Suduiraut 2017

Just as impressive as it was in barrel, the 2017 Suduiraut is positively dazzling. Pineapple, orange peel, crême brulée, white flowers, honey, apricot and hazelnut are some of the many nuances that develop in the glass. Rich and heady, yet also wonderfully vibrant, the 2017 is developing into a stunning Suduiraut. The 140 grams of residual sugar is very nicely integrated. Only the fruit from the last two picks made it into the Grand Vin. Drink 2025-2047.

The 2017 Suduiraut was picked via three tries, with 75% of the crop picked in the second tries from 4 to 15 October. The harvest finished on 19 October, one of the last in Sauternes and after Yquem. “We were touched by the frost but not in the top terroir,” winemaker Pierre Montegut told me. It is matured in around 50% new oak. It has an expressive, harmonious bouquet with dried honey, white flowers and a touch of gripe water (a children’s medicine for those in the United States. I have been informed there is no equivalent on the other side of the Atlantic). The palate is well balanced with a viscous opening, well judged acidity, plenty of botrytized fruit with a long, lightly spiced finish that feels so fresh and vital. This is a superb Suduiraut from Pierre Montegut and his team. Drink 2023-2050.

Yum. Aromas of orange blossom, lemon curd, dried apricot and cooked pears fill the glass. It’s full-bodied and very sweet, yet tangy and lively from the vibrant acidity. Extremely long on the finish. Better in 2025, but already a joy to taste.

The 2017 Suduiraut, with 150 g/L residual sugar, is pale lemon-gold in color. It needs a little coaxing before releasing a full array of gregarious grapefruit, honeyed peaches, and lemon curd inspired scents, followed by hints of sea spray, lime blossoms, yuzu, and coriander seed. The palate is super-intense, offering tight-knit citrus and stone fruit layers with a racy backbone of freshness and seductive creaminess, finishing with epic length.