1er Cru Classé Sauternes, Château Suduiraut 2006
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Why this wine
Suduiraut is one of the great names of Sauternes, and mature bottles of a classed growth rarely reach the shelf at all. The 2006 has had the years it needed: the botrytis has settled into honey and orange peel, and the acidity is still there to carry it. Sweet wine of this pedigree is one of the last genuine bargains in fine wine.
At a glance
- Grape
- Semillon 96%, Sauvignon Blanc 4%
- Region
- Bordeaux, France
- Alcohol
- 14.00%
- Body
- Full
- Acidity
- High
- Sweetness
- Sweet
- Drink
- Long (10-20 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Cheese, Rich & Creamy Dishes, Poultry & Pork
How it tastes
Deep gold, with the roasted, crystallised-fruit signature of botrytis, spice, and the honey and orange peel that come with age. The palate is fleshy and ample, intensely fruity, lifted by a menthol edge and enough vivacity to keep the sweetness moving through a long, pure finish. Semillon 96%, Sauvignon Blanc 4%.
The producer
The history of Chateau Suduiraut in Sauternes runs back centuries: after the property was destroyed by the Duke d'Epernon in the 1600s, Count Blaise de Suduiraut replanted the vineyard and restored the estate, and the 18th-century chateau standing there now is surrounded by gardens designed by Le Notre. Its 91 hectares of vines grow on gravelly sandy clay, the gravel storing the sun's heat while the thin soil holds little water, so yields stay low and sugars and flavours concentrate. The vines average 35 years and are planted at 7,000 to the hectare, farmed by environmentally responsible methods and certified HVE Level 3, with short pruning and tilled soils. Semillon dominates the plantings and carries the wine's breadth and unctuousness once noble rot sets in, with Sauvignon Blanc for acidity and aromatic lift. The best botrytised bunches were selected by hand, pressed, and fermented in new French oak at 24C for three weeks, and the wine then aged 18 months in French oak, half of it new and half a year old. Picking in 2006 began on 11 September, ten days earlier than the previous year; September heat shrivelled the first grapes to 19-20% potential sugar, later passes through the vineyard brought in rich batches, and drier weather let the harvest finish on 17 October.
Food and drinking
Serve well chilled, at 8-10C, in a small glass. Roquefort, chicken liver parfait, roast duck with orange, or an apricot tart. Nineteen years on it is drinking beautifully and has the concentration to hold for a decade or more; no decanting is needed.