Suduiraut 2020

On another level, the 2020 Château Suduiraut is flat-out stunning and boasts a phenomenal array of orange blossom, honeyed minerality, lychee nut, caramelized peach, and assorted spices. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it nevertheless has the vintage’s riveting purity and precision. Sauternes doesn't get much better.

A Sauternes with tart tartine, cooked apple and caramel. It’s full-bodied, juicy and sweet, yet there’s lots of caramel and spice, too, such as cloves. Comes across almost dry. But lots of sweetness. Pure semillon. Unique. Tiny production.

The 2020 Suduiraut, which is pure 100% Sémillon, has a fabulous, rich and expressive bouquet with wild honey and orange pith, dried mango hints and quince laced with melted candle wax and saffron. The palate is supremely well-balanced with the viscous texture and density you would expect from this estate. Yet there is a sense of control and tension that drags you back for another sip. Of course, we're on the open pages of a very long book, but this is already sizing up to be a very enjoyable "read".

The 2020 Suduiraut is a powerful, heady wine. Embryonic today, it possesses tremendous depth and intensity from start to finish. Dried pear, chamomile, mint and dried flowers gradually emerge, but the 2020 is going to need quite a bit of time to fully come together. Even so, its potential is evident. A superb Sauternes in the making.

Drink from 2030 to 2045.

Made from 100% Semillon, the 2020 Suduiraut is being aged for 16 to 20 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. It has 14% alcohol and 137 grams per liter of residual sugar. Pale to medium lemon-gold in color, aromas of pineapple upside-down cake, green mango and peach preserves tumble effortlessly out of the glass, followed by hints of honeycomb, preserved ginger and allspice. The palate is rich and decadent, delivering a seductively oily texture and just enough freshness to lift the long, spicy finish.

This has citrus notes and a faint florality on the nose alongside apple and grapefruit aromas. On the palate there is good freshness and drive with a touch of herbs giving some salty, savoury aspects. It has a lovely mineral thread and is more saline in character the 2019. Just bottled one month ago, in March 2021. Shows promise, and should be better in one year says winemaker Pierre Pascaud. Should be on the market in May / June 2021. A blend of 54% Semillon and 46% Sauvignon Blanc. 75% matured in concrete and stainless steel with the remaining 25% in 30% new oak barrels to give roundness, density and body to the wine.