Chronicle 194

Chronicle 194 (Friday, December 18 2015) . Vertical tasting of Château Suduiraut, a Sauternes Premier Cru Classé, from 2013 to 1999 . S de Suduiraut, Bordeaux Dry White . Loved the 2013! Suduiraut is in Preignac and enjoys a unique location in the Barsac-Sauternes area. Its soil does not contain Sauternes clay or Barsac's limestone, which for a while presented a handicap for the wine's body and vigour. I tasted the very good 2003 vintage several times over the last few months and it caught my attention. Recently the 2004, then the 2005 served during a lunch stirred me to find out more, so here is the report of this tasting, which took place at the chateau last September. It confirms that Suduiraut is really going places and reveals the arrival in 2013 of a superb dry white wine: S de Suduiraut. Since 2004, the estate has opted to no longer have recourse to chaptalisation or cryoextraction for the first wine. Recent progress has featured better selection of fruit from the different plots and only picking grapes that have been concentrated by noble rot. This drive for excellence is also what motivated the decision not to make a 2012 vintage. Tasting results reveal two eminent improvements: The nose of the wines becomes more clear-cut from 2002 onwards From 2005 onwards, the structure of the wines gain an ethereal dimension and lose their cloying feel. This is a sign of the ambition to focus the harvest more exclusively on botrytised fruit. Amongst old vintages I should point out that I consider Suduiraut's 1982 to be the best wine of the area alongside d'Yquem. Both vintages are better than the overestimated 1983. Vineyard area: 92 hectares (227 acres). Sandy gravel soils. Grape varieties: 90% Sémillon, 10% Sauvignon. Vine density: 7,000 per hectare (2,830 per acre). The juice is fermented and the wine is aged in barrels for 16 to 24 months. Half the wood used is new. Between 60,000 and 80,000 bottles are produced annually. 2013 16,25 // 91 Greenish yellow colour. Intense, elegant fruity nose. Melting and ethereal on the palate, developing a delicate, classy feel. Good, sappy length with elegant hints of citrus peel. Drink now and up to 2040. 2012: not produced 2011 17 // 94 Greenish yellow colour. Intense, fruity, candied and fresh on the nose. Rich and melting on the palate with a classy feel, developing length oh so graciously. A moment's silence for contemplation. Superb! 2016 – 2050. Just note in passing that many Sauternes-Barsac 2011s also turn out to be as good as or even better than the 2010s, just like here! 2010 16,5 // 92 Greenish yellow colour. Elegant, fruity nose that is delicately candied. Soft, flavoursome, very fruity and standard density on the palate, ending up spicy and slightly tannic. I was hoping for better. 2017 – 2035. 2009 17,5 // 95 Coppery colour. Elegant, fruity, candied, pure and slightly smoky on the nose. Delightful attack, then it starts to melt with lots of taste and dense body. Magical overall, developing real class and great length. Both rôti and ethereal at the same time – this specific bottle was better than another, which was scored 17//94. Drink now and up to 2050. 2008 15,75 // 89 Golden yellow colour. Fruity nose. Touch of caramel. Ethereal on the palate with a taste of truffle, medium body, ending up a tad bitter. 2017-2027. 2007 17 // 94 Coppery colour. Big, multilayered, fruity, creamy nose with an elegant touch of butter. Ethereal, melting, smooth and complex on the palate throughout. My only quibble is a tiny hint of tannin and a slight touch of camphor as it lingers. Drink now and up to 2045. 2006 15 // 87 Ethyl acetate on the nose. A little too much wood on the palate. Strangely evocative of a bad bottle. Have to taste it again later. 2005 17 // 94 Coppery colour. Intense, subtle, elegant and creamy on the nose. Melting, sappy, smooth, succulent and very fruity on the palate, finishing long, elegant and classy. Delightful. Drink now and up to 2050. Another bottle tasted a week previously Elegant, intense and subtle on the nose. Rich and supple, mouth-filling, multi-layered and very unusual on the palate. A subtle combination of an ethereal feel and a hint of salt caramel. Long, melting finish. Superb. 2004 15,75 // 89 Yellow colour with green tints. Intense, very fruity and fresh on the nose. Smooth on the palate, a tad thick in the middle, then fresher and more flavoursome on the finish. Lovely smoky persistence with a hint of truffles. Drink now and up to 2024. 2003 16,25 // 91 Coppery colour. Very aromatic nose. A hint of melon and candied fruit. Lush, smooth, extremely fruity and caressing on the palate with a slightly bitter, smoky, long finish. Drink now and up to 2035. 2002 16 // 90 Coppery colour. Intense, fruity and creamy on the nose. Graceful, melting, very fruity and flavoursome on the palate, ending up slightly mineral. A very classy experience. Pretty length. A very pleasant surprise. Drink now and up to 2030. 2001 15,75 // 89 Coppery colour. Smoky on the nose. Touch of caramel. Delicate, melting and smooth on the palate with hints of saffron on the finish. Medium length. Drink now and up to 2025. 2000 15,5 // 88 Coppery colour. Fruity and creamy nose. Delicate, flavoursome and quite melting on the palate, with a little too much sugar on the finish. Medium length. Drink now and up to 2025. 1999 14,5 // 85 Coppery colour. Plain nose. Hint of wet wool. Fruity, tender and very distinct taste of saffron on the palate. Medium length. Should have been drunk already. ________________________________________ . S de Suduiraut, Bordeaux Dry White . Loved the 2013! Yet again, it was over a meal that this wine caught my attention. I couldn't connect its expression with the dry Sémillon-based whites produced in Sauternes or the livelier ones made in Barsac. The big changes took place at Suduiraut in the middle of the 2000s. Christian Seely, the Managing Director of Axa Millésimes, used the arrival of Pierre Montegut, the present Director of Suduiraut, to launch a dry white. They spent a few years trying to find their way, except for the 2007, which is still alive with a score of 15 (87). The 2005, 2006 and 2008 should have already been drunk. The wine adopted its present profile from 2009 onwards with a combination of three practices: The selection of fruit from two precise places only More Sémillon and therefore less Sauvignon in the blend, reducing the latter from 75% to 65% on average The use of one-year-old barrels for fermentation, thereby reducing the effect of new wood, which oxidised the wine too much The vines are the same as those used to make Suduiraut. This is a significant point, because other winemakers would have tended to go to vines that could not be used for the sweet white. They are just harvested earlier. Between 6,000 and 10,000 bottles are produced annually. The wine ferments and is then aged in barrels for eight months with scarcely 10% of new wood. It is bottled in the June following the harvest and offered for sale a year later, when the wine is ready to be drunk. For now S de Suduiraut is not sold en primeur. The ex-cellar price is around €15, which then varies depending on the distribution channel. 2009 15,5 // 88 Pale green colour. Intense, elegant, subtle nose. A hint of pineapple and a touch of white pepper. Richly supple, lavish and flavoursome on the palate. It slides over the tongue with standard body and length. Drink now and up to 2020. A blend of 60% sauvignon, 40% sémillon. 2010 15 // 87 Pale green colour. Intense, unusual nose. Hints of smoke and peat. Silky, succulent and fragrant on the palate, developing a very smoky taste. Mineral on the finish. Very dry side. Serve with shell-fish. Drink now and up to 2020. A blend of 55% sauvignon, 45% sémillon. 2011 15,75 // 89 Pale colour. Subtle, fruity and fresh on the nose. A touch of pineapple. Richly supple, mouth-filling, succulent and silky on the palate. An elegant hint of iodine between the middle and the finish. Very good sappy length. Drink now and up to 2023. A blend of 56% sauvignon, 44% sémillon. 2012 15,5 // 88 Pale green colour. Fruity and subtly spicy on the nose. Tender succulent and smooth on the palate, then very fruity, saline and slightly peppery as it lingers. Drink now and up to 2020. A blend of 40% sauvignon, 60% sémillon. 2013 16 // 90 Pale yellow colour. Green tints. Lovely multilayered nose with hints of white truffle, reminiscent of a great Burgundy. Delicate hint of pineapple. Subtly lush on the attack, melting as it develops, then ethereal on the mid-palate with delicate spice. This vintage expresses the finest profile of this wine. Impossible to spit it out! Quite breath-taking. Drink now and up to 2025. A blend of 57% sauvignon, 43% sémillon. Happy reading JM Quarin ________________________________________________________________ @Copyright This publication is the original work of Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, 33320 Le Taillan-Médoc. France. E-mail : jmquarin@quarin.com The news media and subscribing wine distributors, importers and retailers may use portions of this material (such as tasting notes, ratings or quotes) provided that it is not distorted, the proper wine and vintage are stated, www.quarin.com is given credit for the material utilized, and Jean-Marc Quarin is shown as the Copyright holder.

2015 Chronicles

Chronicle 194

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