A WINE REGION IN FRANCE
Sauternes
Lusciously sweet, honeyed white wine with complex botrytis character, balancing richness with balancing acidity from noble rot.
About Sauternes
Sauternes is a wine region in France, in the Bordeaux area (classified AOC). It makes fortified / sweet white wine. Our database holds 1,031 wines from here.
The grapes of Sauternes
The main grapes are Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle. The appellation table lists them as: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle.
Style in the glass
Lusciously sweet, honeyed white wine with complex botrytis character, balancing richness with balancing acidity from noble rot. It is a warm, wet place to grow grapes.
Climate and soil
Maritime temperate with humid autumn mists. Left bank of Garonne with clay, gravel, and limestone; morning fog promotes noble rot (Botrytis cinerea).
The rules
- Blending: Sémillon min 50%, plus Sauvignon Blanc and/or Muscadelle; botrytis-affected only.
- Ageing: No legal minimum; typically aged 2–3 years before release.
What to eat with Sauternes
Foie gras, blue cheese, crème brûlée, dried fruit compotes, almond tart.
More wine regions in France
Champagne, Meursault, Chablis, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pauillac, Gevrey-Chambertin, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Vosne-Romanée.
Good to know
Sauternes production is heavily weather-dependent; botrytis does not appear every vintage; some years, producers make dry or off-dry releases instead.
Open it in the app
Pair every dish on a menu with a wine you can order: scan a menu, swipe the pairings, explore restaurants, wineries and hotels.