2010 Château Suduiraut, Sauternes, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
13.8% alcohol, 145gm/L residual sugar. Tasted at the Suduiraut vertical at the château.
The 2010 Suduiraut, picked from 22 September until 9 November in five tries through the vineyard, has a drop-dead gorgeous bouquet that is delineated and detailed. There are copious scents of dried honey, apricot, white peach and just a hint of melted candle wax. The palate is very well balanced with great depth. It boasts layers of rich botrytised fruit; you can feel the weight here but not the heaviness, thanks to that killer line of acidity. This 2010 has long been one of the finest Sauternes of the vintage and continues to amaze. Fabulous, even if not quite up there with the imperious 2009.
Drink 2020 - 2065
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (March 2019)
Bright, pale yellow-gold. Captivating aromas of tropical fruits, vanilla and creme brulee are complicated by honeyed botrytis. It enters the mouth smoothly, balanced, and fresh, showing building sweetness and complexity in its pure, rich mango, papaya, ginger, and citrus flavours. This large-scaled Sauternes admirably combines power and grace, finishing pure and long.
Jean-Rene Martignon, technical director of the AXA-Millesime properties, told me that the grapes were harvested in five successive tries: the first yielded four barrels of wine with very pure botrytis and high acidity, while seven days later, a second trie gave more concentrated juice, but both of these passes through the vines went into the estate's second wine, Castelnau de Suduiraut.
Ian D'Agata, Vinous.com (August 2011)
One of the highest points of this vertical tasting, the 2010 Suduiraut reveals a dense, powerful bouquet of ripe apricots, exotic fruit, mango, pineapple, saffron and spices. More solar than the 2009 and with a full-bodied structure, it’s rich and concentrated, layered and seamless with a fleshy core of fruit and stunning controlled power, finishing long and mineral with bright acids. This stunning blend of 90% Sémillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested between September 22 and November 9 in five tries, was matured for 20 months in oak barrels (50% new, 50% one year) and contains 145 grams per litre of residual sugar.
Drink 2020 - 2060
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate (June 2024)
90% Sémillon, 10% Sauvignon Blanc. Harvested 22 September to 9 November (5 tris). Yield 20 hl/ha. Aged 20 months in oak barrels (50% new, 50% one year). RS 145 g/l, TA 3.6.
Rich and intense but less giving than 2009 at the moment. Unctuous and fat on the palate with plenty of reserve. It misses a little freshness but has plenty of matière for ageing. Worth waiting.
Drink 2020 - 2040
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com (December 2023)
Expressive fruity nose in this top Sauternes with ripe orange, apricot and pineapple. Candied orange peel, white peach and orange blossom. This Sauternes is elegant and with wonderfully balanced sweetness on the palate. Good structure and length. Vibrant acidity and lots of spice in the excellent finish. Excellent.
Drink or hold
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (February 2013)
About this WINE
Chateau Suduiraut
Château Suduiraut is located in the commune of Preignac and its vineyards border those of d`Yquem. The property has a long history stretching back to the 15th century. Only a solitary wing remains of the original château, as it was destroyed by the Duc d`Eperon in the 16th century. The present château was built in the 17th century by the Suduiraut family, who also commissioned a spectacular garden designed by Le Nôtre. Suduiraut was classified as a 1er Cru Classé in 1855.
Since 1992 Suduiraut has been owned by AXA which also owns Château Pichon-Longueville in Pauillac and Château Petit-Village in Pomerol.
Suduiraut's 90 hectares of vineyards are planted with 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are harvested in several "tries" and are fermented in 50-hectolitre stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged in small barriques (33% new) for 24 months.
Suduiraut's winemaker Pierre Pascaud has produced a series of outstanding wines which are powerful, complex and beautifully harmonious. The wines show at their best with at least 10 years of bottle age.
Sauternes
Sauternes is where arguably the world's finest sweet white wines are produced. The Sauternes appellation actually consists of five communes: Barsac, Preignac, Bommes, Fargues and Sauternes itself. Barsac is also an appellation in its own right.
Sauternes literally has an atmosphere different from any of the other major communes. At the southern tip of the Graves,close to the Garonne, not only is the land hillier and decidedly more bucolic but it also enjoys a specific mesoclimate of evening autumn mists which linger until well into the following day, unless burnt off by warm sunshine.
The mists are caused by the cool, spring-fed waters of the Ciron River meeting the warmer tidal Garonne, and the result is an ideal environment for the growth of the mould botrytis cinerea. When its arrival is felicitous, it feeds on the water in the ripe grapes, dehydrating them and leaving sweet, shriveled fruit.Other regions in Bordeaux (ie Cadillac, Loupiac) produce wines in a similar style from the same method, but none achieve the profundity and complexity of Sauternes.
Recommended Châteaux : Ch. D'Yquem, Ch. Climens (Barsac), Ch. Suduiraut, Ch. Rieussec, Sigalas- Rabaud, Ch. Coutet (Barsac), Ch. de Fargues, Ch. Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Ch. Doisy-Védrines (Barsac), Chateau Partarrieu, La Tour Blanche
Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon
The blend used for White Graves and Sauternes and rarely encountered outside France. In the great dry whites of Graves, Sauvignon Blanc tends to predominate in the blend, although properties such as Smith Haut Lafite use 100% Sauvignon Blanc while others such as Laville Haut Brion have as much as 60% Sémillon in their final blends. Sauvignon Blanc wines can lose their freshness and fruit after a couple of years in bottle - if blended with Sémillon, then the latter bolsters the wine when the initial fruit from the Sauvignon fades. Ultimately Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine its aroma and raciness while Sémillon gives it backbone and longevity.
In Sauternes, Sémillon is dominant, with Sauvignon Blanc playing a supporting role - it is generally harvested about 10 days before Sémillon and the botrytis concentrates its sweetness and dampens Sauvignon Blanc`s naturally pungent aroma. It contributes acidity, zip and freshness to Sauternes and is an important component of the blend.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
One of the highest points of this vertical tasting, the 2010 Suduiraut reveals a dense, powerful bouquet of ripe apricots, exotic fruit, mango, pineapple, saffron and spices. More solar than the 2009 and with a full-bodied structure, it’s rich and concentrated, layered and seamless with a fleshy core of fruit and stunning controlled power, finishing long and mineral with bright acids. This stunning blend of 90% Sémillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested between September 22 and November 9 in five tries, was matured for 20 months in oak barrels (50% new, 50% one year) and contains 145 grams per litre of residual sugar.
Drink 2020 - 2060
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate (June 2024)
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee