Every few years, I like to luxuriate over a bottle of Sauternes. This amazing sweet wine from the Bordeaux region of France is like no other. I hope that my article will inspire you to enjoy Sauternes as much as I do. Thank you to Wine Folly for their help with this article.
What Is Sauternes?
Sauternes is a sweet wine from the Graves section in the Bordeaux region of France. It is comprised of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes, but with a big twist. That twist is called “noble rot”.
Noble rot? Really? Believe it or not, yes. This is the one time that rot is a good thing. It’s a fungus called Botrytis cinerea, which has a sweetening and raisining effect on wine grapes (and also sometimes on strawberries).
According to Wine Folly, you can “expect Sauternes to exhibit intense notes of honeyed apricot, butterscotch, caramel, coconut, mango, ginger, marmalade, and citrus themes, along with tropical fruit, honeysuckle, and toasted baking spices… Sauternes qualifies as a very sweet wine, with anywhere from 120-220 g/L of residual sugar ( for comparison’s sake, coke has 113 g/L).
Sauternes comes from the Graves section in Bordeaux France, where noble rot infection is a frequent occurrence. Even so, production from year to year varies widely. Because of this, and the high cost of production, the wine is very expensive.
What Are the Best Ways to Enjoy Sauternes?
Sauternes is a sweet wine, so you can definitely think about pairing it with dessert. But I prefer it with savory dishes, because, according to Wine Folly, they “highlight the wine while creating a beautiful balance on your tongue.
Brian Freedman of Food& Wine says that “Sauternes tends to pair well with savory dishes like foie gras, as the acidity of the wine cuts through the richness of the liver, and the sweetness works as a brilliant counterpoint, while not being overwhelmed by any traditionally fruit-based accompaniments like apple or berry compote. Sauternes also works well with cheese — sipped with a great Roquefort, it’s delicious.”
Other good pairings: blue cheese, trout, smoked salmon, hummus, baba ghanoush, an artichoke lemon spread and a creamy dish with a lot of butter and salt.
My Recipe of Choice This Year: Gorgonzola Cheesecake
This recipe from CDKitchen looks amazing!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Gogonzola filling:
- 1 pound gorgonzola cheese
- 5 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- 5 eggs
- 12 cloves garlic, roasted
Directions:
- To make crust, bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in cornmeal, garlic salt and basil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After polenta is cooked, fold in parmesan. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Grease a 10-inch springform pan. Press polenta into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- To make filling, while the polenta is cooking, place gorgonzola and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and allow to soften for 30 minutes. Add eggs and mix by hand until eggs are incorporated.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Pour the cheese filling into the prepared springform pan. Tap lightly on counter to remove air bubbles. Place roasted garlic around perimeter of the pan at equal distances. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until center just barely jiggles when the pan is tapped. Allow to cool on counter for at least an hour, after which you may served with toasted baguette or crackers, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- To reheat, simply slice and warm for 5 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
I would love to hear about your experiences with Sauternes. Please share them with us. Merci!
