2018 Chateau Petit Vedrines - Sauternes HALF BOTTLE (375ml)

Château Petit Védrines is the second wine of Château Doisy-Védrines, a Second Growth estate in Barsac ranked in the famous 1855 classification. The Chevaliers de Védrines owned the property for centuries and gave it their name. It was later part of a larger Doisy estate that was split into three in the 19th century. The Castéja family acquired Doisy-Védrines in the mid-1800s, and Olivier Castéja runs it today. It sits beside the First Growths Climens and Coutet.

The vineyards lie on Barsac’s highest plateau, on clay and limestone soils planted mostly to Sémillon with some Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. The Castéjas till the soil by traditional methods. The grapes are picked by hand over several passes through the vines, so each cluster is taken only when botrytis, the “noble rot,” has concentrated its sugars. Petit Védrines comes from the less concentrated pickings of the main estate, plus six hectares bought from neighboring Château Bouyot in 2001. It ages about twelve months in French oak, part of it new. Although the estate is in Barsac, it bottles its wines under the Sauternes name, as the rules allow.

The wine shows orange blossom, marmalade, honeysuckle, and pineapple, with notes of candied citrus peel and pain perdu. The palate is rich and unctuous, with lively citrus acidity that keeps it fresh. Serve it with blue cheese, foie gras, or tarte tatin.