DaveO - excellent & informative post! What I add is because Sauternes is a particular favourite of mine... *g*

Sauternes for a little more info about Sauternes, which is defintely a sub-regional name i.e. it's a sub-set of Bordeaux whites... I believe that there have been problems with Sauternes production (i.e. a reduction in the grape harvest) over the last few years.

Certainly as little as 5 years ago you could get a bottle of Sauternes for @£12 in the UK. This year, I'm seeing £12 for a half bottle. QED.

In general, all I'll say about wine is: buy it, try it, remember it if you like it; & ignore the price at all times! There is an immense amount of snobbery in the wine world, & no reason to suppose that, for the average palate, a £30/$50 bottle is any better than a £3/$5 bottle!