Lot presentation

Monbazillac Château La Brie (no reserve) 1981

The wine

Monbazillac is one of the south-west France AOCs. It is often wrongly classified among Bordeaux's wines, and spelled with a "t". This wine was well-known in the 14th century and exported to northern Europe. In the 18th century virtually all of Monbazillac's production was exported to Holland. The vinification process for Monbazillac is similar to that used in Sauternes, but the wines are quite different: traditionally powerful and full-bodied, Monbazillac develops flavours of honey and wild flowers. It also has a higher alcohol content than Sauternes and requires many years of ageing in the cellar before it reaches its full expression.