Sauternes...

Sauternes is a type of dessert wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in the well known Bordeaux wine making area of France. Sauternes is made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. This causes grapes to become partially raisined, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavoured wines, typically with an arresting golden color. Sauternes is one of the few wine regions where infection with noble rot is a frequent occurrence, due to its macroclimate. Even so, production is a hit-or-miss proposition, with widely varying harvests from year to year.

Wines from Sauternes, especially its flagship estate Château d'Yquem, can be very expensive, due largely to the very high cost of production. Barsac lies within Sauternes, and is entitled to use either name. Somewhat similar but less expensive and typically less-distinguished wines are produced in the neighbouring regions of Monbazillac, Cérons, Loupiac and Cadillac.