What is the difference between a sauternes and a barsac dessert wine?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
This is a fascinating and quite esoteric question which speaks of both the peculiarities of French appellations and subtle taste differences. There is no doubt that these "twin" denominations should be counted among the truly great and original examples of the wine world. Sauternes and Barsac both refer to sweet white wines from grapes concentrated or "roasted" - as the French say - by noble rot. Each possesses an official and separate appellation awarded in the mid-1930s. It could be argued that Sauternes was - and still is - better known, but this does not imply that Barsac is inferior. Barsac was successful in being permitted to sell their wines as Sauternes to benefit from the wider reputation of that designation (confirmed by the use of that name on poor imitations in other parts of the world). True, the most famous wine of this area, Château d'Yquem, is a Sauternes and was the only property to be ranked by itself, at the very top, as Premier Cru Supérieur in the 1855 Classification. Today, how the various properties in Barsac label their wines differs. Château Climens presents their wine as "1er Cru - Barsac" (1er = Premier) along with "Grand Vin de Sauternes." Another celebrated estate, Château Coutet, currently prints "Premier Cru Classé" as well as "Sauternes-Barsac" and "Appellation Barsac Contrôlée" on their front label. This does indeed create confusion for those who do not know the nuances of the story. The intriguing question is how these closely related sweet wine appellations differ in taste. Some would suggest that Sauternes tends to be more opulent and powerful whereas Barsac is comparatively delicate and subtle, with more apparent acidity. Yet both are can be breathtaking in their complexity after lengthy aging in bottle. One objective explanation of the seeming difference in style, as explained in the appellations rules themselves, is that, while the soils throughout are of alluvial origin, with clays, sands and gravels, in parts of Barsac the limestone substratum comes closer to the surface, aiding the formation of acidity in the grapes. There is some truth in this although any generalizations of this nature simplify a more complicated truth. In any event, someone who loves these extraordinary sweet and multidimensional nectars should make a side-by-side comparison of the two appellations to come to their own conclusions - it would be a glorious experience which will reveal many individual variations!
