The Other Bordeaux----Sauternes

                                        Sauternes are among the world's most expensive wines

The grape harvest for Bordeaux’s white and red wine finished some weeks ago, but it is just starting for Bordeaux’s prized sweet wines, Sauternes (pronounced sew TAIRN.)  Sauternes is some of the priciest wines on the planet (a bottle of an old Chateau Yquem sold a few years ago for $117,000---that's $26,000 a glass, or $2,200 a sip!)   One of the reasons is that the berries are picked one at a time, rather than one bunch at a time.  Let me explain.

                                 Sauternes is a wine district, a town, and a sweet wine

Known as “liquid gold,” Sauternes is pricey because of the labor intensive process required to make it.  Grapes for these sweet wines are hand-picked carefully by workers who have been trained to look for “botrytis.”   Known also as the “noble rot,” botrytis is a fungus that attacks very ripe grapes.   Typically, it does not attack the full bunch, but only certain berries.  Workers must often make several passes through the vineyards over a period of weeks, picking only the grapes that have been effected with noble rot.  In some cases one vine is necessary to make one bottle of the most expensive Sauternes.

                          Botrytis concentrates flavors & causes flavor, as well as aroma changes

So how can rotted grapes possibly make such a magnifique wine?   First, the botrytis penetrates the grape’s skin and causes it to lose nearly 75% of its water.  However, much more than dehydrating and concentrating the flavors, botrytis actually causes a chemical change in the grape’s aromas and taste profile.  Third, while all of the above is occurring, the fungus also increases the actual acid levels so that this sweet wine is not cloying sweet.

                            Damp & warmth together create the perfect storm for botrytis

The terroir of Sauternes is key to botrytis.  The fungus does not happen every year, but only when certain conditions in the environment occur at the same time.  There are two rivers, one cold and the other warm, that converge into one river near Sauternes.  The mixture of warm and cold creates a mist.   Providing the afternoons are warm, this mist in addition to the heat create the perfect milieu for botrytis to thrive. 

If you’re one of the lucky Wine-Knows joining the September 2021 trip to Bordeaux, you’ll have the opportunity to sample some of the world's most famous Sauternes.  The sweet life doesn’t get any sweeter than sipping a Sauternes at its birthplace.

8 Things You Should Know About Sauv Blanc

It’s the beginning of the harvest for white wine grapes in California.  This is the first in a series of several articles.  Each week of the harvest a different grape will be showcased.  We’ll start with the varietal that is usually picked first, Sauvignon Blanc, and we’ll end with the grapes that are picked last (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel).

Here are the important details to know about Sauv Blanc:

#1)   What is the Origin of Sauv Blanc?  

Sauv Blanc’s origin is France.  DNA researchers have traced its birthplace to the Bordeaux area. 

#2)   Is there any connection between Sauv Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon?

Yes.  Sauv Blanc is actually one of the parents of Cab.  The other parent is Cabernet Franc.  The crossing of these two varietals occurred sometime during the 18^th century in France.

#3)   What about Fumé Blanc?

Sauv Blanc and Fumé Blanc are the exact same grape.  In the 1960’s Robert Mondavi, a marketing guru, decided to make quality, dry Sauv Blanc.  To differentiate his wine from most of the Sauv Blanc swill being produced at the time, he changed his wine’s name to Fumé Blanc (a play on words from France’s famous wine, Pouilly Fumé).  It was a genius marketing maneuver and his Fumé Blanc became an instant best-seller.

#4)   Where is the best Sauv Blanc made?
“Best” is in the eyes of the beholder.  Sauv Blanc, grown in many international wine regions, is currently one of the world’s most popular wine grapes.  France’s Loire Valley and Bordeaux produce stunning renditions.  There is also extremely well made Sauv Blanc in New Zealand, Australia, Chile and South Africa.  Additionally, in the US, California and Washington offer well-crafted Sauv Blancs.

#5)   How can so many diverse climates produce quality Sauv Blanc?

The Sauv Blanc grape thrives in both cool climate areas, as well as warmer climates, however, the wines are very different.  Cooler microclimates produce wines that have grassy, citrus (especially lime and grapefruit), and even gentle floral notes such as elderflower.  Warmer climate Sauv Blancs have flavors that develop with warmer temperatures such as ripe stone fruit (think luscious peach), or even tropical nuances. 

#6)  Is Sauv Blanc only dry, or are there any quality sweet versions produced?

Because of Sauv Blanc’s high acidity, it works especially well with sweet wines to balance their sweetness.  Bordeaux’s famous sweet wine, Sauternes, is produced from Sauv Blanc.  This grape is extremely welcoming to Botrytis, the “noble rot” which causes the grape to dehydrate and chemically change its flavor and aroma structure.

#7)  What about oak and Sauv Blanc? 

Sauv Blanc can swing both ways.  In an unoaked Sauv Blanc the wine’s fruit flavors are the star of the show.  If the wine is aged in oak, the fruit flavors are still present, however, you’ll also find additional nuances associated with oak such as vanilla, coconut, butterscotch, and even caramel flavors.  

#8)   How does Sauv Blanc pair with food?

Dry Sauv Blanc is a dream with food because of its acidity.  First, the acidity can cut through the fattiness of foods (think cream sauces, cheeses, and dishes with butter).   Sauv Blanc also works well with lighter foods such as simply prepared fish and shellfish.  The sweet version (still with a high acidity), works well to temper the fat as well (e.g. foie gras or crème brulee).

How about a Sauv Blanc tasting this harvest season featuring wines from around the world?  Perhaps you could pick two cool climate wines (in the case of California, that would be Sonoma) and contrast them with two warmer climate versions (think Napa).

World’s First *CRYSTAL* Wine Barrel

     The Lalique crystal barrel cost hundreds of thousands of Euros

Wine-Knows will be conducting its last tour to Bordeaux during the grape harvest of 2021.   Rest assured that the group will be visiting this showpiece crystal wine barrel.  Made by Lalique, France’s leading crystal producer, it took artisans more than two years to perfect designs and meticulously construct.  It’s the first one of its type on the globe and according to experts it is a formidable achievement.

The stunning piece-of-art barrel is located in the cellars of one of Bordeaux’s Premier Grand Cru chateaux, Lafurie-Peyraguey.  The historic wine estate commissioned Lalique to make the barrel for the winery’s 400^th birthday celebration.  It’s no accident Lalique was chosen…. the owner of Chateau Lafurie-Peyraguey is also the CEO of Lalique.

Chateau Lafurie-Peyraguey is located in the Sauternes district of Bordeaux.  The  pièce de résistance crystal container holds 300 bottles-worth of the estate’s 2013 vintage wine (the first vintage of the Lalique empire owner).  Leather straps have been designed to mimic metal hoops that typically hold a barrel’s wood pieces together.  The leather provides a small degree of protection to the crystal, but the piece is very fragile.  It is met for display only.

In addition to the crystal masterpiece, there are many reasons to visit Chateau Lafurie-Peyraguey.  First, the chateau makes flat-out stunning wine.  Second, Lafurie-Peyraguey just opened a restaurant and it’s already achieved a Michelin star.  When Wine-Knows last visited the winery in 2016, tour participants had an exquisite private dinner at the chateau.  All of the evening’s wines were served in extravagant Lalique wine goblets that had been designed special for Lafurie-Peyraguey. 

I’m not certain how Chateau Lafurie-Peyraguey can top Wine-Knows’ 2016 experience but I’m certainly betting that this class-act chateau will come through.  There are very few seats available for this last tour to Bordeaux.  Why don’t you join us?  Come see the magnificent crystal piece in person, dine with us at the Michelin star, and luxuriate in drinking these gorgeous wines out of jaw-dropping Lalique stemware.  www.WineKnowsTravel.com.

Mad About Tokaj

    A special micro-climate of wet and warmth creates the perfect environment for Botrytis.

I landed in Hungary a few days ago and I'm currently in the town of Mad, deep in the heart of the Tokaj ("TOCK eye") wine district.  A few hour’s drive east of Budapest, this wine country is is so special that the entire district was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Everything is wine-centric in Mad, including things such as the "Botrytis" Hotel. Golden ripe fruit is hanging on the vines and the autumn colors are painting the leaves.  Magic is about to happen.

Tokaj (or Tokay) is the sweet wine made in the Tokaj wine region.  It’s the world’s oldest botrytized wine.  Botrytis is a fungus that attacks sugar-laden grapes with the help a special micro-climate.  During the autumn a morning mist is created by the convergence of two local rivers; and, the wet mornings along with the warm afternoons create the perfect storm for the Botrytis fungus.  Like in the Sauternes district of Bordeaux, “noble rot” (aka Botrytis) thrives in these conditions.  Grapes are attacked by the fungus which bores microscopic holes through the skin of the berry to get the sweet nectar.  What is left is a shriveled, concentrated grape filled with uber-sweet juice, high in acidity (which balances the sugar) and filled with beguiling aromas caused by the interaction with the noble rot. 

People in the Tokaj district long ago recognized they had a very special sweet wine like no other.  In 1757 the monarchy made a law that established geographical boundaries for the sweet wine region.   This was the world’s second appellation system (Chianti, the first, was legally demarcated in 1716.)  Tokaj didn’t stop there, however. Vineyards were then classified based on quality, and it all was approved in 1772.

From the 17^th to 19^th centuries Tokaj graced the tables of royalty throughout Europe.  In the late 1800’s, however, Tokaj fell victim to the phylloxera bug that destroyed the vineyards throughout Europe.  World Wars I and II didn’t help.  Nor did Communist rule.  Knock-off Tokaj from other countries further worsened the situation.

But, Hungary is on the move again supported by moneys from the European Union to reinvest in its prized Tokaj wine district.  The E.U. has cracked down legally on others in Europe using the protected name Tokaj.   Moreover, the E.U. has recently invested 330 Million Euro for viticultural improvements moving the local wine industry into the 21^st century.

Nectar coming from the Tokaj region’s grapes is mentioned in Hungary’s national anthem---a testament to the importance of its sweet wine.  A deep Topaz in color, these luscious wines are truly a golden national treasure.  Tomorrow I head to the actual village of nearby Tokaj so stay tuned for my "mad-about" favorites from this special region. 

Have a Sweet 16 New Year

        Wine-Knows will visit Chateau Yquem, one of the world's greatest sweet wines, 

on the Bordeaux tour in September 2016 

Sweet wines are not just for dessert.  I was reminded on Christmas Eve how versatile a sweet wine can be.  I paired a 20 year old Grand Cru Alsatian Gewurztraminer with a salad of Stilton cheese.  Salads are one of the most difficult foods to work with wine because of the acid in their vinaigrette.  Further complicating matters was the strong blue cheese, but it all worked beautifully.  Here are some guiding principles for pairing sweet wines in 2016 with courses other than desserts. 

Salt loves sweet.  Sweet wines can be a great match for certain cheeses. Salty cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, Feta, Manchego, or a blue such as Stilton pair well with a late harvest wine, Port, Sherry, or Sauternes.

Spicy begs for sweet.  Spicy foods are a match made in heaven for slightly sweet wine such as a Moscato or a German Riesling.  The cool temperature, as well as the sweetness of the wine, helps mitigate the effect of the capsicum heat of the food.

High alcohol pairs with high fat.   Sweet wines have higher alcohol levels than table wines.  That’s why a Sauternes or Tokaj is often served with foie gras, even as an appetizer.  (That’s also why highly marbled beef works best with a high alcohol red such as a Zinfandel.) The principle is the same.  Rich with rich.  Heaven with heaven.

Wishing you a sweet 2016.

Slideshows of Wine-Knows Trips to New Zealand, France, Vietnam & Greek Yacht

Click below for the February 2014's Vietnam:
  (or paste it in your browser)

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44417a4d7a63354f44453d0d0a&blogview=true


Click below for March 2014's NEW ZEALAND:  
(or paste it in your browser)

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e4441794e7a6b794f546b3d0d0a&blogview=true

Click below for September 2013's Champagne, Burgundy & Provence:  (or paste it in your browser)

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e4441794f546b784d6a413d0d0a&blogview=true

Click below for September 2013's Private Yacht in the Greek Islands:  (or paste it in your browser)

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e4441794f546b774d54593d0d0a&blogview=true

Click below for September 2012's  Bordeaux:  (or paste it in your browser)

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d7a51774f5451314e54673d0d0a&sb=1

Bastille Day Wine & Food Picks

Francophiles take note…France’s national holiday to celebrate the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 (the start of the French Revolution and the end of the country’s monarchy) is tomorrow, July 14.  The group that is going to France with Wine-Knows this fall for the harvest tour, has flown in from all parts of the US to party.   Since anything French has to involve food and wine, here’s how we’re celebrating….

Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Extra Brut NV (one of our favorite boutique producers) served with the following hors d’oeuvres:

• Roasted almonds with herbs of Provence

• Smoked salmon with crème fraiche, fresh herbs and a splash of cognac

• Goose rillettes (similar to pâté  although more rustic).  The rillettes were purchased at the foie gras farm that the Wine-Knows group visited during the Bordeaux tour last fall & was brought home in my suitcase.
   

Picpoul de Pinet Domaine Felines Jourdan, 2011 (we have bought cases of this smashing white from the South of France…not only because the varietal is unknown in the US, but because we love the complexity of this wine).   It is being paired with:

• Roquefort cheese tarte (j’adore this recipe…c’est magnifique)

Fredrick Magnien Premier Cru Chambolle-Musigny, Les Chatelets, 2001  & William Selyem Russian River Vineyard Pinot, 2001

• Classic boeuf Bourguignon (beef cooked in Burgundy)

Chateau Suduiraut (Sauternes) 1990

• Fruit tarrte with cardamom (our plum tree produces a beautiful fruit), raspberries and Chambord sauce

Sauternes’ “Rotten Luck”

When Ambassador Thomas Jefferson, a great wine lover and soon to be President of the United States, visited Sauternes in 1790 this area was already known for producing sweet wines.  Following his trip, he sent the following letter to the area’s premier winery, Chateau Yquem:  “I have convinced our President, General Washington, to try a sample. He asks of you 30 dozens, Sir, and I ask for 10 dozens for myself…”   Nearly seventy years later another dignitary visiting Chateau Yquem would alter the course of wine history when he purchased wine made from rotten grapes as in the photo above.

The dignitary was the Czar’s brother, the Russian Grand Duke. (Russia’s aristocracy had long been a great fan of Bordeaux wines.)   The vintage that changed everything was  1847.  That year a horrible black fungus stuck the Sauternes vineyards and created a huge disaster of decaying fruit.  While Chateau Yquem harvested some of the grapes, the quality was so poor that it decided not to release the wine for sale.   When the Grand Duke visited Yquem in 1859, however, he fell in love the 1847 wine which was like no other he had ever tasted ---not only that, but he ended up paying a small fortune for 100 cases of it.  From this point forward, Sauternes attacked by this mold has commanded lofty prices. 

How could rotten grapes possibly make a fabulous wine?  The culprit is Botrytis Cinerea, a fungus that only grows on very ripe grapes.  It attacks the skin of the grape causing it to loose nearly 75% of its water.  More than dehydrating and concentrating the flavors, however, Botrytis actually causes a chemical change in the aromas and taste of the wine.  At the same time, it also increases the grapes’ acids so that the wine is not cloyingly sweet.

The terroir in Sauternes is instrumental in setting up the perfect conditions for Botrytis organism.  Two rivers, one cold and the other one warm, meet in Sauternes.  The mixture of the warm and cold waters creates a mist.  This mist, in tandem with warm afternoons, creates the perfect environment for botrytis, often referred to as “noble rot.”

Coming with us to Bordeaux?  Wine-Knows will be staying in Sauternes at a Grand Cru wine-making chateau and will visit Chateau Yquem where the Russian Grand Duke changed rotten luck into the noble rot.  The sweet life doesn’t get any sweeter than this.

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Bordeaux’s Wine Districts

The Bordeaux wine region covers a vast area, approximately 300K acres of vines, making it the second largest wine region in the world behind the Languedoc.  (Napa Valley, in comparison, has only 45K acres of vines.)  With 8.5K winemaking chateaux, Bordeaux is physically divided by the Gironde River and its tributaries, the Dordogne and Garonne, into the “Left Bank” and the “Right Bank.”  Both banks have sub-districts.

The Medoc, referred to as the Left Bank,  is the name used to denote the land located on the left side of the Gironde estuary.  The Gironde,  which empties into the Atlantic, exerts a powerful effect on grape growing.  In the case of its Left Bank, the soil as well as the micro-climate are dramatically impacted by the Gironde. 

The Right Bank is composed of two small wine areas, St Emilion and Pomerol.  Located on the right side of the Gironde, both of these districts are reigned by Merlot due to the clay soil.  Cabernet Franc is also prevalent, especially in Pomerol.  The climate and damper, cool soils of the Right Bank makes it difficult for Cabernet Sauvignon to fully ripen, hence, it is not used as often.

In contrast to the Left Bank’s large chateaux, the Right Bank’s St Emilion and Pomerol is composed of small producers.  Moreover, the Right Bank growing area is miniscule in comparison to the Medoc.  Similar to the Medoc, however, there is little white wine vinified in either St Emilion or Pomerol.

Graves, located on the Left Bank of the Garonne River, is directly south of the city of Bordeaux and encompasses the sub-regions of Pessac-Leognan as well as the sweet wine district of Sauternes.  The area is known for its intensely gravel-like soil brought down via the Garonne by glaciers during the Ice Age.  In fact, Graves in French translates to “gravel.”  Both red and white wines are produced.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the most prevalent red varietal.  Whites allowed by law include Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle.

Entre Deux Mers, the least known of Bordeaux’s wine regions, is named for its position between the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers (actually, the literal translation is “between the two seas.”).   The soil is alluvial, washed down from millenniums of sediment from the Pyrenees and Central Massif mountains.  One of Bordeaux’s largest districts, it produces mainly whites (most of which are sweet wines) although red is also vinified.   The area’s wine offers good value as prices are very fair and quality has been improving.

Coming on this Fall’s trip to Bordeaux?  We will visit all of the areas with the exception of the last, Entre Deux Mers.  Additionally, Wine-Knows will be renting wine-making chateaux in the Medoc, St Emilion and Sauternes.