2019 Suduiraut
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Tasting notes
The 2019 Suduiraut stands out as one of the most comprehensive and impeccably crafted wines from the Sauternes region in this solar vintage. Offering up a complex, spicy bouquet of curry leaf, cardamon, white pepper, ripe orchard fruits and menthol mingled with touches of vanilla pod and pineapple, followed by a medium to full-bodied, round and gourmand palate, it’s also concentrated and rich with a perfumed, fleshy core of fruit that segues into a long, mineral and ethereal finish. This blend of 94% Sémillon and 6% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested between September 17 and October 30, in three tries, was matured for 20 months in oak barrels and contains 130 grams per liter of residual sugar. It's worth noting that, in this vintage, the arrival of botrytis following 60 millimeters of late-harvest rainfall severely impacted the remaining crop, yielding a mere seven hectoliters per hectare. Despite these challenges, the estate has achieved a remarkable feat, demonstrating exceptional skill and resilience and underscoring the force of its terroir.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
94% Sémillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc. Harvested 17 September to 30 October (3 tris). Yield 7 hl/ha (yield reduced by rain and grey rot in October). Aged 16–20 months in oak barrels (50% new, 50% one year). RS 130 g/l, TA 3.7. Golden hue. Neat, pure with an attractive botrytised expression. Citrus, spice and apricot notes. Sufficient density for ageing but not quite at the top table. (JL)
The 2019 Suduiraut has a powerful nose, quite oaky at the moment although there is plenty of fruit packed behind it. The palate is dense and intense, with layers of botrytized fruit, stem ginger and quince towards the persistent and refined finish. Broad-shouldered yet with class. Blind, I thought this might have been the Yquem? No, it's its neighbor. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
Tasted blind. Creamy and rich and botrytised and really rather difficult to spit out. Lovely texture, balance and complexity. A throat warmer. (JR)
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.