Sauternes 2020 Château d'Armajan des Ormes

The Sauternes 2020 from Château d'Armajan des Ormes is one of the most elegant and approachable bottles of this mythical Bordeaux appellation — awarded two stars in the Hachette Wine Guide 2024. This dessert wine from a property whose history stretches back before Charles IX embodies with grace and balance all that the Sauternais produces at its most seductive. A Sauternes of roundness, complexity and generosity that far exceeds its rank and price.

Terroir and estate

Stemming from a long winemaking lineage dating to 1828, Jacques and Guillaume Perromat, the sixth generation, run Château d'Armajan des Ormes, ennobled in 1565 by a visit from Charles IX and Catherine de Medici. The vineyard, planted across ten hectares in the heart of Sauternes, rests on the argilo-calcareous soils characteristic of the region, where Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle find their richest and most complex expression. The blend comprises 70 per cent Sémillon, 25 per cent Sauvignon and five per cent Muscadelle. Sémillon, the king grape of Sauternes, is particularly susceptible to Botrytis cinerea — the noble rot that develops on the berries thanks to the morning mists of the Ciron, that cool river running alongside the vineyard, and to sunny afternoons that slowly dry them. This beneficial fungus concentrates the sugars, acidity and aromas of the grapes, giving these wines their richness, complexity and exceptional ageing potential. Harvesting is manual, conducted through five successive passes, with gravity filling of the press and pneumatic pressing to avoid oxidation and favour aromatic expression. Fermentations are slow, in small-capacity stainless steel vats, using parcel-by-parcel vinification to allow selection of the finest lots. Ageing then lasts between 18 and 24 months in oak barrels. The estate has been in organic conversion since 2020.

Tasting profile

The colour is a pale, bright and seductive yellow. The bouquet is still restrained, revealing fine notes of acacia flower and candied citrus. The nose opens onto mango, dried apricot and honeyed yuzu, with subtle hints of vanillin and candied ginger. On the palate, powerful candied flavours unfold, well supported by elegant oak, in a register both rich and well-balanced. The structure is round and balanced, with notes of sweet spices, pepper and candied fruit — orange, apricot. The palate is luxuriant and unctuous, with an acidity that lifts and balances the sweetness, bringing freshness and a dynamic quality that extends the finish with distinction. A Sauternes best appreciated between 2026 and 2038 to fully savour its complexity, and already highly pleasant from now.

The estate

The Perromats come from a long winemaking line in Entre-deux-Mers and the Graves dating to 1828. The family runs two crus in the Sauternais: Le Juge, acquired in 1992 and dominated by a seventeenth-century château occupied after the Revolution by a justice of the peace; and its neighbour Armajan des Ormes, ten hectares, ennobled in 1565 by a visit from Charles IX and Catherine de Medici. This double historical and family heritage, combined with an organic approach undertaken since 2020, makes Château d'Armajan des Ormes one of the most sincere and consistent addresses in the Sauternais.

Food pairings

This 2020 Sauternes will pair beautifully with semi-cooked foie gras with sweet spices, aged Roquefort on caramelised walnuts, apricot and almond tart, candied citrus dessert or vanilla crème brûlée. It will also be delicious as an aperitif, served between 8 and 10°C, with a few slices of melon or homemade foie gras terrine. Its richness and complexity make it an ideal companion to slightly spiced Asian cuisines or blue cheeses of character.