Does Sauternes have to be botrytised?

Question

In Canada, they can't call it ice wine unless strict temperature criteria are met throughout harvest and pressing. In a particularly bad vintage in Sauternes, if botryitis fails to occur, can the chateaux still sell their wines as AOC Sauternes?

Answer 1

Sauternes AC wines need to contain botrysised grapes. The extent of the botrytis and the volume of grapes affected by it can vary however, depending on the vintage - this is why some vintages are better than others (and have a more fungal nose to them, or differing levels of sweetness).

If a wine doesn't meet the required levels of botrytis (although this is incredably rare nowadays, especially for the classified growths), it cannot be labeled as Sauternes. The wines can still be labeled as AC Bordeaux Blanc or, given the location of Sauternes, AC Graves.

Probably the most famous example of this is the dry wine produced by Chateau d'Yquem: Y'grec (French for the letter 'Y'). Nine times in the 20th century, d'Yquem decided that the quality was not consistant with their heritage, and declined to make a Sauternes, producing the Y'grec instead.