The Vivaldi of wine

There’s no point in showing off jokes and rhetoric, in order to sum up the greatness of Sauternes. Copying here the preface of the book recently published by Gribaudo would be enough. It was written by Alexandre de Lur Saluces, helmsman at the unreachable Château d'Yquem: «It is the Vivaldi of wine, together with its paradox of a never-syrupy fruitiness; it is a naturally sweet wine counterbalanced by a freshness which is called, hardly poetically, acidity».

Piedmontese Cinzia Benzi and Roman Laura Di Cosimo, two wine reporters who left on a journey among sixteen châteaux in Sauternes and Barsac, «each one», they explain in the introduction, «with a precise stylistic mark», devoted it time, enthusiasm and interest («thank you, my dear friends», replies de Lur Saluces). Their journey became a «diary of a wine that as time goes by doesn’t grow old, but richer».

The itinerary starts from its cloudy origins and crashes on a first, essential phase, in 1855, the year in which the first important classification was registered, with the Premier Cru Supérieur wording to mark the very Château d'Yquem. Then there’s the necessary sliding to the environmental conditions of this phenomenon: the territory, the geological characteristics, the climate. And the “chosen varieties”, namely Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, with the addition of the moulded, liqueur legend.

Once the preliminary part is finished – including a unique contribution by Andrea Grignaffini regarding the pairing of Sauternes with cigars – the central part of the book, blessed by Paolo Marchi, is all focused on the relationship between history, style and tastings of each of the 16 châteaux and on the recipe of a great chef who uses the wine as an ingredient, always illustrated by the talented hand of Gianluca Biscalchin. Thus Yquem has its side-epilogue with Massimo Bottura’s Foie gras brittle, Châteaux Climens is sublimed in Giovanni Santini’s Chocolate soufflé, Coutet finds its happy ending in René Redzepi’s toast with wild blueberries.

And again there’s Guiraud, which goes in Costardi’s Black cod; Rieussec in Moreno Cedroni’s Squid tongue, Suduiraut in a very unique “brioche” by Alex Atala; La Tour Blanche and Loretta Fanella, Châteaux d’Arche in Aurora Mazzucchelli’s cremoso, De Malle and Enrico Bartolini; De Myrat and Alexandre Gauthier; Doisy Daëne and Lidia Bastianich; Doisy-Védrines and Mauro Colagreco; Nairac and Sat Bains; De Fargues and Italo Bassi and Riccardo Monco; Gilette and Niko Romito.

Finally, there’s the extraordinary report of the tasting of some memorable vintages, from the Clos Haut-Peyraguey 2007 to the Château d’Yquem 1967 and a signature itinerary closed with a useful compendium summing up the addresses and opening hours of the maisons. So one can happily enjoy the dessert wine legend.