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Sauternes covers about 1,700 hectares south of Bordeaux. Yields at the top are around 9–15 hl/ha because the grapes are picked shrivelled by botrytis in several passes, and some years produce nothing worth the label. Land values are far below the Médoc's despite the labour.
The essentials
Economics in brief
Sauternes covers about 1,700 hectares south of Bordeaux. Yields at the top are around 9–15 hl/ha because the grapes are picked shrivelled by botrytis in several passes, and some years produce nothing worth the label. Land values are far below the Médoc's despite the labour.
Key facts
Area
≈ 1,700 haCIVB
Classification
1855 (Premier Cru Supérieur: Yquem; 11 premiers crus; 15 seconds)
Typical top yield
9–15 hl/ha
The numbers, for the curious
All regions →| Input | Low | Mid | High | Unit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrel aging before bottling2024 | 16 | 19 | 22 | months | Estate technical sheets |
| New French oak barrique (225 l)2025 | 800 | 1,050 | 1,300 | EUR/barrel | Cooperage price lists and trade report… |
| Importer + retailer margin2024 | 25 | 42 | 60 | % on cost | Merchant price lists vs release prices |
| Négociant margin on the Place de Bordeaux2024 | 10 | 15 | 20 | % of ex-château price | Trade reporting on the Place de Bordea… |
| Bulk red Bordeaux AOC, per tonneau of 900 litres2025 | 793 | 943 | 1,000 | EUR/tonneau | CIVB bulk-wine prices for the 2025–26 … |
| Hand harvest2024 | 2,500 | 3,750 | 5,000 | EUR/ha | Trade reporting on Médoc harvest labou… |
| Vineyard labour and operations, classified growth2024 | 15,000 | 22,500 | 30,000 | EUR/ha/year | Estate interviews and CIVB cost survey… |
| Vineyard land, generic Bordeaux AOC2024 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 14,000 | EUR/ha | SAFER 2024 |
| Bottle, cork, capsule, label, case2025 | 3 | 6 | 8 | EUR/bottle | Supplier price lists |
| Yield at classified growths2024 | 30 | 38 | 45 | hl/ha | Estate technical sheets and appellatio… |
Where the inputs come from
- Estate technical sheets (first growths 18–22 months)
- Cooperage price lists and trade reporting (Wine Industry Network, Wines & Vines), 2024–2025
- Merchant price lists vs release prices
- Trade reporting on the Place de Bordeaux (Liv-ex, Decanter)
- CIVB bulk-wine prices for the 2025–26 campaign, as reported by Vitisphere, 19 November 2025
- Trade reporting on Médoc harvest labour
- Estate interviews and CIVB cost surveys as reported in the trade press
- SAFER / FNSAFER, Le prix des terres 2024 — the official 2024 vineyard-value table (Décision du 26 août 2025, from SAFER data) as reproduced by Fidecorex, 10 February 2026
- Supplier price lists; heavy glass and wooden cases at the top
- Estate technical sheets and appellation maxima (Pauillac AOC max 57 hl/ha)
Producers
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The regionBordeauxThe home of the classic red blend.About the regionSources
- Appellation fact sheets, CIVB / INAO, 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
- Le prix des terres — vignes, SAFER / FNSAFER, 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026. FNSAFER figures as reproduced in the official 2024 vineyard-value table (Décision du 26 août 2025), on a page that opens from outside France.
Last reviewed: September 2026Report an error on this page