Sauternes is a French dessert wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in Bordeaux. French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, on over 800000 Hectares (over 2 million Acres of Vineyards and in a typical Dessert wines (or pudding wines BrE) are sweet Wines typically served with Dessert, such as Sauternes and Tokaji Sauternes is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Graves (ˈgrɑːv meaning ' Gravelly land' in French) is an important subregion of the Bordeaux Wine region A Bordeaux wine is any Wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. Sémillon is a golden-skinned Grape used to make dry and sweet white Wines most notably in France and Australia. Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned Grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. Muscadelle is a white Wine Grape. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes but it is unrelated For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is Botrytis cinerea is a Fungus that affects many plant species although its most notable hosts may be Wine Grapes In Viticulture Noble rot (French pourriture noble; German Edelfäule) is the benevolent form of a grey Fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting This causes the grapes to become partially raisined, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wines. Raisins are dried Grapes They are produced in many regions of the world such as the United States, Australia, Chile, Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Sauternes is one of the few wine regions where infection with noble rot is a frequent occurrence, due to its climate. This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant Growing regions where Vineyards are planted Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Even so, production is a hit-or-miss proposition, with widely varying harvests from vintage to vintage. The Harvesting of Wine Grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of Winemaking. Vintage, in Wine -making is the process of picking Grapes and creating the finished product Wines from Sauternes, especially the Premier Cru Supérieur estate Château d'Yquem, can be very expensive, due largely to the very high cost of production. Château d'Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur ( Fr "Great First Growth" or "Great First Vintage" Wine from the Barsac lies within Sauternes, and is entitled to use either name. Barsac is a commune on the left bank of the Garonne river in the Gironde department in southwestern France. Somewhat similar but less expensive and typically less-distinguished wines are produced in the neighboring regions of Monbazillac, Cérons, Loupiac and Cadillac. Monbazillac is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC for sweet white wine produced in the village of Monbazillac on the left bank of the Dordogne Cérons is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Loupiac may refer to the following places in France Loupiac Gironde, a commune in the Gironde department Loupiac Lot, a commune in Cadillac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. In the United States, there is a semi-generic label for sweet white dessert wines known as sauterne with out the "s" at the end and uncapitalized. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Semi-generic is a legal term used in by the United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to refer to a specific type of Wine designation ^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Climate and geography 3 Wine regions 3.1 Classification 4 Viticulture and winemaking 4.1 Grape varieties 5 Wine style and serving 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

History

As in most of France, viticulture is believed to have been introduced into Aquitania by the Romans. Viticulture (from the Latin word for Vine) is the Science, production and study of Grapes which deals with the series of Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The earliest evidence of sweet wine production, however, dates only to the 17th century. The sweetness of a Wine is defined by the level of residual sugar (or RS in the fermentation proces While the English were Bordeaux's main consumer since the Middle Ages, their primary tastes were for red claret. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English Claret is a name used in English, primarily in Britain, for red Wine from the Bordeaux region of France. It was the Dutch traders of the 17th century who first developed an interest in white wine. The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. For years they were active in the trade of German wines but production in Germany began to wane in the 17th century as the popularity of Beer increased. German wine is primarily produced in the southwest of Germany, along River Rhine and its tributaries with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea The Dutch saw an opportunity for a new production source in Bordeaux and began investing in the planting of white grape varieties. They introduced to the region, German wine making techniques for white wine making, such as halting fermentation with the use of sulphur in order to maintain residual sugar levels. The process of fermentation in Wine is the Catalyst function that turns Grape juice into an Alcoholic beverage. Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 One of these techniques involved taking a candle (known as a "brimstone candle") with its wick dipped in the sulphur and burned in the barrel that the wine will be fermenting in. A candle is a Light source and sometimes a Heat source consisting of a solid block of Fuel and an embedded wick. thumb|Close up photo of a candle wick A candle wick is a wick specifically adapted for use in a Candle. This would leave a presence of sulphur in the barrel that the wine would slowly interact with as it was fermenting. Being an anti-microbial agent, sulphur stuns the yeasts that stimulates fermentation, eventually bring it to a halt with high levels of sugars still in the wine. Yeasts are a growth form of eukaryotic Microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with about 1500 Species currently described The Dutch began to identify areas that could produce grapes well suited for white wine production and soon honed in on the area of Sauternes. The wine produced from this area was known as vins liquoreux but it is not clear if the Dutch were active in used nobly rotted grapes at this point. ^[2]

Wine expert Hugh Johnson has suggested that the unappealing thought of drinking wine made from fungus invested grapes may have caused Sauternes producers to keep the use of Botrytis a secret. Hugh Johnson OBE (born 1939 is a British author and expert on Wine. There are records from the 17th century that by October, Sémillon grapes were known to be infected by rot and vineyard workers had to separate rotted and clean berries but they are incomplete in regards to whether the rotted grapes were used in winemaking. Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of Wine, starting with selection of the Grapes and ending with bottling the finished wine By the 18th century, the practice of using nobly rotted grapes in Tokaji and Germany was well known. For Tokajský wine and the wine region in Slovakia see Tokaj (Slovakia Tokaji (of Tokaj is the name of the wines from the region of Tokaj-Hegyalja It seems that at this point the "unspoken secret" was more widely accepted and the reputation of Sauternes rose to rival those the German and Hungarian dessert wines. Hungarian wine has a history dating back to at least Roman times and that history reflects the country's position between the Slavs and the Germanic peoples ^[3] By the end of 18th century, the region's reputation for was internationally known: Thomas Jefferson was an avid connoisseur. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence ^[4] Jefferson recorded that after tasting a sample of Château d'Yquem while President, George Washington immediately placed an order for 30 dozen bottles. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the ^[3]

Climate and geography

Like most of the Bordeaux wine region, the Sauternes region has a maritime climate which brings the viticultural hazards of autumn frost, hail and rains that can ruin an entire vintage. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes Frost is the solid deposition of Water vapor from saturated air Hail is a form of precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice (hailstones The Sauternes region is located 25 miles (40 km) southeast of the city of Bordeaux along the Garonne river and its tributary, the Ciron. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate The Garonne (Garonne in Occitan, Catalan and Spanish: Garona; Garumna is a River in southwest France and northern A tributary is a Stream or River which flows into a mainstem (or parent river The Ciron is a left tributary of the Garonne, in Gironde, Southwest France. ^[1] The source of the Ciron is a spring which has cooler waters than the Garonne. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface In the autumn, when the climate is warm and dry, the different temperatures from the two river meet to produce mist that descends upon the vineyards from evening to late morning. Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in Air. It can occur as part of natural Weather or Volcanic activity and is common in cold air above This condition promotes the development of the Botrytis cinerea fungus. By mid day, the warm sun will help dissipate the mist and dry the grapes to keep them from developing less favorable rot. ^[4]

Wine regions

The Sauternes wine region comprises five communes— Barsac, Sauternes, Bommes, Fargues and Preignac. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. Bommes is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Fargues may refer to the following communes in France Fargues Gironde, in the Gironde department Fargues Landes, in the Landes department Preignac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. While all five communes are permitted to use the name Sauternes, the Barsac region is also permitted to label their wines under the Barsac appellation. An appellation is a Geographical indication used to identify where the Grapes for a Wine were grown The Barsac region is located on the west bank of the Ciron river where the tributary meets the Garonne. The area sits on an alluvial plain with sandy and limy soils. Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, "to wash against" is Soil or Sediments deposited by a river or other running ^[5] In general, Barsac wine is distinguished from other Sauternes in being drier with a lighter body; currently more Barsac producers are choosing to promote the wines under their own name. The use of Wine tasting descriptors allow the taster an opportunity to put into words the Aromas and Flavors that they experience and can be used in assessing ^[1] In years when the noble rot does not develop, Sauternes producers will often make dry white wines under the generic Bordeaux AOC. To qualify for the Sauternes label, the wines must have a minimum 13% alcohol level and pass a tasting exam where the wines need to taste noticeably sweet. Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as abv or ABV) is a standard measure of how much alcohol ( Ethanol) is contained in an Alcoholic beverage There is no regulation on the exact amount of residual sugar that the wine needs to have. ^[4]

Classification

See also: Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855

In 1855, Napoleon III commissioned the producers of Bordeaux to develop a ranking of the Bordeaux wine regions' wineries for the Exposition Universelle. For the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France 's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President The wine regions of Bordeaux are the area around the city of Bordeaux within the Gironde department of Aquitaine. The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was an International Exhibition held on the Champ de Mars in Paris from May 15 to November 15, The châteaus of Sauternes and Barsac were considered separately from the wineries of the Médoc with the producers from Saint-Émilion and Pomerol excluded and only Château Haut-Brion being considered from the Graves. The Médoc ( Occitan: Medoc) is a region of France, well-known as a Wine growing region located in the département of Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Pomerol is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Château Haut-Brion is a First Growth in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Graves (ˈgrɑːv meaning ' Gravelly land' in French) is an important subregion of the Bordeaux Wine region The rankings were based on reputation and the current prices of the wines from the various estates. There are three levels-Premier Cru Supérieur, Premiers Crus and Deuxièmes Crus. Château d'Yquem is the only Sauternes winery classified as a Premier Cru Supérieur. There are eleven Premiers Crus and fifteen Deuxièmes Crus. The Barsac commune has the most classified estates with ten, followed by Bommes and Sauternes with six each, Fargues with three and Preignac with two. ^[6]

Viticulture and winemaking

The winemaking of the Sauternes region centers around the development of noble rot. Noble rot (French pourriture noble; German Edelfäule) is the benevolent form of a grey Fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting The Botrytis fungus has unique properties that cause the grape to concentrate flavors and sugars while still maintaining the high level of acidity needed to balance the wine and keep it from tasting cloyingly sweet. In Computer science, ACID ( Atomicity Consistency Isolation Durability) is a set of properties that guarantee that Database transactions are The sweetness of a Wine is defined by the level of residual sugar (or RS in the fermentation proces The botrytis spores are encouraged by the mist and the warmth around the wines. Once they attach themselves to the grape they begin a process of desiccation and they chemically alter components of the grape must. Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness or the process of extreme drying MUST may refer to Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten, the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service Misr University This process increases the concentration of sugars and tartaric acid. Tartaric acid is a white crystalline Organic acid. It occurs naturally in many plants particularly Grapes Bananas and Tamarinds and is During fermentation, this stimulates the production of glycerol which imparts to the resulting wine high levels of viscosity. The process of fermentation in Wine is the Catalyst function that turns Grape juice into an Alcoholic beverage. Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a Fluid which is being deformed by either Shear stress or Extensional stress. The fungus also has a dramatic affect on aroma and flavor compounds. This unique element of botrytized wines distinguishes them from other wines that derive their sweetness from fortification, drying or being harvested late. Fortified wine is Wine to which alcohol (usually Brandy) has been added Straw Wine, or raisin wine, is a Wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice Late harvest is a term applied to Wines made from Grapes left on the Vine longer than usual Historically the region would average three vintages a decade producing the conditions needed for the Botrytis cinerea to fully develop. The late 20th century has been more fruitful with an average of six vintages with the needed conditions. The production of Sauternes is very labor-intensive: harvest workers hand-pick individual berries that have been properly infected with the fungus. This may require several trips throughout the vineyard over a couple of weeks. The average yield in Sauternes is between 12-20 hl/ha. In Agriculture, crop yield (also known as "agricultural output" is not only a measure of the Yield of cereal per unit area of land under cultivation The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, The yields of premium producers can be even lower, with Château d'Yquem averaging 9 hl/ha. This is in sharp contrast to the rest of Bordeaux, where the yields are normally around 45 hl/ha. ^[4] Furthermore, the shriveled and nearly raisin grapes yield only a small amount of juice. It is not uncommon for an entire grapevine to produce only enough juice to make a single glass of wine. ^[7] This contributes to a very small production, with most producers averaging 1,000-7,000 cases a year, and is the primary reason for the high costs associated with Sauternes. A case of some Merchandise is a collection of items packaged together ^[1]

The influence with the most impact on the resulting wine takes place in the vineyard, where the character and complexity of the botrytis-infected grape is set prior to winemaking. Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of Wine, starting with selection of the Grapes and ending with bottling the finished wine At the winery, the grapes are treated as gently as possible during pressing. A wine press is a device used to extract Juice from crushed Grapes during Wine making. In the 1980s, the controversial and expensive pre-pressing process of cryoextraction was developed. Cryoextraction is the process by which Grapes are frozen with refrigeration and pressed During this process, the grapes are placed in a special cooling compartment where they are chilled for 20 hours. Grapes that are less ripe have a higher water concentration then riper, sugar-saturated grapes. During this cooling process, the water is frozen, allowing the pressing process to maximize the amount of concentrated juice that is produced. Traditionalists have contended that cryoextraction is an excuse for "lazy harvesting" and that it adds to the expense of Sauternes without necessarily adding to the quality. However its use has been steadily rising, especially in poor vintage years. Fermentation frequently takes place in oak barrels with the house style dictating the amount of new oak used each vintage. The use of Oak in Wine plays a significant role in Winemaking and can have a profound effect on the resulting wine impacting the color flavor The fermentation process will naturally stop at a level of around 14% alcohol, though the use of specially selected cultured yeasts can sometimes take it higher. In poor vintages, chaptalization may also be used to increase alcohol and body. Chaptalization is the process of adding Sugar to unfermented Grape Must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation Some winemakers may choose to stop fermentation prematurely by the use of sulfur dioxide, in order to maintain higher levels of residual sugar. After fermentation the wine will be aged from 18-36 months in oak prior to release. ^[4]

Grape varieties

The grape varieties used to produce Sauternes are the same varieties used to produced dry white Bordeaux wine— Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscadelle. This is a list of varieties of cultivated Grapes whether used for Wine, or eating as a Table grape, fresh or dried ( Raisin, currant, sultana Sémillon is a golden-skinned Grape used to make dry and sweet white Wines most notably in France and Australia. Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned Grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. Muscadelle is a white Wine Grape. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes but it is unrelated While Sauvignon blanc is the primary grape for white Bordeaux, Sémillon makes up anywhere from 75-90% of a Sauternes blend. Weather conditions can have an effect on what the final composition of the blend will be, as the grapes are not evenly affected by the noble rot. Sémillon is very easily affected due to its thin skin, though Sauvignon blanc is normally affected first. Sauvignon blanc is valued for the amount of acidity that it can add to the wine and its ability to harmonize its flavors with Sémillon. ^[1] Muscadelle is used in very small quantities, if at all, and contributes some aromatic qualities. ^[4]

Wine style and serving

Sauternes are characterized by the balance of sweetness with the zest of acidity. Some common flavor notes include apricots, honey and peaches. The Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca, "Armenian plum" in Latin syn Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the The peach ( Prunus persica) is a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach The finish can resonate on the palate for several minutes. The use of Wine tasting descriptors allow the taster an opportunity to put into words the Aromas and Flavors that they experience and can be used in assessing 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. ^[8] Sauternes typically starts out with a golden, yellow color that becomes progressively darker as it ages. Some wine experts, like Ed McCarthy and Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan, believe that only once the wine reaches the color of an old copper coin has it started to develop its more complex and mature flavors. Master of Wine ( MW) is a qualification (not an Academic degree) which has existed since 1953 and is conferred by The Institute of Masters of Wine Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 ^[1]

Several Sauternes are sold in half bottles of 375 ml, though larger bottles are also produced. A wine bottle is a Bottle used for holding wine generally made of Glass. The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume. The wines are typically served chilled between 52-53°F (11°C) though wines older than 15 years are often served a few degrees warmer. Wine tasting (often in wine circles simply tasting) is the sensory examination and evaluation of Wine. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Sauternes can be paired with a variety of foods. Wine and food matching is the process of pairing a food with complementary flavors aromas and textures found in Wine. Foie gras is a classic match. ^[1]

See also

• Sauternes châteaux classifications of 1855

References

External links

• Sauternes Vintage Chart
• Pages Vins Interactive Map featuring Sauternes
• Food & Wine Pairings Sweet wines featuring Sauternes

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