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By The Glass Jay Kam |
2001 French sauternes
among bestThe 2001 sauternes from France are starting to hit shelves now, and they represent the best vintage for this superbly sweet dessert wine in more than a decade. In fact, 2001 might be the best vintage ever! Sauternes have always been "en vogue" with the royal and wealthy in Europe. Russian czars often bought up entire productions to stock their cellars. Thomas Jefferson was a fan of sauternes and had some in his collection. Nicknames include "liquid gold" or "nectar of the gods."
Sauternes are sweet wines made from late-harvest grapes (most often sauvignon blanc and semillion) that have been affected by the noble rot, botrytis. Botrytis sucks the water out of the grape, thus concentrating its sugars and flavors. The wine made from these shriveled, raisin-like berries is a sweet wine like no other, full of fresh peach, apricot -- sometimes pineapple -- and honey-like flavors. The best sauternes have a natural balance between sweetness and acidity which prevents the wine from being too cloying.
Sauternes can be enjoyed in a lot of different ways. They pair nicely with nut-based desserts, such as hazelnut tort or pecan pie. Custard-based favorites such as creme brulee, creme caramel and custard pie are also a natural pairing. For more savory foods, nothing is more perfect than a nice, warm slab of foie gras with a glass of sauternes. And for a more obscure match, try sauternes with salty food, such as salt fish fried rice. They even go well with lobster and braised abalone. Of course, sauternes can always be enjoyed solo as a dessert or after-dinner drink.
And while this may sound decadent and expensive, it really isn't. You can find basic sauternes starting at $10.99 (2001 Chateau Violin) for a half bottle (375ml). In the $20 range the 2001 Chateau d'Arche 375ml ($18.99) will provide a step up in quality and the 2001 Chateau de Malle 375ml ($24.99) is a relatively affordable sauternes of top-notch quality. If you want to do it in grand style, a half bottle of 1997 d'Yquem, generally regarded as the best sauternes, goes for $165.
So celebrate like a Russian czar and try a bottle of sauternes.
Jay Kam is president of Vintage Wine Cellar. This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals. Write to features@starbulletin.com