Robert Parker has awarded it two perfect reviews, Jeb Dunnuck has touted it as one of the world’s greatest sweet wines, and Jancis Robinson has called it “liquid gold...made painstakingly.” Any betting man with wine prowess would go all-in on “it” being a $200+ bottle from Château d’Yquem, but in today’s case, the betting man would lose big. About 50 miles east of Bordeaux lies pastoral Monbazillac in the larger Dordogne, home to the glorious, Goliath-toppling sweet wines from Château Tirecul La Gravière.

Around here, nobody comes close to matching their profound richness and harmony, and “Cuvée Madame” is their top-shelf, minimally produced grail. As a matter of fact, one could confidently state that Tirecul La Gravière is to Monbazillac as d’Yquem is to Sauternes. No, they don’t have the global renown or ancient allure of d’Yquem, but back-to-back perfect scores just three years removed from their inaugural vintage in 1991 forever put them on the radar of dessert-wine insiders. And the lengths they go to make this wine? Unfathomable. This wine is generally hand-harvested over an entire month, berry by berry, with proprietors Claudia and Bruno Bilarcini sometimes combing each row of vines up to five times per day. After years of aging in brand new French barrels, microscopic quantities are released from their cellar in 500ml bottles. The good news is that our meager supply is well-compensated by the extreme hedonism and massively savory liquid inside. As evidenced by the ridiculous $50 price, this is still a closely-held secret in the broader luxury wine world—but trust me when I tell you that doesn’t stop it from being painfully hard to come by. This ‘02 is a legendary find! Up to six per person. 

Generally speaking, crafting world-class wine takes decades, but in a matter of three vintages, Tirecul La Gravière’s wines were already stunning wine critics: When Robert Parker tasted their then-unheard of 1994 “Cuvée Madame,” he exclaimed it “may be one of the two or three greatest sweet wines I have ever tasted.” A fluke? Not a chance: The following year, he tasted the ‘95 and upped the ante when saying “there is no doubt in my mind...it’s as profound a sweet wine as I have ever tasted.” That coveted, perfectly-scored ‘95 can still be had for $200+ if you can find a bottle, but I’d urge you to instead hoard this 2002 while it’s available. It is impeccably balanced and luxurious, exactly what I demand from the finest dessert wines of the world.

Château Tirecul La Gravière was founded by Claudia and Bruno Bilarcini in 1992 when they lucked into a top “cru” in Monbazillac, a sweet-wine-producing region that was among France’s first six wine AOCs in 1936 (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Arbois, Tavel, Cognac, and Cassis were the others). They’ve become the shining beacon of their region in remarkably short order, and that’s because the Bilarcinis put in serious work. By farming their vines organically and making multiple passes through the vineyard each day, over the course of 3-4 weeks, they ensure an optimal yet microscopic selection (a mere 8hl/ha) of noble rot berries. But they don’t snip off the entire cluster. Instead, they painstakingly select each berry and delicately transport the small percentage of winners to their cellar. Here, the highly concentrated juice is gently pressed out of the noble-rot berries and gravity fed into new French barrels for an ambient fermentation that lasts around six months. The wine then ages in new French barrels for 24-36 months before bottling. 

Although less than 50 miles from Sauternes, the predominant grape here is Muscadelle instead of Sémillon, and it makes for a slightly different—but no less profound—aromatic and textural makeup. This 2002 is a fairly equal blend of the two prized sweet-wine grapes, and it reveals a brilliant deep gold hue and extreme viscosity in the glass. You’ll uncover intoxicating, high-intensity notes of marmalade, quince paste, grilled pineapple, acacia honey, and apricot nectar followed by wet stone, honeysuckle, peach blossom, baking spice, and candied nuts. But the best part is the superb balance and freshness on the palate. Many Sauternes (many d’Yquem bottlings, actually) can be cloying and overwhelming sweet but not today’s “Cuvée Madame!” This is all class and refinement thanks to a higher-acid vintage and expert farming/craftsmanship. With its opulent layers of tropical and candied stone fruit, soft minerality, and pronounced spice, it’s nothing short of sensational, and it’s still got all the time in the world. I can definitely see this lasting another 20 years, easily, but please do open a bottle today. Serve a few ounces around 55 degrees in all-purpose stems then push the cork in tight and stow it in the fridge—you’ll get a week’s worth of enjoyment out of it. What a wine, what a find! For $50, all I can say is au revoir for now, d’Yquem!