Location and Area
Sauternes is a commune in the French department of Gironde in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The wine-growing area of the same name lies about 40 kilometres south-east of Bordeaux on the left bank of the Garonne. Along with Sauternes, the Sauternes appellation includes the communes of Barsac, Bommes, Fargues and Preignac. The Ciron, a tributary of the Garonne, forms natural boundaries in several places within the area.
Climate and Soils
The area is shaped by an oceanic climate with mild, damp winters and moderately warm summers. The moist air at the confluence of the Ciron with the Garonne, and the subsequent day-time ventilation, favour Botrytis cinerea and noble rot. Gentle hills and gravelly elevations run along the Garonne valley. The soils consist, among other things, of gravelly, clayey, siliceous and calcareous formations on a tertiary limestone base.
Viticulture and Style of Wine
The Sauternes appellation is reserved for white still wines with fermentable residual sugars. Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon are permitted. The wines are produced from overripe grapes affected by noble rot, which are harvested by hand in several selective rounds of picking. Among other requirements, a planting density of at least 6,500 vines per hectare is specified, as well as a ripening period of at least until 15 March of the year following the harvest.
Historical Context
Viticulture in Sauternes has been documented since the Middle Ages. Local wine privileges from 1613 were followed by records of taxation of the wines by Bordeaux councillors and Dutch merchants in 1647. As early as 1741, reports were made of multiple rounds of picking with grapes that were almost rotten. In the 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines, 27 Crus from Sauternes and Barsac were included, including Château d’Yquem as the only Premier Cru Supérieur.
