Suduiraut 2018

This has lots of concentration and mushroom and spice character. Plenty of botrytis. Dense and flavorful finish. Big wine for the vintage. Five hectoliters a hectare and half went into the second wine.

The 2018 Suduiraut is intense on the nose, featuring well-defined pure wild honey mixed with white flowers, quince and quite a strong petrol-like/Germanic note. The palate is very well balanced with a harmonious entry, well-judged acidity and great tension thanks to a bitter orange peel note that counterbalances the rich, honeyed fruit on the finish. Superb.

This is an enjoyable, luxurious and indulgent Sauternes. It’s extremely rich, dark and concentrated – in keeping with its tiny yields (5hl/ha in 2018, of which 40% went into the grand vin) - with attractive bitter orange flavours that cleverly work to give tension where otherwise the low acidity might lose tension. 125g/l residual sugar. The harvest ended on 9 November.

There’s not much of the 2018 Château Suduiraut to go around but it’s a beautiful wine. Lovely orange blossom, honeyed apricots, white flowers, and subtle spice aromas and flavors all emerge from this full-bodied, decadent Sauternes that has a layered, pure, beautifully balanced profile. With good complexity, terrific balance, and a clean finish, it’s going to shine for 15-20 years.

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.

The 2018 Suduiraut comes across as quite reserved, just as it did in barrel. Today, it is not especially expressive. Orange confit, spice, roasted nuts, dried flowers and hazelnut develop over time, adding to the wine's aromatic presence. On the palate, the 2018 feels a bit light.