Almost since the harvest was gathered in, rumours had been flying around that the white, sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac were extremely good. But as it turns out this was a huge understatement. 2001 has produced a truly exceptional crop of hedonistic Sauternes, equalling and even surpassing the greatest vintages of the last 50 years like 1990, 1988, 1976 and 1967. Some owners and critics are heralding it as the finest vintage ever.

Even better news is that it is not only the top châteaux that have excelled, but many of the lesser estates too. The only down side is that, in a similar manner to the 2000 Reds, demand is outstripping supply - we can only hope we can purchase enough of the crop to sate our customers' thirst.