1997 | Chateau Suduiraut | Sauternes

An outstanding Sauternes, with wonderful aromas of cream, caramel and honey. Full-bodied, with a light sweetness and a long vanilla and fruit finish.

Reviews:

• John Gilman: The 1997 Suduiraut has reached a really lovely plateau in its evolution and is drinking splendidly at age nineteen. The bouquet is deep, pure and shows lovely secondary layers of complexity in its mélange of honey, fresh apricot, oranges, crème brulée, soil tones and a gentle framing of buttery oak. With air distinctive notes of clove and marmalade blossomed as well on the nose. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and focused, with a fine core of fruit, lovely, zesty acidity and impressive length and grip on the à point finish. Just a lovely, classic vintage of Suduiraut that is just reaching its apogee, but which will continue to drink splendidly for at least a couple of decades.

• Wine Cellar: Nose shows pungent aromas of fruit salad, flowers, coconut and oak spices, and a honeyed ripeness. Supersweet, highly concentrated and strong in extract, given clarity by fresh acids. Racy botrytis tones of honey and licorice. Finishes firm, long and complex.

Producer Information

Château Suduiraut is located in Sauternes, Bordeaux, and is well-known for its highly-prized sweet wines made predominantly from Sémillon. In 1855, it was classified as a Premier Cru producer in the 1855 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac. Today, the vineyards are planted mostly with Sémillon, alongside small plots of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. The estate, which borders the top estate of the appellation – Château d'Yquem, has over 90 hectares (220 acres) under vine, on gravelly, sandy soils near the banks of the Gironde, whose humidity (and that of nearby streams feeding the river) helps with the development of botrytis late in the growing season. As is often the case in top Sauternes estates, harvest is done in "tries" (successive passes through the vineyard) to make sure all the bunches are at optimum levels of botrytis when picked, and only the best botrytis-affected grapes make it into the Château Suduiraut grand vin. The grand vin is aged on its lees in 50 percent new French oak for up to 24 months. This process is controlled barrel-by-barrel to allow for an easier distinction between the top wine and the wines that will become the second and third wines of the estate. The second wine, Castelnau de Suduiraut, is made from grapes that are generally expressive earlier in the season, and the wine itself is approachable in its youth. In 2011, Château Suduiraut made a third wine, Lions de Suduiraut. The château takes its name from a former owner: 16th Century nobleman, Léonard de Suduiraut. The estate has had a chequered history, from being ransacked during the Fronde uprisings of the 17th Century to having its ornamental gardens designed by Le Nôtre (the famed gardener who designed the gardens of the Versailles palace, outside Paris). It was acquired by investment firm AXA Millésimes in 1992. AXA holdings include Château Pichon Baron in the Médoc, Domaine de l’Arlot in Nuits Saint-Georges and Quinta do Noval in the Douro.

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