Suduiraut 2015

A huge success in the vintage is the 2015 Château Suduiraut and this gem goes a long way towards showing how successful the sweet wines were in 2015. Offering a massive array of orange peel, honey, marmalade, flowers, and toasted nuts, this incredible wine hits the palate with a thunderous display of opulence, richness, and length, all while staying fresh, elegant, and seamless. It has a huge mid-palate and is reminiscent of the 2003, only with more freshness and delineation. 2018 - 2048

The nose has a fleshy richness depth of flavour the palate is lush and ripe with apricots and yellow peaches all backed by slices of candied orange peel. The voluptuous fleshy richness is underpinned by tangerine slighter fresher at the back but it finishes with depth sweet fleshy fruit. 2022-2035

Among the most impressive wines of the vintage, this AXA-owned property is in a rich veinof form. It’s a concentrated, sumptuously oaked style that’s made for the longer haul, withexotic fruit flavours, honeyed texture and a dusting of baking spices. Drink: 2019-30

With great botrytis, arriving in October, and with a touch less than 140 g/l residual sugar this is a fascinating wine witha balance and magic which is peculiar, unique and mesmerising. There is a restraint and delicacy coupled with a ‘barleysugar’ notes here which I adore. The orange blossom scent and crystalline texture are both outstanding. The challenge isto make Sauternes sexy and with this in your glass you wouldn’t believe that the region is in crisis.

The 2015 Suduiraut was a little more backward than its fellow Sauternes after bottling, eventually opening to offer dried honey, yellow flowers, hints of quince and a subtle pressed flower scent. The palate is well balanced with a mellifluous opening, a powerful and assertive Suduiraut with layers of botrytized fruit and a captivating, spicy finish that lingers long in the mouth. Outstanding—this is one of the best Sauternes in 2015. Anticipated maturity: 2022 - 2055.

The 2015 Suduiraut comes with 123 grams per liter of residual sugar, more modest than some of its Sauternes peers and 4.56 grams per liter of acidity. It has a sense of completeness on the nose already: immense clarity with wild honey and quince aromas that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very pure botrytised fruit, very focused and one of the most intense Sauternes you will find this year. It feels long and sophisticated in the mouth yet never overpowers, never really has to put its foot right down on the accelerator. This is a wonderful Suduiraut, not quite up to the level of the ethereal 2009...although not too far off. Drink: 2020 - 2060.

Round and complete with many layers of interest and an intriguingly dry finish after lots of sweetness and botrytis. Really well done! You could almost enjoy this already but there is lots more to come.Drink 2024-2050