Suduiraut

History of Château Suduiraut

The history of Château Suduiraut began in 1580, with the marriage of Léonard de Suduiraut and Nicole d'Allard, who brought the estate as her dowry. The estate, located in Preignac, near Sauternes, took its current name after this marriage. However, it wasn't until the end of the 17th century that the château truly began to flourish. Indeed, Blaise de Suduiraut, Léonard's grandson, decided to completely renovate the property after the destruction it suffered during the Fronde.

Blaise called upon André Le Nôtre, Louis XIV's famous gardener, to design the magnificent French gardens that still surround the château today. This majestic place thus became an exceptional wine and architectural estate.

Over the centuries, Château Suduiraut has passed through several families' hands. In 1992, it was acquired by AXA Millésimes, a subsidiary of the AXA insurance group, with the mission of preserving and elevating the excellence of historic vineyards. Under the direction of Christian Seely and the estate's technical team, including Pierre Montégut as technical director, the estate has maintained and even elevated the quality of its wines. Today, Château Suduiraut is among the most prestigious estates in the Sauternes appellation.

The 2015, 2021, 2009 and 2010 vintages of Château Suduiraut received 98/100 from Robert Parker, and the 2009 vintage also scored 97/100, underlining the richness and depth of this great Sauternes wine.

Terroirs and Vines of Château Suduiraut

Château Suduiraut benefits from an ideal geographical location for the production of dessert wines. Located near the Ciron and Garonne rivers, the estate enjoys unique climatic conditions favouring the development of noble rot (Botrytis Cinerea). This essential fungus for creating great Sauternes develops thanks to the alternation of morning mists and sunny days, allowing optimal sugar concentration in the grapes.

The Suduiraut vineyard spans 91 hectares, planted primarily with Sémillon (80%), complemented by Sauvignon Blanc (15%) and Sauvignon Gris (5%). This terroir consists of sandy-clay gravels, a soil that captures the sun's heat and accelerates grape ripening, giving the wines their opulence. These well-draining soils, combined with low yields, enhance grape concentration and give birth to wines of great aromatic complexity and strong minerality.

Château Suduiraut is also distinguished by the advanced age of its vines, averaging 35 years. The high density of plantings (7,000 vines/ha) ensures limited but exceptionally high-quality yields, favouring the production of wines with powerful and delicate aromas. The viticulture practised is sustainable, with particular care given to plot selection, reserving only the best grapes exclusively for the Grand Vin production.

Vinification at Château Suduiraut

Vinification at Château Suduiraut is a long and rigorous process, with particular attention paid to each step to ensure wine excellence. After manual harvesting, carried out in several passes to select the ripest grapes affected by noble rot, the grapes are delicately pressed. This crucial step allows for extracting the richest juices, which express all the complexity of the aromas.

Fermentation is conducted barrel by barrel, a carefully mastered process to respect each plot's specificity and ensure optimal aroma preservation. Wine ageing then lasts 18 to 24 months in French oak barrels, of which about 50% are new each year. This long ageing on lees allows for developing complex aromas and refining the wine's texture while preserving its freshness and vivacity.

Each vintage is then carefully blended, with a drastic selection of the best lots. In years when the harvest quality doesn't meet the estate's standards, no Grand Vin is bottled, demonstrating the constant demand for quality at Château Suduiraut.

The Cuvées of Château Suduiraut

Château Suduiraut produces several cuvées of dessert wines, each expressing the unique characteristics of its terroir and vintage. Here is a presentation of the main cuvées:

Château Suduiraut - Premier Cru Classé

The estate's Grand Vin, Château Suduiraut, is one of the most prestigious wines of the Sauternes appellation. It comes from a rigorous selection of the estate's best plots and is distinguished by its golden colour that evolves towards amber with time. On the palate, it combines power, opulence, and great aromatic complexity. Typical aromas include white flowers, candied fruits, honey, and sweet spices, with a subtle minerality ensuring exceptional length on the palate. This wine has extraordinary ageing potential, capable of improving over several decades.

Castelnau de Suduiraut

The estate's second wine, Castelnau de Suduiraut, is produced from specific plots, allowing for faster maturation than the Grand Vin. With aromas of candied yellow fruits, quince, frangipane, and a mineral touch, it offers good accessibility from its youth. It is distinguished by a velvety texture and spicy complexity while being more affordable than the Grand Vin.

Lions de Suduiraut

Lions de Suduiraut is a cuvée designed to introduce wine enthusiasts to the world of Sauternes. This wine combines Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc in a light, fresh, and mineral style, with aromas of exotic fruits and a touch of honey. More modern and easy to drink in its youth, it represents a more accessible alternative to traditional great dessert wines.

The best vintages of Sauternes and Barsac, two prestigious Bordeaux appellations, include exceptional years such as 1945, 1947, 1949, 1955, 1959, and 1967, recognised for their finesse and complexity. Among more recent vintages, notable years include 1975, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, as well as the legendary 2001. Sweet wine enthusiasts will also appreciate the years 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2013. Finally, the excellent climatic conditions of recent decades have produced memorable vintages in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. These wines offer unique aromatic richness and remarkable ageing potential.

Discover the exceptional treasures of the Grands Crus Classés of Sauternes and Barsac, where each estate tells a unique story of expertise and excellence. The prestigious Château d'Yquem, Premier Grand Cru Supérieur, embodies the quintessence of Sauternes. Among the Premiers Grands Crus Classés, explore the subtleties of Château Climens and Château Coutet in Barsac, as well as the wonders of Château Guiraud, Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Château La Tour Blanche, Château Rabaud-Promis, Château de Rayne-Vigneau, Château Rieussec, Château Sigalas-Rabaud, and Château Suduiraut in Sauternes. Each estate invites you to dive into the enchanting world of dessert wines, combining aromatic richness, finesse, and elegance, for an unforgettable sensory experience.

Château Suduiraut embodies the excellence and tradition of great Sauternes. Thanks to exceptional terroir, rigorous vine management, and meticulous vinification, the cuvées produced by the estate are synonymous with richness, elegance, and longevity. Whether you are a dessert wine enthusiast or a novice, the different cuvées of Château Suduiraut offer an unforgettable tasting experience, ranging from the Grand Vin, a true masterpiece, to more accessible cuvées like Castelnau de Suduiraut and Lions de Suduiraut.