Wine Advisor
Suduiraut 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The pale to medium lemon-gold colored 2018 Suduiraut comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of candied peel, warm pineapple, guava and key lime pie with hints of orange marmalade and beeswax. The palate is packed with power and richness, with mouth-coating tropical fruits and a long earth-laced finish.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Crafted entirely from Sémillon grapes, a decision influenced by the challenges of a year that saw the estate lose half its crop to downy mildew, the 2018 Suduiraut evokes a floral, exuberant bouquet of rose, fresh grapes, Gewürztraminer grape and spices mingled with notes of exotic fruits. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated with a delicate, precise mid-palate, it’s tense and ethereal with bright acids and a long, penetrating finish. Harvested across four tries or passes from October 10 to November 10, it underwent a 20-month maturation period in oak barrels and contains 125 grams per liter of residual sugar. Yields: five hectoliters per hectare.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Suduiraut has a gorgeous bouquet with scents of acacia honey, dried mango, a touch of quince and tangerines, all nicely defined if not quite as compelling as the previous vintage. The palate is viscous on the entry, the fruit very pure and sensual, although perhaps the growing season denied Suduiraut the ability to make a really complex and intellectual Sauternes, despite their best efforts. It is a very refined and classy Suduiraut, though not one that I feel is guaranteed a place amongst the estate's best.
About the Producer
Chateau Suduiraut is located in the Sauternes appellation of Bordeaux, France, which is known for its rich and sweet noble rot wines. In the 1855 Sauternes and Barsac classification, Chateau d'Yquem is the only Grand Cru classed. In addition, Château d'Yquem occupies one of the 11 châteaux in the classification that are now classified as First Growths. Château d'Yquem has a long history: in 1580, Nicole d'Allard married Leonard de Suduiraut, and the estate took its name. At the end of the 18th century, Jean Joseph Duroy, nephew of a member of the Suduiraut family at the time, took over the estate and renamed it Cru du Roy. The emblems of the two families, Xukin and Duroy, were then fused together to form the present logo of the estate. The château is a palace-like building with a beautiful garden designed by Le Notre, Louis XIV's royal gardener. In 1992, AXA Millesimes, the French insurance giant, acquired Château Xugene. AXA Millesimes is a powerful group that also owns the famous Pauillac estate, Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron. The 91 hectares of vineyards at Château d'Azur are planted with 90% Semillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. Semillon is a traditional Sauternes variety that provides powerful structure to the wines, bringing full-bodied flavors of roasted dried fruit, acacia flowers and candied fruit. Sauvignon Blanc, on the other hand, is an aromatic, high-acid variety with very distinctive aromas of citrus and white peach that add complexity and acidity to the wine. The soil is predominantly gravelly and sandy clay, which is permeable and poor, requiring the vines to be deeply rooted to extract nutrients, resulting in low yields and intense mineral flavors. The gravel on the surface of the soil also absorbs heat from the sun, which helps the grapes to ripen more quickly. The planting density of the Chateau Xugene vineyard is 7,000 vines per hectare, and the average age of the vines is 35 years. The vineyard's proximity to the Ciron and Garonne rivers, with cool nights, early autumn mists and sunny afternoons, creates the right conditions for the formation and growth of noble rot. The winery prunes the grapes short to allow the bunches to enjoy more sunlight. The harvesting process at Château Xugene is very delicate, with workers picking the grapes in batches according to the infestation of noble rot, and even picking a vine several times. In terms of winemaking, Château Xukin adheres to a philosophy of quality first. The hand-picked grapes undergo a long and careful pressing process to obtain the most aromatic juice, and the fermented wine is then matured in oak barrels for 18-24 months to allow the wine to develop its full flavor and structure. The winery has strict quality standards, and if the quality of the wine does not meet expectations in a given year, the winery will even abandon the production of the year's main wine, Chateau Suduiraut, Sauternes, France. Currently, Chateau Suduiraut produces three sweet white wines, including Chateau Suduiraut, Sauternes, France, which are the best expression of the Sauternes terroir.
1948(1)1983(3)1988(1)1989(2)1990(1)1996(3)1997(1)2001(6)2003(4)2004(2)2005(4)2006(2)2009(3)2010(8)2011(3)2013(4)2014(2)2015(2)2016(2)2017(12)
Package Size
12 x 37.5cl
