French Sweet Wine

The sweet wines of France are dominated by the famous châteaux of Sauternes and Barsac, in Bordeaux, where production harnesses the so-called ‘noble rot’, or botrytis, of the grapes to concentrate the sugars and deliver a wonderfully intense sweetness. The technique is fraught with risk, and far from predictable, but can produce magical results, with its most renowned exponent being the Premier Grand Cru Classé Château d’Yquem, producer of arguably the most famous sweet wine in the world. France’s other great haven for ‘stickies’ is the Loire Valley, where similar late-harvest techniques are employed, notably in such appellations as Coteaux de Layon and Vouvray.