Beyond Sauternes: explore the lesser-known sweet wines of Bordeaux
It’s not all about Sauternes, you know – there are other, lesser-known Bordeaux areas that produce top-notch dessert styles using botrytised grapes. Andy Howard MW explores these outlying and often great-value appellations, and recommends 12 top wines to
Bordeaux is rightly famous for the great sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac. These stand alongside trockenbeerenauslese from Germany, Hungarian Tokaji and Tuscany’s vin santo as some of the finest and most delectable wines available.
And yet making a sweet white wine is not for the faint-hearted. Minimal yields and uncertainty about the prospects for viability every year combine with high costs of production. Add to the equation the weak demand for sweet wines, and it’s a wonder that any is produced at all.
The most famous sweet wines of Bordeaux are generally referred to as ‘Sauternes’, although five distinct communes are permitted to use this name, including Barsac, Bommes, Fargues and Preignac, as well as Sauternes itself. Appellation rules dictate a minimum planting density of 6,500 vines per hectare, together with a maximum yield of 25hl/ha. Harvesting by hand is mandatory, with successive passes through the vineyard
( tries in French) required to pick the best grapes. Soils here are diverse, with clay, gravel and sand, with a higher limestone presence in Barsac. What makes the area unique is the presence of mists caused by the confluence of the warm Garonne and the colder Ciron rivers. In the autumn, these conditions encourage the development of ‘noble rot’ – Botrytis cinerea. The effect of noble rot is to dry out and concentrate grapes (particularly the thinskinned Semillon) and promote the flavours found in botrytised grapes: marmalade, fruit zest, mushroom and honey.
With all the constraints on production, Sauternes can never be cheap. However, in the post-war years, the region managed to damage its reputation with the production of many poor-quality wines. With shortcuts taken at harvest and minimal grape selection, often the only way to preserve the fermented wine was the application of extremely high levels of sulphur dioxide. As a result, demand for Bordeaux’s sweet wines reduced, and although quality has dramatically improved in recent decades, consumers remain reluctant to purchase sweet wines. Today, with substantial investment in vineyards and wineries, the quality of classed-growth Sauternes and Barsac wines has soared. Yquem, Suduiraut, Climens, Rieussec and many others produce astonishing wines in most years.
Noteworthy neighbours
In addition to Sauternes, Bordeaux also has a number of ‘under the radar’ sweet wine appellations that deserve to be more widely known: Cérons, Ste-Croix-du-Mont, Loupiac and Cadillac. Located close to Sauternes and Barsac, these APs share many similarities with their more illustrious siblings, while adding their own character. Encouragingly, the wines are always keenly priced in comparison. Similarly, Monbazillac and Haut-Montravel are two other appellations renowned for sweet wine, but these are located in the Dordogne so are not considered part of Bordeaux.
In 2018, the area under vine for Sauternes stood at 1,550ha, with 365ha in Barsac. In comparison, Ste-Croix totalled 329ha, Loupiac 309ha, Cadillac 110ha and Cérons just 33ha.
The number of producers is comparable between Barsac (33), Ste-Croix (40) and Loupiac (35) but, significantly, the volumes produced are markedly different. In 2018, sweet wine production in Ste-Croix amounted to 10,845hl and Loupiac 10,218hl, whereas Barsac stood at 5,602hl. These numbers (CIVB/Service Economie et Etudes) reflect one of the key differences between the appellation rules: maximum permitted yields. With higher yields, the wines from Ste- Croix, Loupiac, Cadillac and Cérons will rarely match the concentration and higher sugar levels of Sauternes/Barsac, but make up for this with a lightness of touch, freshness, floral notes and lower residual sugar.
Cérons
Of these lesser-known sweet appellations, Cérons is geographically different, given its location on the left bank of the Garonne river close to Barsac. Dating back to Gallo-Roman times, wine production developed as a result of proximity to the port of Cirione. The Cérons wine syndicat was formed in 1920, with its own appellation granted even before that of Sauternes. Soils are similar to Barsac, with limestone covered by layers of gravel. Yields of 40hl/ha are permitted. Although very small in size, there are some fine estates in Cérons producing red, dry white and sweet wines, with Château de Cérons and Château du Seuil two of the best. Xavier and Caroline Perromat run the former and have made significant investments in the cellar with gravity-fed vats along with extensive
‘Although very small in size, there are some fine estates in Cérons producing red, dry white and sweet wines’
replanting in the vineyard. Sean and Nicola Allison now manage Château du Seuil and have converted to organic production, while using three to four tries in the vineyard to select only the most suitable botrytised grapes.
Cadillac
Across the river, on the right bank of the Garonne running north to south, lie the APs of Cadillac, Loupiac and Ste-Croix-du-Mont. Cadillac – part of the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux – has its own sweet wine appellation to reflect that certain Premières Côtes plots are more prone to botrytis. It is perhaps the least distinctive of the three appellations with just a few notable estates, although Château Fayau has produced some fine wines over many years.
Loupiac
A little further south, Loupiac raises the bar. Located directly across the river from Barsac, this appellation has soils with more clay and there are some prime, south-facing plots that achieve very high ripeness. Yields are a maximum of 40hl/ha – no doubt enhancing the lighter style seen in many Loupiac wines. Château de Ricaud, owned by Alain Thiénot from Champagne, is part of the Dourthe portfolio. This is another estate where significant investment has been made, and the wines show a lot of promise, albeit without the intensity of Sauternes. However, prices are much more reasonable.
Ste-Croix-du-Mont
The most noteworthy wines are those from Ste-Croix-du-Mont, and in the best years, from the best producers, these can at least rival the second-tier wines from Sauternes and Barsac. Ste-Croix differs from its neighbours in terms of topography. Rather than gentle slopes running down to the Garonne, the village of Ste- Croix stands on top of a dramatic cliff 120m above the river.
Many estates are located on clay-limestone soils on the plateau, but Ste-Croix has its own secret weapon – a thick band of fossilised oyster shells dating back 20 million years to the early Miocene epoch. From here, producers in Ste-Croix lie opposite many of the famous names of Sauternes – Yquem, Suduiraut and Lafaurie-Peyraguey – which are just a little more than 3km away.
Maximum yields are also 40hl/ha, but the wines of Ste-Croix have more richness and substance than Loupiac and Cadillac. Botrytis is a common feature, although residual sugar (usually between 80g/L-100g/L) is lower than in Sauternes. Add to this the influence of the fossilised oyster beds and the result is elegant, fresh and highly drinkable sweet wines. These can age for many years and work surprisingly well with food at all stages of a meal. During my most recent visit, older Ste-Croix wines were paired with a delicious dinner. At every point – aperitif, fish starter and poultry main course – they were a perfect accompaniment.
Château Crabitan-Bellevue, Grand Peyrot and La Rame are some of the leading properties in Ste- Croix, and these estates can be heartily recommended. Virginie Tinon runs Grand Peyrot (pictured left) and strives to highlight the character of the oyster beds with salty, mineral flavours through her wines. At Château La Rame, Angelique Armand and husband Olivier Allo are also raising the quality bar, with freshness, purity and drinkability the key objective. The team at La Rame supplies various UK retailers with different interpretations of the Ste- Croix terroir. Some wines are barrel-fermented, some are aged in barrel, while others are matured in stainless steel to enhance fresh fruit and bright acidity.
These are all high-quality wines at very attractive prices, and each is a worthy alternative to the richer, glossier, more expensive wines of Sauternes and Barsac.