BORDEAUX - LES BLANCS LIQUOREUX

Less sweet and delicate than those from Barsac-Sauternes. Matured with utmost care, often very fruity.

Less sweet and delicate than those from Barsac-Sauternes. Matured with utmost care, often very fruity.

Appellation covering five communes (Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Sauternes) whose originality stems from the harvesting method used. Grapes must reach full maturity under the action of Boytrytis Cinerea, also called "noble rot". The degradation process causes the grape to loose its water and increase its alcohol content, giving the wine a heavy concentration of liqueur. - BARSAC : If produced from vines grown in the Sauternes region, the Barsac wines can take the Sauternes appellation and/or keep their own. The commune of Barsac and the small region of Sauternes are both part of the region of Graves. They are bordered on the northeast by the Garonne River and the south by a pine forest. The production is white wine exclusively, especially dessert wines, including the famed Sauternes. The soil of Barsac and Sauternes is a mixture of gravel and sand. Terrace cultivation along the Garonne continues to be used today. Like all of the Bordeaux region, Barsac and Sauternes have a marine climate. The temperature averages 55.4°F (13°C) ; the sun rarely shines intensely. Rainfall in winter is heavy yet unpredictable. Heavy local precipitation sometimes produces extremely destructive hailstorms.