Sauternes (and its adjoining, though lesser-known neighboring commune, Barsac) is well known for producing one of the world's great sweet white wines. Located in a rather swampy, muggy flatland to the southwest of Bordeaux, Sauternes has a climate ideal for the formation of a mold, Botrytis Cinerea, that attacks the grapes and shrivels them, thereby concentrating their sugars. The resultant wines are heady and sweet. Generally a blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillon, the wines are then aged in oak barrels that impart an overlay of spice and vanilla flavors. Great Sauternes will age for decades, but can also be drunk in its youth. Though generally consumed with dessert, it can also be served as an aperitif with rich appetizers such as foie gras or Roquefort. Because the region's wines have not been in the same demand as the drier wines of Bordeaux, prices in many cases are rather low, with many good values--particularly given the time and expense of crafting such labor-intensive wines.
1997 looks to be the finest Sauternes vintage since 1990. Quantities were short in 1997, so it may be wise to invest in these wines--on a "futures" basis--as they are offered in late 1998 or early 1999; prices may rise precipitously once they actually arrive.
