As we gazed into the lineup of golden bottles, we had our ideas of what vintages would potentially show the best. We were definitely in for some surprises. A Sauternes estate with a storied past, Château Suduiraut is one of the top houses in the region. Located in the commune of Preignac, Suduiraut has vineyards that border Château D’Yquem. The property dates back to the 15th century. Sadly only one wing remains from the original chateau which 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 Classe in 1855. While some might contend that from 1940-1960 quality decreased, it is clear that the quality has been consistently good since 1992 when Château Suduiraut was purchased by the insurance group AXA which also owns Château Pichon-Longueville in Pauillac and Château Petit-Village in Pomerol.
Château 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 Montégut has been remarkably consistent since taking the helm. I have many of these wines in my personal collection and have been been absolutely enamored by wines this house has produced from older vintages like 1988, 2001, 2003, and 2005.
During this special vertical tasting there were some surprises. I was particularly impressed with the 2005 Château Suduiraut (WWB, 97) which is a remarkable wine that is truly one of the finest of the vintage. The sense of balance here is nothing short of incredible. The 2006 Château Suduiraut (WWB, 93) was taken from a very challenging vintage and shows very differently than the ’05 but has really good texture and more nutty, tertiary tones. This wine is a joy to savor at this stage in its development. My revisits to the gorgeous 2007 and 2011 Château Suduirauts (both WWB, 95) did not disappoint. I love the unctuous character of the ’07 and the remarkable range of the ’11. Both wines really showcase these magical vintages in Sauternes. Learn more about this famed Château at www.suduiraut.com Here are my tasting notes from a beautiful vertical tasting of Château Suduiraut.
2005 Château Suduiraut- Taken from this downright awesome vintage in Sauternes, the 2005 Château Suduiraut shows ripe tropical fruits that meld with bananas foster and vanilla creme flavors. The palate is seamless and seductive, showing a great combination of weight, verve, and length. The texture is downright pillowy. Marzipan and Meyer lemon creme brulee mingle with apricots and roasted pineapple tones on the palate. The massive length is truly thrilling. Complex and downright delicious to savor right now, the 2005 Château Suduiraut is a resounding success that is singing right now an will continue to belt for the next fifteen to twenty years. Drink 2020-2040- 97
2006 Château Suduiraut- A strong showing from a challenging vintage, the 2006 Château Suduiraut shows a bit less richness and complexity on the nose than the ’05 or ’07 with beeswax and vanilla creme brûlée tones dominating. The palate is silky smooth, showing a wonderful sense of texture and weight. Layers of butterscotch and ripe pineapple meld with apple pie and mango flavors. Interestingly this is starting to show Macadamia nut and damp earth undertones as the 2006 Suduiraut is peaking now and will cellar well for the next decade. Drink 2020-2027- 93
2007 Château Suduiraut- The 2007 Château Suduiraut is a gorgeous effort that is showing beautifully right now. Candied ginger and cardamom with ripe pineapple and butterscotch fill the nose. Once on the attack you are entrenched by the silky smooth texture as this effortlessly glides across the mid-palate. Meyer lemon creme brûlée, orange marmalade and Golden Delicious apple, baking spices, apricot and mango flavors. Showing great weight, length and poise, this gorgeous 2007 Suduiraut is really enjoyable now and will cellar well for decades to come. Drink 2020-2038- 95
2011 Château Suduiraut- The 2011 Château Suduiraut is a stunning effort at now the nine year mark. Right away you are enticed by the layers of wild mushroom aromatics and shades of tropical fruits that are woven together with candied ginger. The palate has a wonderful vein of tension and salinity with beautiful ripe pineapple and mango flavors that collide with vanilla creme brûlée and apricot jelly. Showing wonderful length, richness and tension, this beautiful, elegant wine is slowly starting to hit its stride and has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2038- 95
2014 Château Suduiraut- Needing an hour of air to be fully aroused, the 2014 Château Suduiraut shows gorgeous apple pie and roasted pineapple that combine with ripe mango on the nose. The palate has great freshness with a light dusting of salinity. Layers of pineapple upside-down cake and Meyer lemon creme brûlée mingle with a great sense of mouth-watering acidity. While not massive, this elegant style of Sauternes will have an exceedingly long life ahead of it and is surprisingly gratify to savor in its youth. Drink 2022-2040- 94
2015 Château Suduiraut- Shades of bananas foster and creme brûlée mingle with clove infused apricot jam and shades of wild mushroom that all take shape in the glass. The seamless texture is truly outstanding as layers of vanilla creme brulee, roasted pineapple, passion fruit and butterscotch with the tropical fruit tones really shining brightly. The feeling of viscosity is downright awesome. Gorgeous with its vein of tension and weight, the 2015 Château Suduiraut will enjoy a long life ahead of it. Drink 2022-2040- 95
2016 Château Suduiraut- The 2016 Château Suduiraut is a gorgeous effort that really needs several years of bottle age. Following a long decant the wine slowly yields layers of quince jelly and shades of roasted pineapple with marzipan tones connect aromatically. The palate has a silky texture with a seamless effect. While not particularly dense in terms of botrytis, the sense of elegance and the gorgeous sense of finesse and length really drives this beautiful wine. Try to resist this stunner for at least a few years. Drink 2024-2040- 95