Suduiraut 2010

Tasted 7 Apr: Mid pale gold. Broad and rich and fresh but with very ripe pear-juice notes. There is real weight here. Much less citrus peel than most other 2010 Sauternes. Real race. Dangerously delicious now. Long. Super clean. Medium to heavy weight. Great undertow. Long. Nervy. (Score: 18 18-35) 13.8%

Fleshy peach and apricot feature large on the nose and give richness on the palate. There is an underlying freshness but the sweet fruit comes through lots of caramelized citrus peel and apricots. Although sensuously exotic there is enough freshness to balance.

Super nose with some exotic pineapple/mango/passion fruit undertones mixed with Vouvray-like blossom-tree and quince jelly, enormous body, but incredible purity and crystal-like transparency, great length, a masterpiece! Drink 2020-2070.

The 2010 Suduiraut, picked from 22 September until 9 November in five tries through the vineyard, has a drop-dead gorgeous bouquet that is delineated and detailed. There are copious scents of dried honey, apricot, white peach and just a hint of melted candle wax. The palate is very well balanced with great depth. It boasts layers of rich botrytised fruit, you can feel the weight here but not the heaviness thanks to that killer line of acidity. This 2010 has long been one of the finest Sauternes of the vintage and continues to amaze. Fabulous, even if not quite up there with the imperious 2009. 13.8% alcohol, 145gm/L residual sugar. Tasted at the Suduiraut vertical at the château. Drink 2020-2065.

Along with Chateau Rieussec, the Suduiraut 2010 is a candidate for best Sauternes of the vintage. It has a wonderful bouquet with an instantaneous sense of completeness and harmony, with layers of botrytized fruit intermingling with apricot blossom, peach skin and marmalade. This is powerful, but not in your face. There is no need to be. The palate is well-balanced with a viscous opening. There is plenty of botrytis here, good acidity and enormous weight on the finish. Perhaps it needs a little more tension, but otherwise this is a very impressive wine for the Sauternes vintage.

The Chateau Suduiraut has a comparatively rich, botrytized bouquet with dried honey, pineapple and a touch of Seville orange marmalade, with exquisite definition and focus. The palate is well-balanced, with a viscous texture and a good level of botrytis, demonstrating fine minerality and tautness. Dried mango, quince and spice all interlace the focused finish, which is long in the mouth. Tasted against its peers, this has a higher level of intensity and focus. A superb follow-up to the sensational 2009.