Sauternes
Sweet white only, from grapes picked over-ripe, by hand, in successive passes, at the lowest yield of any major Bordeaux appellation: 25 hectoliters a hectare, 15% of natural alcohol, 45 g/l of sugar left in the glass.
The place
Sauternes is 5 communes on the left bank of the Garonne, Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Sauternes, where the cold Ciron meets the warmer river and the autumn mists bring on Botrytis cinerea, the noble rot. The soils are gravel, clay, silica and limestone over a mostly clayey subsoil. Barsac lies inside the Sauternes area and its growers may use either name, a right older than the decree and restated by INAO in 2015; the 2 appellations share 1 producers’ body. In 2010 the appellation counted about 2,200 hectares, 190 estates and 41,000 hectoliters.
The rules
Sémillon, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle, at 6,500 vines a hectare and 25 hectoliters a hectare with a ceiling of 28. The grapes must carry 221 g/l of sugar, the wine must reach 15% of natural alcohol with at least 12% acquired, and at least 45 g/l of sugar must remain. The cahier des charges (the appellation’s official rulebook) in force, the appellation’s official rulebook, was amended on March 25, 2026, which brought the end of raising forward to March 15 and the release to April 1 of the year after the harvest. The appellation dates from September 30, 1936, Barsac from September 11 of the same year.
The names
The list of 1855 ranks the sweet whites of Sauternes and Barsac on their own: 21 growths as the brokers wrote it, 27 as the estates later divided, and 1 wine alone above the Firsts, Yquem, as Premier Cru Supérieur, the rank this site borrowed for its examination.
- Color
- Sweet white
- Communes
- Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac, Sauternes
- Vineyard
- About 2,200 hectares, some 190 estates, in 2010
- Grapes
- Sémillon, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle
- Density
- 6,500 vines a hectare at least
- Yield
- 25 hectoliters a hectare, ceiling 28
- Alcohol
- 15% natural, 12% acquired at least; 45 g/l of sugar left
- Harvest
- By hand, over-ripe grapes, in successive passes
- Release
- From April 1 of the year after the harvest
- Classified
- 27 growths of 1855, Yquem above them all
- AOC since
- September 30, 1936
Sources: FGVB, cahier des charges Sauternes, arrêté du 25 mars 2026 · BO-AGRI, cahier des charges Sauternes, arrêté du 12 octobre 2021 · INAO, cahier des charges Sauternes · INAO, comité national, Barsac, Sauternes, Bordeaux, 5 novembre 2015 · Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux · INAO and the Fédération des Grands Vins de Bordeaux, cahiers des charges · INAO and the BO-AGRI, cahiers des charges
The stack
The same ground in Sauternes may also be labeled Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Crémant de Bordeaux. A grower chooses which appellation to sell under, and the narrowest is almost always the dearest.
It shares named communes with Barsac.
The appellations of Bordeaux are stacked, not laid side by side. The map draws the whole stack. Open the map
Classifications that reach this appellation: The Classification of 1855 and The Michelin Guide selection.
Châteaux on this site
- Château Bastor-Lamontagne
- Château d’Arche
- Château d’Yquem
- Château de Fargues
- Château de Malle
- Château de Rayne Vigneau
- Château Filhot
- Château Gilette
- Château Guiraud
- Château Haut-Bergeron
- Château La Tour Blanche
- Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
- Château Lamothe
- Château Lamothe-Guignard
- Château Liot
- Château Rabaud-Promis
- Château Raymond-Lafon
- Château Rieussec
- Château Romer
- Château Romer du Hayot
- Château Sigalas Rabaud
- Château Suduiraut
- Clos Haut-Peyraguey
Tastings
10
April 23, 2026 · 10
Bordeaux En Primeur 2025, Day 3
April 20, 2026 · 10
Bordeaux En Primeur 2025, Day 1
January 26, 2026 · 2
Château d’Yquem 1986 & 1993, Sauternes
December 26, 2025
Château d’Yquem 2021
December 17, 2025
Château de Myrat 2003 (Sauternes)
December 16, 2025
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1988 & 1990 (Sauternes)
News from Sauternes
20
-
2024 Confidence de Bastor-Lamontagne reviewed
Falstaff reviewed 2024 Confidence de Bastor-Lamontagne, a wine associated with Château Bastor-Lamontagne in the Sauternes area.
The profile adds another data point for a difficult and closely scrutinized 2024 vintage. It also keeps attention on the wider range of wines emerging from the Sauternes sector, beyond the region's headline classified sweet wines.
-
Cycling trip in France: Tour de France through the vineyards of Bordeaux
A cycling trip through Bordeaux’s vineyards starts in Bordeaux and runs through areas including Entre-deux-Mers, Médoc and Saint-Émilion. In Bommes, 40-year-old winemaker Alexis Charrier produces Sauternes with his family property.
-
A first in France: this ride-hailing service launches an offer to try to save the Bordeaux vineyard
According to Actu.fr, Bolt launched its first such offer in France, Bolt Vignobles, in Gironde on July 1, 2026. Options serve 3 or 6 people from Bordeaux or Bordeaux-Mérignac airport to Médoc sud Margaux, Sauternes or Saint-Émilion.
-
Could cocktails save Sauternes?
Sauternes vineyard prices fell by more than 90% from 1991 to 2023, according to Agreste/SAFER data. Château d’Arche is promoting its sweet wines in cocktails, including through a masterclass and cocktail week at Nektar in Bordeaux last October.
-
Sauternes 2025 reinforces a historic run of great vintages in Bordeaux
The 2025 Sauternes and Barsac vintage in Bordeaux is being described as one of the most consistent in recent years, with good yields and strong botrytis development for the fourth consecutive year, according to Revista ADEGA.
-
Bordeaux 2025: Ideal conditions lead to luscious Sauternes
According to Decanter, a near-perfect cycle of morning mists, sunshine and rainfall produced a small but beautiful 2025 Sauternes crop, with an average yield of 12.5hl/ha. Sauternes and Barsac produced pure, luscious sweet wines with vibrant freshness.
-
According to jancisrobinson.com, tiny yields produced powerful Bordeaux 2025 white wines, with especially promising sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac.
-
What Were People Drinking in 1855?
In 1855, Napoleon III requested a Bordeaux wine classification for the Paris Universal Exposition. The hierarchy covered red wines from the Médoc, Château Haut-Brion in the Graves, and sweet white wines from Sauternes and Barsac, with harvests beginning on October 7.
-
Le Duc de Sauternes: a collective effort in service of the appellation
Le Duc de Sauternes is a collective cuvée created in the 1970s by 9 growers to promote Sauternes. It works alongside the ODG as a teaching and commercial gateway to the appellation.
-
Château de Malle: the art of bringing a classified growth to life in a historic monument
In April 2024, Clémence and Luc Planty acquired Château de Malle, a Second Growth classified in 1855 in Sauternes. They are preserving its historic monument and classified gardens while opening the estate to the public and developing wine tourism.
-
Why Irish whiskey loves sweet and fortified wine casks
Decanter says barrels that held Marsala, Madeira and Sauternes have a special affinity with triple-distilled Irish whiskeys, and lists 6 bottles to try. The feature was published on March 13, 2026.
-
The sweet spot: Sauternes at auction
According to iDealwine, auction prices for most Sauternes remain accessible relative to quality, while Château d’Yquem remains in a category of its own.
-
La Tour Blanche students shake up wine’s rulebook
Students from the La Tour Blanche wine school presented innovative projects during a viticulture hackathon aimed at energizing the wine sector, from artistic initiatives to new youth-oriented drinks. The results were announced at Château d’Yquem, highlighting Bordeaux/Sauternes education and entrepreneurship.
-
Carpe Wine: The 1855 Classification
An explainer column demystifying wine laws and classifications, focusing on Bordeaux’s 1855 Classification and its historical role in ranking top Médoc and Sauternes estates.
-
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz dine with a 1811 Château d’Yquem
On Jan 28, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz shared dinner photos showing an 1811 Château d’Yquem, a Sauternes wine said to be worth about £75,000 per bottle. Only 10 bottles of the vintage are thought to exist worldwide.
-
Bordeaux’s classified growths will open Wine Paris
The Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855 will host a first-of-its-kind tasting ahead of Wine Paris 2026, bringing together 54 Médoc and Sauternes estates at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The trade-only event aims to highlight the diversity and collective momentum of the 1855 classified châteaux and become an annual fixture.
-
Uncover hidden gems: Affordable Bordeaux and Burgundy wines
Decanter rounds up 14 best-value wines under £30 from Bordeaux and Burgundy. The selection spans multiple styles and includes Bordeaux regions such as St-Julien, St-Estèphe and Sauternes, plus some supermarket own-label options.
-
Sigalas-Rabaud becomes first Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé to release a dealcoholized wine
Château Sigalas-Rabaud has become the first Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé to release a dealcoholized wine. The move signals growing interest in no/low-alcohol products even among classified Bordeaux sweet-wine estates.
-
The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux published its 2025 Harvest Notebook on October 13, 2025, covering the harvest from Saint-Julien to Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Émilion and Sauternes and describing the vintage as elegant and atypical.
-
Uncover hidden gems: Affordable Bordeaux and Burgundy wines for your Christmas feast
Decanter selected 14 Bordeaux and Burgundy wines for Christmas feasts, including sparkling, white, red and sweet styles from areas such as St-Julien, St-Estèphe, Beaujolais, Chablis and Sauternes.