Who makes it
South-facing vineyards above the Garonne are the setting for Château La Rame, a Bordeaux estate 40 kilometers southeast of Bordeaux in Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. Its main vineyard averages 50 years of vine age and is planted to Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The estate works across dry white wine and sweet Sainte-Croix-du-Mont styles.
Where it grows
Sainte-Croix-du-Mont is a 250 hectare appellation on the right bank of the Garonne that produces sweet wines. The appellation's wines carry ripe fruit and white flower aromas, with rich, finely balanced sweetness and a style often compared with the classified grand crus of Sauternes.
What they make
Château La Rame 2021 is the dry white wine in the range, made from 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc with no oak ageing. At 12.5% ABV, it drinks like Sauvignon Blanc without cutting acidity and works as an aperitif, with shellfish, or alongside grilled fish.
Sainte-Croix-du-Mont Tradition is the sweet wine, harvested entirely by hand in successive passes over several weeks to gather fruit affected by noble rot. Fermentation lasts three to six weeks at controlled temperature, followed by two years in tank before bottling. The two wines differ in sweetness, oak and ageing.