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.
On another level, the 2020 Château Suduiraut is flat-out stunning and boasts a phenomenal array of orange blossom, honeyed minerality, lychee nut, caramelized peach, and assorted spices. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it nevertheless has the vintage’s riveting purity and precision. Sauternes doesn't get much better.
98 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Mar 2023)
What an amazing nose of tropical fruits like lychees, mangoes and pineapples, with botrytis spice, too. Full and very layered with candied apple, tangerines and kumquats. Sweet and so balanced. Super brightness, too. Acidity balances it out. Pure semillon. Production was only 4 hectoliters per hectare.
98 points, James Suckling (Nov 2023)
The 2020 Suduiraut, 100% Semillon, is pale to medium lemon-gold in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock vibrant scents of apple pie, pineapple upside-down cake, and pear tart, followed by hints of saffron, crushed stones, salted almonds, and acacia honey with a hint of jasmine tea. The palate is a firework display of pears, apples, baking spices, and floral notes, framed by a racy backbone and creamy texture, finishing long and layered.
97 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Mar 2023)
With 137 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2020 Suduiraut possesses an exotic, deep bouquet of litchi, mango, pineapple, peach and ripe orchard fruits. Medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated with a stunning rôti—the French term for the consequence of noble rot—it’s layered and textured with a fleshy core of fruit and a perfumed finish with notes of curry leaf and ginger, underlined by a gastronomic bitterness. The harvest took place between September 16 and November 5, encompassing one of the longest in the contemporary estate’s history yet yielding a mere 8.5 hectoliters per hectare. This 100% Sémillon was matured for 20 months in 50% new oak barrels and 50% one-year-old barrels and will offer a broad drinking window.
96 points, Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate (Jun 2024)
The 2020 Suduiraut, which is pure 100% Sémillon, has a fabulous, rich and expressive bouquet with wild honey and orange pith, dried mango hints and quince laced with melted candle wax and saffron. The palate is supremely well-balanced with the viscous texture and density you would expect from this estate. Yet there is a sense of control and tension that drags you back for another sip. Of course, we're on the open pages of a very long book, but this is already sizing up to be a very enjoyable "read".
96 points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Feb 2023)
This wine is pure Sémillon, giving richness. The weight gets a massive lift from acidity and aromatic, spicy honey. The wine's balance is impeccable, with poise and elegance, and it will age well. Drink from 2026.
96 points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (Apr 2023)
Full of pleasure, silky and richly textured, easy to sink into but carefully measured at the same time, addings its layers of orange peel, bloody orange, white pepper spice and truffle slowly but surely as it inches through the palate. Tiny floral notes accompany the saline minerality on the finish. Almost no botrytis in September, and then when the weather deteriorated at the end of September things really became a bit worrying. But they were able to hold on until October 19 (after stopping at the end of September, I imagine needing nerves of steel). Yields of around 8hl/ha. 3,000 cases of Suduiraut. 137g/l of residual sugar. A great example of what botrytis does - the pH is at 4, so the freshness comes from the bitterness of botrytis not high acidities.
96 points, Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2021)
Top Quality Store
