2005 Château De Malle, 375ml, 6-bottle Lot

Château de Malle has been in the de Malle family since the 17th century, when Jacques de Malle, president of the parliament of Bordeaux, built the estate. The 125-acre estate has vineyards in the villages of Preignac, Fargues and Toulenne, and was designated as a Grand Cru Classé de Sauternes in the 1855 classification. In the 1950s the estate passed to Pierre de Bournazel, nephew of the owner. Today the estate is run by the current generation of de Bournazel family. Château de Malle produces Graves red and white wines as well as Sauternes. The Sauternes often earn ratings in the low to mid-90s from reviewers.

Sauternes makes the world’s most famous dessert wines. Though the appellation lies within the Graves region of Bordeaux’s left bank, the appellation makes only sweet wines from white grapes, primarily Semillon sometimes blended with small amounts of Muscadelle. The five communes within Sauternes are Barsac, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Sauternes. Barsac also has its own appellation and, typically, Barsac wines are slightly drier and lighter than other Sauternes. Sauternes are made when weather conditions result in a mold called Botrytis cinerea developing on the grapes, which causes them to become especially sweet. Sauternes are not produced every vintage, so successful vintages become especially collectible. Sauternes estates were classified in 1855, and Château d’Yquem, the appellation’s most prestigious estate, was ranked in a class by itself as a Premier Grand Cru. Château d’Yquem wines are among the most prized wines in the world.