1916 Jack's Manual by J A Grohusko (4th edition)

SAUTERNES Un Rayon de Soleil Concentre Dans un Verre (Biarnez). The region which produces the celebrated white wines universally known under the name of sauternes is situated on the left bank of the Garonne, about 35 kilometers south of Bordeaux, and includes the communes or parishes of Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Sauternes and Preignac, and a part of Saint-Pierre de Mons. The country is hilly, admirably exposed to the rays of the sun, which explains, to a great extent, the degree of maturity the grapes attain. The soil is more or less sandy, argillo-sillico-calcareous in some parts, argillo calcareous (as at Barsac) or entirely argillaceous in others. There is no doubt that to this particularly favorable soil is due in a great measure the superiority of the Sauterne wines, which it is impossible to equal anywhere else, however careful the vinification may be. But it is only just to add that the selection of the vine plants, the extraordinary care bestowed on the culture of the vineyards, the special and expensive vini- fication, contribute to ensure perfection in bouquet, color, and finesse in a wine to which no other can be compared, for the simple reason that, of its kind, there exists nothing like it. The appearance of the vineyards in this region differs from that of the Medoc, inasmuch as the vines are high; the sur- rounding country in which culture is more varied, is hilly and picturesque, the views from some of the heights, that, amongst others, on which Chateau Yquem is situated, extending miles over fertile scenery. It would take too much space to describe minutely the labor involved in cultivating these vineyards; each season, or, more exactly, each day, brings its task, and nothing must be neg- lected, however futile this may appear to the uninitiated. As before mentioned, the grapes are gathered and pressed in a manner peculiar to the district. The gathering takes place later than in the Medoc and lasts much longer, commencing at the end of September, and ter- minating in the first half of November. The grapes are al- lowed to attain the extreme degree of ripeness, and, after taking a deep golden color, they finally, under the influence of the mycoderma "Botrytis Cinera," become over-ripe, a state absolutely necessary to ensure the quality of the future wine. The berry subsequently becomes browned and roasted, the skin gets thin and cracks, and a sugary juice oozes from it. Little by little, each berry advances to this state until the whole bunch forms, so to speak, but one mass of juicy fruit. It may easily be imagined how fragile the grapes are when they get to this degree of maturity, and how, whilst they gain if the weather remains fine, they are likely to suffer if it becomes rainy. The gathering is effected in small quantities at a time, and

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