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A nice example of one of the Bordeaux regional maps from Louis Larmat's important atlas of the French Wine Country Atlas De La France Vinicole -- Les Vins de Bordeaux. The map focuses on a small region around Pregnaic, twenty miles upriver from Bordeaux. The tiny region hosts some of the best winemakers in the world, known for their distinctive sweet wines.
Sauternes are one of the most unique Bordeaux wines produced. Affected by the noble rot Botrytis cinerea, the develop a sweet taste which render them more similar to German wines than the other French wines of the region. While several other Sauternes and Barsac wines are well-known, including La Tour Blanche and Guirud, none have achieved the reputation or taste of Chateau d'Yquem. This wine has a long and storied history, dating to well before the twelve crates that Jefferson convinced Washington to order.
The appellation of Sauternes can be used to describe the region shown in yellow. In addition, wines from the northern part of this small region can also use the appellation Barsac.
Lamat's Atlas de la France Vinicole was an interesting treatise on the wines of France, complete with descriptions of the wines of each region and maps the great chateaus. After the success of this first volume covering the wines of Bordeaux, Larmat went on to issue separate volumes on Burgundy, Cotes de Rhone, Champagne, the Loire, and Cognac.
