after you swallow the better quality the wine.

Tannins: these come from the skins, seeds, and stems of the grapes and also from the barrels, and are usually found in red wine. Tannins can make your tongue feel fuzzy, or have that puckering effect. If so, then there is a good deal of tannins in the wine. Wines high in tannins are often described as firm or chewy, and those without a lot of tannins are called soft or supple.

Fruit-forward: wines are dominated by the flavors of fresh fruit—berries, apples, cherries, and so forth.

Jammy: wines taste of very ripe, almost overripe berries. Zinfandels are often described as “jammy”.

When you get ready to taste your wine look for the legs (or tears) as they trickle and run down the inside of a glass after you swirl it. The legs are clues to how much alcohol or residual sugar the wine contains; legs that are slow to run down the inside of the glass indicate a wine with more alcohol or residual sugar.

Those are the most common terms. I hope this demystified some of them!

Until next time, cheers!