1988 Château Doisy Vedrines, 12-bottle Lot, Wood Case

Château Doisy Vedrines is in the commune of Barsac, in the Sauternes appellation. It is ranked as a Second Cru Classe according to 1855 Bordeaux classification. The estate is owned by the Casteja family, a well-known negociant family that also owns several Bordeaux estates. The 67-acre estate grows 80% Semillon, 15% Sauvignon and 5% Muscadelle. It produces about 60,000 bottles of its flagship Sauternes annually. The estate also produces red and white table wines under the Chevalier de Vedrines label.

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.