From Sauterne to Glenmorangie

No, we haven't changed our profile, it's all about the wood. It's about the wood that can bind two famous and special drinks, Sauterne wine and Glenmorangie whisky. I mean, the cask.

Sauterne, the sweet wine of the Bordeaux region

Sauterne is a sweet wine from the Bordeaux region of France. It's not exactly clear when it first appeared but it became famous thanks to the third American president, Thomas Jefferson. Before becoming president, he was ambassador to France, during which time he was heavily involved in the wine business.

In order to be recognized as Sauterne by the specialists, the wine must meet 3 requirements: the grapes must be from the Sauterne sub-region of the Bordeaux region, have a minimum of 13% alcohol and be sweet. The high sugar concentration is due to a noble mold present in the grapes. The area favors the development of this mould in the autumn, when the hills are shrouded in mist and the air is very humid. The mold lowers the water content of the grapes, increasing the sugar content.

Industrially, it is difficult to reproduce the natural process. To increase the sugar concentration, grape juice is extracted using a process called Cryoextraction. The grapes are first frozen and then pressed, resulting in a highly concentrated sweet juice.

The wine is matured in oak barrels between 18 and 36 months. French and American oak is most commonly used, but Russian and Hungarian oak barrels are also available. Sometimes the barrels are burned inside to add butter and vanilla flavors. During the maturation period the wine interacts with the barrel resulting in a mature, sweet wine with fruity flavors of apricots, peaches, nuts and honey. In turn, the barrel is imbued with the sweetness of the wine as well as its flavors.

Sweet-flavored casks ennoble Scotch whisky

After the maturing period in barrels, the wine is moved into bottles where it stays until it reaches the table. The barrels used for Sauterne are of very high quality. The vineyard owners in the area invest a lot of money to make a great and expensive wine and can't afford to use bad barrels. They are highly prized by whisky producers in Scotland, where they are sent at the end of the maturing period.

The whisky sits in these casks for between 3 and 40 years, sometimes even longer, acquiring a "Sauterne Finish" as the producers say. The best-known aged brands are Glenmorangie, Arran and Octomore.

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