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2020 Sauternes
Domaine de l’Alliance

The reasons to be overwhelmed with enthusiasm over Daniel and Valérie Alibrand’s Sauternes are bountiful, so I suggest asking one of our staff why we hold this producer in such high regard. To briefly outline it, this is truly artisanal Sauternes—made by hardworking farmers who are willing to sacrifice quantity for excellence. For example, the rigorous sorting to select the best fruit means making up to seven passes through the vineyards, picking berry by berry. The yields come out to around ten hectoliters per hectare—compare that to Château d’Yquem. Or you can forget the details and simply stick your nose into a glass of this divine nectar to comprehend our excitement.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | dessert |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 500mL |
Blend: | 85% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc & Gris, 3% Muscadelle |
Appellation: | Sauternes |
Country: | France |
Region: | Bordeaux |
Winemaker: | Valérie & Daniel Alibrand |
Vineyard: | Average of 50 years |
Soil: | Gravel, Clay, Sand |
Aging: | 20% of wine is aged in new 350-L barrels, 20% in 350-L barrels of one passage, 60% in 225-L barrels of one, two, or three passages |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2022 Graves Blanc
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Whatever snacks are on your table or picnic blanket, this blanc will fit the bill with its pretty notes of green apple, citrus, and subtle tropical fruits.

2016 Canon-Fronsac
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Divine with lemon and rosemary roasted lamb.

2020 Sauternes
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This is truly artisanal Sauternes—made by hardworking farmers who are willing to sacrifice quantity for excellence.

2017 Lalande-de-Pomerol
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A generous wine dominated by ripe black fruit with very supple, approachable tannins.

2021 Bordeaux Blanc
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Luscious and mouth-coating with generous passion fruit and lychee, yet racy at the same time.

2020 Bordeaux Blanc “Définition”
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A simply stunning white that seems to not just elevate the food on your plate, but your entire mood. Your surroundings will melt away as you get lost in your glass.

2009 Vin de France Blanc “Héréthique”
France | Bordeaux
Honeyed, richly fruity, and boasting a fascinating smoky complexity, this decadent dessert wine is truly stunning.

2018 Fronsac “Cuvée Piverts”
France | Bordeaux
Made without added sulfur, a transparent reflection of Merlot grown in the limestone and clay of Fronsac
About The Region
Bordeaux
Often considered the wine capital of the world, Bordeaux and its wines have captured the minds, hearts, and wallets of wine drinkers for centuries. For many, the wines provide an inalienable benchmark against which all other wines are measured.
Bordeaux is divided into three winegrowing regions with the city that gives the region its name in the near geographical center. The “right bank,” or the area located east of the Dordogne River, produces wines that are predominantly Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The “left bank” is located to the west of the Garonne River and produces wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
The third region, Entre-Deux-Mers, lies between both rivers and produces white wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Though technically in the left bank, it is worth noting the appellation of Sauternes, which produces arguably the world’s most famous sweet wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle as well.
Though many top Bordeaux wines are sold en primeur (in advance of their bottling) and often through a middleman known as a negoçiant, Kermit has always preferred to purchase directly from the winemaker. For more than three decades he has sought out small producers, who make classic Bordeaux wines and are willing to play outside the negoçiant system. This ethic has led to longstanding relationships, excellent prices, and perhaps most important—wines of great value and longevity.
More from Bordeaux or France
2017 Pomerol
Château Gombaude-Guillot France | Bordeaux
2019 Bordeaux Blanc “Définition”
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
2010 Canon-Fronsac
Château Moulin Pey-Labrie France | Bordeaux
2019 Pomerol “Pom ‘N’ Roll”
Château Gombaude-Guillot France | Bordeaux
2009 Vin de France Blanc “Héréthique”
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
2015 Lussac St.-Émilion MAGNUM
Château de Bellevue France | Bordeaux
2022 Sauternes
Château Roûmieu-Lacoste France | Bordeaux
2017 Lalande-de-Pomerol
Château Belles-Graves France | Bordeaux
2012 Haut-Médoc
Château Aney France | Bordeaux
2013 Lalande-de-Pomerol
Château Belles-Graves France | Bordeaux
2020 Bordeaux Blanc “Définition”
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
2019 Sauternes “Esquisse”
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
2017 Pomerol
Château Gombaude-Guillot France | Bordeaux
2019 Bordeaux Blanc “Définition”
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
2010 Canon-Fronsac
Château Moulin Pey-Labrie France | Bordeaux
2019 Pomerol “Pom ‘N’ Roll”
Château Gombaude-Guillot France | Bordeaux
2009 Vin de France Blanc “Héréthique”
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
2015 Lussac St.-Émilion MAGNUM
Château de Bellevue France | Bordeaux
2022 Sauternes
Château Roûmieu-Lacoste France | Bordeaux
2017 Lalande-de-Pomerol
Château Belles-Graves France | Bordeaux
2012 Haut-Médoc
Château Aney France | Bordeaux
2013 Lalande-de-Pomerol
Château Belles-Graves France | Bordeaux
2020 Bordeaux Blanc “Définition”
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
2019 Sauternes “Esquisse”
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171