2016 Suduiraut
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Suduiraut was very fine out of barrel and bottling but ten years on, wow, it trounces all-comers with a stellar showing. It is very nuanced on the nose, pure with scents of quince, saffron and a touch of white flowers, the oak beautifully integrated. The palate is very well balanced with superb weight, real density and power as it fans out towards the finish. There is a sense of grandeur here. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Wine Spectator
More reviews and scores
Yet another distinctive wine, the 2016 Suduiraut reveals a spicy, intriguing bouquet of licorice, acacia, curry leaf and exotic fruits mingled with ripe orchard fruits. Moderately weighted and perfectly balanced, it’s charming and round, with a rich core of fruit framed by a gastronomic bitterness and a long, penetrating finish. Harvested in four tries between September 22 and November 9, with a yield of 22 hectoliters per hectare, it was matured for 18 months in 50% new oak barrels and 50% one-year-old barrels and contains 140 grams per liter of residual sugar.
94% Sémillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc. Harvested 22 September to 9 November (4 tris). Yield 22 hl/ha. Aged 18 months in oak barrels (50% new, 50% one year). RS 140 g/l, TA 3.5. Pale gold. A little more open and fresher in style than 2015. Peach, pear and citrus notes to the fore. Again, great purity in terms of aroma, flavour and texture. Generous fruit on the palate. Harmonious. (JL)
The 2016 Suduiraut has a clean, pure bouquet of light marmalade, lanolin, curry leaf and wax resin aromas, quite complex and developing more and more personality with aeration. The palate is well balanced, with a viscous, almost unctuous opening. This is richer and heavier in style than many 2016 Sauternes, but maybe just loses some detail and precision on the finish. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
About the producer
Among the very best Sauternes estates, Ch. Suduiraut is owned by AXA Millésimes, which also manages Pichon Baron. The team works meticulously to select the finest fruit from its 91 hectares of vines, bordering Yquem. The resulting wines are intensely concentrated, balanced, complex and age-worthy.