The Sauternes region, which extends southeast from Bordeaux for 40km along the left bank of the Garonne, is an ancient wine-making area, originally planted during the Roman occupation. The distinctive golden wine of the area is certainly sweet, but also round, full-bodied and spicy, with a long aftertaste. It's not necessarily a dessert wine, either: try it with some Roquefort cheese. Gravelly terraces with a limestone subsoil help create the delicious taste, but mostly it's due to a peculiar microclimate of morning autumn mists and afternoons of sun and heat which causes Botrytis cinerea fungus, or "noble rot", to flourish on the grapes, letting the sugar concentrate and introducing some intense flavours. When they're picked, they're not a pretty sight: carefully selected by hand, only the most shrivelled, rotting bunches are taken. The wines of Sauternes make up some of the most highly sought-after in the world, with bottles of Château d'Yquem, in particular, fetching thousands of euros.SAUTERNES itself is a fairly quiet little village surrounded by vines and dominated by the Maison du Sauternes (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat & Sun 10am–7pm; tel 05.56.76.69.83) at one end of the village, with a pretty church at the other. The maison is a room full of treasures, the golden bottles with white and gold labels being quite beautiful objects in themselves. Although they do offer tastings, staff are unfortunately rather snooty about it, unless you obviously intend to buy. There are two good places to eat in Sauternes. By the church, the Auberge Les Vignes (tel 05.56.76.60.06; closed Mon evening & Feb) is a typical country restaurant with regional specialities like grillades aux Sauternes (meats grilled over vine clippings), a great wine list and a menu at €9.91. The other option is the more refined Le Saprien (tel 05.56.76.60.87; closed Christmas & Feb, also Mon and for dinner Sun & Wed), opposite the tourist office, combining regional-style elements with modern eclectic additions and featuring menus from €18.14. Ten kilometres south of Sauternes, the ruinous curtain walls and corner towers of a colossal moated Château (daily: Jan–April & Oct–Dec 2–5pm; June & Sept 10am–12.30pm & 2–7pm; July & Aug 10am–7pm; €3.05) still dominate VILLANDRAUT. The castle was built by Pope Clement V, a native of the area who caused a schism by moving the papacy to Avignon in the fourteenth century. You can visit his tomb in the even smaller village of UZESTE en route to BAZAS, 15km east, with its laid-back, southern air. Bazas' most attractive feature is the wide, arcaded place de la Cathédrale, overlooked by the grey, lichen-covered Cathédrale St-Jean-Baptiste, which displays a harmonious blend of Romanesque, Gothic and classical styles in its west front. For places to stay in Bazas try the cheap, friendly Hostellerie St-Sauveur, 14 cours du Général-de-Gaulle (tel 05.56.25.12.18; €30–40; closed Sun Oct–June), or the plush Domaine de Fompeyre, on the southern edge of town (tel 05.56.25.98.00, [email protected]; €70–85), which has a restaurant (closed Sun eve Nov to mid-April; from €27.44). Other good places to eat are Les Remparts, off the central square (tel 05.56.25.95.24; closed Sun evening & Mon, and evenings Nov–March), for delicious local specialities and menus from €10.67, and the cosy Bistrot St-Jean nearby (lunch only Oct–May; from €11.43).
| 