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B-21 Top Recommendation
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Featured in a range of formats and vintages cellared in perfect conditions, Sauternes fans and those looking to explore them won't need an excuse or special occasion to enjoy this thrilling, top scoring selection from Chateau Suduiraut, boasting fresh, opulent honeyed fruit perfectly balanced by savory acidity, offering a not to be missed opportunity for both collectors and newbies to stock up on at bargain pricing and enjoy over the next decades.
Set among exquisite gardens designed by the creator of the Sun King's grounds at the Palace of Versailles, the majestic two-story turret-flanked Chateau Suduiraut is one of Bordeaux's most beautiful estates, located just to the north of Chateau d'Yquem with 92 hectares of sloping organically farmed vineyards planted with mostly Semillon vines averaging 30 years of age. After harvesting the botrytized grapes over multiple passes with strict selection employed in the vineyard, longtime technical director Pierre Montegut vinified the Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes in French oak, blending mostly Semillon with small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc, then aged it on the lees in 50% new French oak barrels for 18-24 months, yielding its signature perfumed aromas with rich and decadent spiced fruit, balanced with energetic acidity and epic length. Describing it as "a mood altering wine," the 95 pt. 2004 Suduiraut boasts "a range of honeyed flavors that never seems to stop" according to Wine and Spirits, while the Wine Advocate's Robert Parker Jr. declares the 95 pt. 2006 Suduiraut "unctuously textured, with superb, full-bodied richness, good underlying acidity, and a stunning finish." Boasting "a beautiful razor-sharp line of acidity that effortlessly slices through all that pure botrytised fruit," Neal Martin of Vinous calls the 98 pt. 2009 Suduiraut a "benchmark Suduiraut" and declares the 96 pt. 2010 Chateau Suduiraut "simply magnificent" and "a candidate for best Sauternes of the vintage." Vinous critic Antonio Galloni declares the "fabulous" 97 pt. 2016 Suduiraut "such a gorgeous wine," delivering a remarkable combination of flavor and intensity yet remaining "gracious and classy," while the Wine Enthusiast's Roger Voss calls it "a great wine with a long-term future."
Whether selecting a few favorites or mixing a case, these magical vintages of Chateau Suduiraut are crafted to reveal their layered complexity over the next decades, their rich palate deftly balanced by an energizing lift of acidity, guaranteeing a pleasurable evolution for years to come. Christian Seely, AXA's charismatic managing director behind Chateau Suduiraut, describes tasting these elegantly crafted Sauternes well: "It is above all a supremely pleasurable wine, and one that needs no excuse, context or pairing: You can just open it for the sheer pleasure of the thing." Never more true at these exceptional bargain prices. |
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Lively and elegant, the 2006 Suduiraut reveals aromas of baked pineapple, ripe orchard fruits, spices and a vanilla pod mingled with delicate notes of caramel. Medium to full-bodied, rich and seamless, it’s perfectly balanced with a fleshy core of fruit, an enrobing and deep texture with racy acids and a long, tense and mineral finish. This blend of 96% Sémillon and 4% Sauvignon Blanc, containing 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, was picked in three tries between September 11 and November 7 and was matured for 18m months in 50% new oak barrels and 50% one-year-old used barrels. It could age gracefully over the next 20 years.
95 points, Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate (Jun 2024)
Very opulent, the wine has a velvet, honeyed texture. This richness translates into the flavors, which are of yellow fruits, hinting at mango with lychee spice. Its density lingers, with freshness coming through at the end.
95 points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (Mar 2009)
A relatively cool but early harvest, with small yields but widespread noble rot, and this has beautiful concentration with attractive and subtle campfire smoke on the opening. Deep burnt gold and amber colour, cigar box, saffron, candied fruits, oyster shell, salinity, a little more evolved than the 2005, but totally charming. 138g/l residual sugar, 50% new barrels. Pierre Montegut technical director.
94 points, Jane Anson (Jul 2026)
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