Sauternes – Golden Sweet Wine
Sauternes - the golden sweet wine. It comes from the Sauternes region in the Graves district of Bordeaux. These are not late harvest wines. Rather, the grapes must develop botrytis, or noble rot. The humidity caused by the cold Le Ciron River that feeds into the Garonne results in a fog that descends upon the vineyards through the night. The warm sun during the day will then dry the grapes. The fungus that develops on the grapes results in a grape that becomes partially raisin-ed with concentrated flavors. One of the most famous (and most expensive) Sauternes is Chateau Y'quem.
24 September, 2014