1960 The U K B G Guide to Drinks (3 rd edition revised)

U. K. B. G. GUIDE TO DRINKS

The vineyards of the Graves area have never officially been classified like those of the Medoc. The most outstand ing of them are probably Chateaux Haut-Brion and Pape Clement. It must be remembered that some vineyards produce both red and white wines, Chateau Haut-Brion is one of these. Whilst the area produces dry wines, a smaller area called Corons at the southern tip of the Graves area near the Sauternes produces a sweet tasting wine. SAUTERNES This is the name given to a small village in the Garonne valley, and is also given to the wine produced there and in the neighbouring parishes of Bommes,Barsac, Preignac, Fargues and St. Pierre de Mons. This wine is both sweet and full and of high alcoholic strength (about 16-17 degrees of alcohol upon occasions) and has a characteristic bouquet. The soil of the area is chiefly mixed clay and gravel, or clay and limestone. The vines are chiefly the Sauvignon Blanc,the Semillon and the Muscadelle. All these varieties are white and the grapes are allowed to stay on the vine much longer than is usual elsewhere. When the grapes are fully ripened, the leaves of the plant are stripped from the plant, thus allowing the sun to have full access to the berries. This encourages an over-ripeness and the berries shrivel up and lose a lot of their moisture and develop a mould known as Botrytis Cinerea (called locally Pourriture Noble or Noble Rot). This is a mould which is encouraged and produces the fine wines, although funnily enough it does not impart a mouldy taste to the wines. Special pickings of the grapes are made at intervals and it is the first pressings of these grapes that give the finest wines. Unless the wine has a high alcoholic content thus killing the yeasts, the wine is always liable to undergo a secondary fermentation due to the sugar content of the wine upon which the yeasts still thrive. Sulphuring of casks is usually employed to prevent further fermentation and also to preserve the beautiful colour of the wine.

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