2023 Château Suduiraut, Sauternes, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
The 2023 Suduiraut is pure Sémillon that was picked from the end of September with more passerillage berries. After the rain, the first botrytis picking began on October 1 and lasted over the next 12 days, when botrytization was rapid. Seventy percent of the crop was picked on this date, which was essential for maintaining purity of fruit. The harvest concluded on October 17 after three tries through the vineyard. Matured in 50% new oak, it has a lovely, beguiling bouquet with dried honey, quince, almond and saffron aromas that are beautifully defined. The palate is well balanced with a spicy, tensile opening. Very impressive richness matches with a silver bead of acidity here. This is armed with immense purity on the finish that effortlessly manages the 150g/L residual sugar. Supremely gifted Suduiraut, ahoy.
Drink 2027 - 2070
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (April 2024)
The 2023 Suduiraut (100% Sémillon) is a real stunner. Light on its feet yet wonderfully deep, the 2023 offers up a heady mix of tangerine oil, mint, white flowers, apricot and passion fruit. Readers will find a Sauternes that is more finesse than power. The 2023 is essentially a blend of three picks. The first was done at the end of September and accounted for 20% of the crop. The core of the vineyard, about 75%, was picked in a day ten window in October, following the September rains. A smaller third pick rounded out the harvest.
Drink 2026 - 2043
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (April 2024)
Pale lemon-gold in color, the 2023 Suduiraut swans out of the glass with flamboyant notes of candied orange peel, lemon meringue pie, lime cordial, and beeswax, followed by hints of preserved ginger, allspice, and white truffle. The palate is both rich and bursting with freshness, delivering waves of baking spice and citrus preserve flavors, leading to incredible length and layers on the finish of this stunning wine. This is 100% Semillon, with a pH of 3.80 and 150 g/l of residual sugar.
Drink 2029 - 2065
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (May 2024)
100% Sémillon. RS 150 g/l. Cask sample.
Golden hue. Marmalade and barley-sugar notes on the nose. Smooth and suave on attack with a density of fruit behind. Sweet but refreshing, the bitter-botrytised character and enhanced acidity leaving the palate fresh and clean. Very pure and long. Appetising and with great potential.
Drink 2029 - 2055
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2024)
The purity of the botrytis grabs your attention, with density and intensity to the dried fruit, sweetness and length. Very spicy and long. Almost oily. Really rich. 150g/L residual sugar. 100% semillon.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (April 2024)
Killer juice, the 2023 Château Suduiraut has a drop-dead gorgeous nose of honeyed orange, white flowers, warm croissant, and spice. This carries to a full-bodied Sauternes with a round, layered mouthfeel, terrific sweetness of fruit, and bright acidity.
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (May 2024)
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
Sémillon
The main grape for Sauternes and particularly successfully grown in Australia's Hunter Valley. Hunter Valley Sémillon is one of Australia’s iconic and unique wines, totally unlike any wine produced elsewhere in the world from the same grape variety.
In youth the wines are quite citrusy and fresh, but are generally perceived to gain hugely in complexity as they age and are deemed to be best drunk when at least 5 years old, frequently lasting for 10 or more years. Unusually for Australia, the alcohol levels rarely exceed 11.5%.
In Bordeaux it is the most widely planted white grape and is blended with Sauvignon Blanc to produce the great long-lived dry whites of Graves as well as the great sweet wines of Sauternes. It is high in alcohol and extract and relatively low in aroma and acidity. Its thin skin makes it very susceptible to botrytis which is prerequisite for the making of Sauternes. It responds well to oak ageing and, while having a lightly lemony aroma when young develops lanolin flavours which some describe as "waxy", as well as a rich, creamy, intense, texture and a deep golden colour.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Blend: 100% Sémillon.
This is an exceptionally good Suduiraut. The hot and dry September had not encouraged any botrytis; a first picking of raisined grapes took placed from 18th-27th September. Late-September rain trigged the botrytis, with the grapes reaching full maturity from 2nd-11th October; this fruit represents the qualitative heart of the vintage. There was a small, final picking on 17th October. In freshness and intensity, there are similarities with the outstanding 2021, with lifted and vibrant aromas of honey, orange marmalade and apricot. It is less rich than 2022 at 150 g/L of sugar.
Drink 2028 - 2060
Our score: 17.5/20
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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