Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that can affect grapes and other parts of the vine in humid conditions. The names comes from the Greek botrys ('grape') and Latin cinerea ('ash-like', from the grey appearance of the affected grapes). It can live through the winter as mycelium or sclerotium within dormant buds, vine bark or on plant debris on the ground. Grapes typically become infected with Botrytis late in the season, during the sugar accumulation phase, i.e. when they are ripe.
The more common expression of botrytis is as devastating gray rot (“pourriture gris”), a common malady of the vine, experienced in many regions. However, in some areas, in the right conditions, a desirable botrytis infection occurs, producing what is called noble rot (“pourriture noble”). Regions producing sweet wines influenced by botrytis cinerea include Tokaj from Hungary, Sauternes and Trockenbeerenauslese from Germany.
A classic botrytis year might proceed on the following lines: Humid weather in July, as the grapes are beginning to accumulate sugars, followed by hot, dry weather, shrivelling the grapes and producing a raisin-effect; followed by autumn mists, which encourage the botrytis to bloom and develop slowly.
The mould dehydrates the grapes, leaving them shrivelled and raisin-like, and concentrates the sugars in the process, turning them from simple into complex sugars, which develop a huge range of flavours with time in bottle. The result is a sweet wine with deep, honey-like luscious flavors. Some of the classic aromas of developed botrytised wines are ginger, honey, beeswax and wet sticking plaster (elastoplast!).
A microscopic view of the filaments of botrytis cinerea mould that penetrate the grape skin, drawing out moisture and converting simple sugars into complex sugars in the process
The terroir in Sauternes is particularly suited to this process, with the Garonne and Ciron rivers producing mists in the morning, which then burn off in the warm afternoon autumn sunshine, a scene that always reminds us of Keats’ line (or was it Mr Kipling....) about the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. No other wine we can think of is able to capture more perfectly the weather of a particular year and to express it many decades later. Currently, we have some bottles of 1893 Yquem on our list that, 130 years on, still show signs of the rain and mist which affected Sauternes in October of that year.
Because the amount of juice extracted from these grapes is extremely low, it takes a lot of vines to produce a small amount of wine. Yields in Sauternes, for instance, are often around 8-15 hectolitres per hectare (compared with 35-45 hl/ha for comparable red Bordeaux estates).
Below, you will find some of the Sauternes from our list.
WHITE | 1893 | 2 bottles | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £4,500 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1893 / 2 bottles / 75cl £4,500 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1929 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £2,200 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1929 / 1 bottle / 75cl £2,200 per bottle |
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Tasting Notes"The 1929 Yquem ranks as one of the greatest Sauternes that I have ever tasted. It was picked between 20 September and 9 October, some sugar levels reaching 26° potential alcohol. Limpid golden in colour, it has an intense bouquet with blood orange, Japanese yuzu, elderflower and golden raisins that are all delivered with the most breath-taking definition. The palate is perfectly balanced, symmetrical even, its acidity effortlessly slicing through the concentrated, rich botrytised fruit. This ranks as one of the most penetrating bottles of Yquem that I have tasted, perhaps only equaled by the 1945. Monumental. Tasted at Epure restaurant in Hong Kong. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2045. 100 points." Neal Martin, Feb '22 |
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WHITE | 1942 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £2,400 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1942 / 1 bottle / 75cl £2,400 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1947 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £3,300 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1947 / 1 bottle / 75cl £3,300 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1949 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £1,700 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1949 / 1 bottle / 75cl £1,700 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1958 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £1,050 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1958 / 1 bottle / 75cl £1,050 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1966 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £795 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1966 / 1 bottle / 75cl £795 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1967 | 6 bottles | Château Suduiraut | 75cl | £280 per bottle | Château Suduiraut 1967 / 6 bottles / 75cl £280 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1971 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £750 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1971 / 1 bottle / 75cl £750 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1975 | 1 case | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £10,500 per case of 12 | Château d'Yquem 1975 / 1 case / 75cl £10,500 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 1976 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £495 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1976 / 1 bottle / 75cl £495 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1990 | 1 bottle | Château d'Yquem | Half bottle | £160 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 1990 / 1 bottle / Half bottle £160 per bottle |
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WHITE | 1990 | 1 case | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £3,800 per case of 12 | Château d'Yquem 1990 / 1 case / 75cl £3,800 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2001 | 1 case | Château Clos Haut Peyraguey | 75cl | £460 per case of 12 | Château Clos Haut Peyraguey 2001 / 1 case / 75cl £460 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2001 | 3 bottles | Château Rieussec | 75cl | £120 per bottle | Château Rieussec 2001 / 3 bottles / 75cl £120 per bottle |
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WHITE | 2003 | 9 bottles | Château Rieussec | 75cl | £40 per bottle | Château Rieussec 2003 / 9 bottles / 75cl £40 per bottle |
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Tasting Notes"The 2016 Rieussec is a blend of 83% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle picked form 26 September until 4 November. It has a much more straightforward bouquet compared to the 2015 with light honeysuckle and white flower aromas. There is good acidity in the mouth thanks the passerillé berries, nicely balanced with a touch of orange zest towards the linear finish that will hopefully gain more weight during its élevage. It is likely to be an earlier-drinking Rieussec than the 2015. 92-94 points" Neal Martin, RobertParker.com "The 2016 Rieussec is gorgeous. Despite the relatively low acidity of the vintage, it preserves a good deal of aromatic freshness, with plenty of lemon confit, passion fruit and coconut overtones. The decision to lower the Sémillon a touch and increase the Sauvignon Blanc has paid handsome rewards. The 2016 is not a truly profound Sauternes - that would have been nearly impossible this vintage - but it comes close. Quite frankly, it is nearly impossible to spit. 93-96 points" vinous.com (AG) "Lots of botrytis here in addition to dried mushrooms and dried fruit such as pineapple and peaches. Medium to full body. Medium sweet. Very long and intense. A triumph. 98-99 points" jamessuckling.com |
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WHITE | 2003 | 8 cases | Château Rieussec | Half bottle | £395 per case of 24 | Château Rieussec 2003 / 8 cases / Half bottle £395 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 8 cases | Château Clos Haut Peyraguey | Half bottle | £330 per case of 24 | Château Clos Haut Peyraguey 2005 / 8 cases / Half bottle £330 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 2 cases | Château de Fargues | 75cl | £660 per case of 12 | Château de Fargues 2005 / 2 cases / 75cl £660 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 8 cases | Château de Fargues | Half bottle | £695 per case of 24 | Château de Fargues 2005 / 8 cases / Half bottle £695 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 1 case | Château Doisy Vedrines | 75cl | £280 per case of 12 | Château Doisy Vedrines 2005 / 1 case / 75cl £280 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 2 cases | Château Guiraud | Half bottle | £420 per case of 24 | Château Guiraud 2005 / 2 cases / Half bottle £420 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 1 case | Château La Tour Blanche | 75cl | £360 per case of 12 | Château La Tour Blanche 2005 / 1 case / 75cl £360 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 3 cases | Château Raymond Lafon | Half bottle | £450 per case of 24 | Château Raymond Lafon 2005 / 3 cases / Half bottle £450 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 2 cases | Château Rayne Vigneau | 75cl | £340 per case of 12 | Château Rayne Vigneau 2005 / 2 cases / 75cl £340 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 10 cases | Château Rayne Vigneau | Half bottle | £360 per case of 24 | Château Rayne Vigneau 2005 / 10 cases / Half bottle £360 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 1 case | Château Rieussec | 75cl | £495 per case of 12 | Château Rieussec 2005 / 1 case / 75cl £495 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2005 | 1 case | Château Suduiraut | 75cl | £520 per case of 12 | Château Suduiraut 2005 / 1 case / 75cl £520 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2006 | 2 cases | Château de Fargues | Half bottle | £660 per case of 24 | Château de Fargues 2006 / 2 cases / Half bottle £660 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2007 | 2 cases | Château Doisy Vedrines | Half bottle | £260 per case of 24 | Château Doisy Vedrines 2007 / 2 cases / Half bottle £260 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2007 | 1 case | Château Suduiraut | 75cl | £450 per case of 12 | Château Suduiraut 2007 / 1 case / 75cl £450 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 1 case | Château Clos Haut Peyraguey | 75cl | £350 per case of 12 | Château Clos Haut Peyraguey 2009 / 1 case / 75cl £350 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 2 cases | Château Clos Haut Peyraguey | Half bottle | £370 per case of 24 | Château Clos Haut Peyraguey 2009 / 2 cases / Half bottle £370 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 1 case | Château Doisy Daene | Half bottle | £320 per case of 24 | Château Doisy Daene 2009 / 1 case / Half bottle £320 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 3 cases | Château Guiraud | Half bottle | £495 per case of 24 | Château Guiraud 2009 / 3 cases / Half bottle £495 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 1 case | Château Raymond Lafon | Half bottle | £280 per case of 24 | Château Raymond Lafon 2009 / 1 case / Half bottle £280 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 2 cases | Château Rayne Vigneau | 75cl | £380 per case of 12 | Château Rayne Vigneau 2009 / 2 cases / 75cl £380 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 3 cases | Château Rayne Vigneau | Half bottle | £395 per case of 24 | Château Rayne Vigneau 2009 / 3 cases / Half bottle £395 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 6 cases | Château Sigalas Rabaud | Half bottle | £210 per case of 12 | Château Sigalas Rabaud 2009 / 6 cases / Half bottle £210 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 1 case | Château Sigalas Rabaud | 75cl | £330 per case of 12 | Château Sigalas Rabaud 2009 / 1 case / 75cl £330 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 1 case | Château Suduiraut | 75cl | £600 per case of 12 | Château Suduiraut 2009 / 1 case / 75cl £600 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2009 | 2 cases | Château Suduiraut | Half bottle | £600 per case of 24 | Château Suduiraut 2009 / 2 cases / Half bottle £600 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2010 | 1 case | Château Raymond Lafon | 75cl | £340 per case of 12 | Château Raymond Lafon 2010 / 1 case / 75cl £340 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2010 | 1 case | Château Rieussec | 75cl | £380 per case of 12 | Château Rieussec 2010 / 1 case / 75cl £380 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2011 | 1 case | Château Climens | 75cl | £225 per case of 6 | Château Climens 2011 / 1 case / 75cl £225 per case of 6 |
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WHITE | 2011 | 1 case | Château Raymond Lafon | Half bottle | £295 per case of 24 | Château Raymond Lafon 2011 / 1 case / Half bottle £295 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2013 | 1 case | Château Suduiraut | 75cl | £260 per case of 6 | Château Suduiraut 2013 / 1 case / 75cl £260 per case of 6 |
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WHITE | 2014 | 1 case | Château Doisy Vedrines | Half bottle | £240 per case of 24 | Château Doisy Vedrines 2014 / 1 case / Half bottle £240 per case of 24 |
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WHITE | 2014 | 1 case | Château Suduiraut | Half bottle | £225 per case of 12 | Château Suduiraut 2014 / 1 case / Half bottle £225 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2015 | 1 case | Château Rieussec | 75cl | £450 per case of 12 | Château Rieussec 2015 / 1 case / 75cl £450 per case of 12 |
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WHITE | 2016 | 3 cases | Château Rieussec | 75cl | £175 per case of 6 | Château Rieussec 2016 / 3 cases / 75cl £175 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2016 Rieussec is a blend of 83% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle picked form 26 September until 4 November. It has a much more straightforward bouquet compared to the 2015 with light honeysuckle and white flower aromas. There is good acidity in the mouth thanks the passerillé berries, nicely balanced with a touch of orange zest towards the linear finish that will hopefully gain more weight during its élevage. It is likely to be an earlier-drinking Rieussec than the 2015. 92-94 points" Neal Martin, RobertParker.com "The 2016 Rieussec is gorgeous. Despite the relatively low acidity of the vintage, it preserves a good deal of aromatic freshness, with plenty of lemon confit, passion fruit and coconut overtones. The decision to lower the Sémillon a touch and increase the Sauvignon Blanc has paid handsome rewards. The 2016 is not a truly profound Sauternes - that would have been nearly impossible this vintage - but it comes close. Quite frankly, it is nearly impossible to spit. 93-96 points" vinous.com (AG) "Lots of botrytis here in addition to dried mushrooms and dried fruit such as pineapple and peaches. Medium to full body. Medium sweet. Very long and intense. A triumph. 98-99 points" jamessuckling.com |
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WHITE | 2018 | 1 case | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £1,395 per case of 6 | Château d'Yquem 2018 / 1 case / 75cl £1,395 per case of 6 |
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WHITE | 2019 | 1 case | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £750 per case of 3 | Château d'Yquem 2019 / 1 case / 75cl £750 per case of 3 |
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WHITE | 2019 | 1 case | Château Rieussec | 75cl | £330 per case of 4 | Château Rieussec 2019 / 1 case / 75cl £330 per case of 4 |
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Tasting Notes"Pale lemon-gold in color, the 2019 Rieussec flaunts a delicately scented nose of fresh grapefruit, lemon curd, lime leaves and clover honey with wafts of jasmine, white truffles and nutmeg. The palate slowly builds, revealing layers of apple and citrus fruits with loads of savory accents, framed by refreshing acidity and a seductively oily texture, finishing on a lingering honey-nut note. 94-96 points." Lisa Perotti-Brown MW, The Wine Advocate------"Expertly constructed, with luxuriously intense pineapple, mango and apricot pit flavours matched step for step by bitter orange peel, lime juice and tingling grated ginger. Sauternes doesn't always manage to deliver such a mouth-watering mix of satin texture set against pinpoint acidity, but the late harvest 2019 - botrytis arrived when the nights were cool - made for some exceptionally successful wines in the appellation, even if yields were tiny. This is a delicious Rieussec, full of personality, and its 120g/l residual sugar leaves its trace in texture rather than in weight. First year of organic certification. 96 points" Janeanson.com |
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WHITE | 2020 | Château d'Yquem | Magnum | £530 per bottle | Château d'Yquem 2020 / / Magnum £530 per bottle |
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WHITE | 2020 | Château d'Yquem | Half bottle | £795 per case of 6 | Château d'Yquem 2020 / / Half bottle £795 per case of 6 |
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WHITE | 2020 | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £795 per case of 3 | Château d'Yquem 2020 / / 75cl £795 per case of 3 |
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WHITE | 2020 | Château d'Yquem | 75cl | £1,590 per case of 6 | Château d'Yquem 2020 / / 75cl £1,590 per case of 6 |
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WHITE | 2022 | Château Climens | 75cl | £670 per case of 6 | Château Climens 2022 / / 75cl £670 per case of 6 |
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WHITE | 2022 | Château Lafaurie Peyraguey | 75cl | £360 per case of 6 | Château Lafaurie Peyraguey 2022 / / 75cl £360 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"A wine that made me call the winemaker to better understand its composition and which, for better or worse, gives an insight into the conditions facing Sauternes in the vintage. This is 260g/l residual sugar, almost double what you can expect in a typical year, from a 10hl/h yield. Extremely luxurious and luscious, powerful concentration to the marmalade, smoked caramel, apricot puree, white truffle and ginger. It’s impressive, but the contrasting acidity and lift that you find in exceptional Sauternes vintages is conspicuously absent. 91 points" janeanson.com------"The 2022 Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a very fragrant, floral bouquet with pure botrytised fruit, wonderful delineation and sense of mineralite. The palate is smooth and sensual, dried honey and quince, lightly spiced with a gentle crescendo on its polished and long finish. This is a very strong follow-up to the 2021. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com ------"Another mind-blowing Sauternes with dense and concentrated fruit, and incredible depth and power. Spices galore. Very sweet. 260 grams residual sugar. Twice the normal year. French TBA? 95% semillon and 5% sauvignon blanc. 99-100 points" jamessuckling.com |
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WHITE | 2022 | Château Suduiraut | 75cl | £291 per case of 6 | Château Suduiraut 2022 / / 75cl £291 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"Amber in colour, with tropical fruits of passion fruit and mango on the opening beats, clear depth of flavour and contrast provided by orange peel and aniseed bitterness, low acidity. Luscious, silky, powerful, enjoyable. Pierre Montégut technical director, 7hl/h yields, 70% new barrels 30% from barrels of one vintage. 92 points" janeanson.com------"The 2022 Suduiraut is laced with hints of tangerine peel, spice, vanillin, chamomile and dried flowers. It offers a lovely mix of botrytis-inflected flavors and textures while also showing quite a bit of freshness. The 2022 is done in the lighter style the château favors these days. My impression is that it is still coming together, as the wine shows a very slight lack of cohesion that is not typical. 92-94 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"The 2022 Suduiraut comes from a quick and late harvest in October (three tries between 17 and 27 October with some passerillé grapes in September). Bunches were affected by botrytis but did not concentrate, at least not until a period of wind and warmth. Wild honey, quince and touches of marmalade on the nose, this opens nicely in the glass. The palate is pure and viscous in texture, with marmalade, again, and dried honey. Very open and approachable on the finish. Not profound, but quite delicious. Christian Seely said he drank this for breakfast the previous day - why not? 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"One of the finest Sauternes I've been lucky enough to taste in some time, the 2022 Château Suduiraut is 100% Sémillon that hit 13.9% natural alcohol, with 190 grams per liter of residual sugar. Still resting in 70% new barrels, this monster of a Sauternes offers a huge nose of honeyed citrus, orange marmalade, spice, brioche, and almond paste. Full-bodied, rich, and massively concentrated, nevertheless, it somehow stays flawlessly balanced, fresh, and light on its feet. 97-99 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"Wow. This is incredibly concentrated with such depth and power. Dried oranges. Full-bodied with some phenolic tension that frames the wine perfectly. Dried apricots and peaches. Incredible richness and freshness. Spicy and flavorful. Tastes more like a BA from Germany! 100% semillon. 98-99 points" jamessuckling.com |
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