In order to be happy, we have to preserve our haven of peace and nature! This could be the motto of this small terroir, located in the extension of the North coast of Monbazillac. In the South West of Bergerac, Saussignac offers a rural environment, with a harmonized relief in a charming maze of craggy hillsides. A wonderful frame for such a beautiful wine…
Nature and Mankind
With a huge respect for the landscape and this generous land, the winemakers (of whom a large part works organically) care about their vines, like gardeners, to produce their range of Bergerac appellations: dry white, red and soft. They keep the quintessence of their Sémillon grapes for their sweet cuvées (with a bit of Muscadelle, Sauvignon and sometimes Chenin).
The common “Saussignac” appellation is exclusively reserved to sweet cuvées since 2005 and its decree seems to be driven by nature and the will of extreme quality. This decree is one of the strictest concerning sweet wines appellation.
Four lovely towns benefit from the appellation:
- Gageac Rouillac
- Saussignac,
- Razac de Saussignac
- Monestier.
What a rot…
A hillside line longing the river on a few kilometers gives the ideal setting to produce exceptional sweet wines.
The morning fogs and the season of autumn encourage the noble rot phenomenon (botrytis cinerea) on the grapes which are then picked by successive selections.
There is a particularity: the sugar concentration of the grapes must be exclusively the result of the natural concentration of the grape berry by the action of the noble rot. In other words, there are no ways of adding sugar after.
A raw material with which the Saussignac winemakers work with passion, patience and a certain risk appetite.
Indeed, Mother Nature decides the future of late harvests. In case of excessive rain during the successive selections, harvest can become very complicated and random.
The noble rot (botrytis cinerea)
However, Mother Nature does wonderful things, and the great wines give winemakers a pure nectar to reward them for their efforts!
