14 / 176
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
12