'Crazy' Sauternes high speed rail plans will jeopardise noble rot, says winemaker union — decanter.com

Chateau d'Yquem in Sauternes. Xavier Planty, co-owner of Chateau Guiraud and president of the local winemakers’ union, said the rail line would destroy the microclimate in Sauternes and Barsac, jeopardising the formation of noble rot that is so crucial to the areas’ renowned sweet wines. Construction plans for the new line – called GPSO or Grand Projet ferroviaire du Sud-Ouest and set connect Toulouse, Bordeaux and northern Spain – were outlined in October 2013. It would not be ready until 2027.

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