1971 | Chateau Suduiraut | Sauternes

Details

White Wine: 1971 | Chateau Suduiraut | Sauternes

Heady aromas of marmalade, quince, a touch of marzipan and roasted almond. The palate is very well defined with a smooth, harmonious texture, notes of Clementine and quince.

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Producer: Chateau Suduiraut

Ratings: WA | 91 V | 90

Vintage: 1971

Size: 750ml

ABV: 14%

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

Country/Region: France, Bordeaux

Heady aromas of marmalade, quince, a touch of marzipan and roasted almond. The palate is very well defined with a smooth, harmonious texture, notes of Clementine and quince.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Tasted from the Chateau reserves at the estate. Lucid colour in the glass, the 71 has a powerful bouquet with very fine delineation: heady aromas of marmalade, quince, a touch of marzipan and roasted almond. The palate is very well defined with a smooth, harmonious texture; notes of Clementine and quince. I suggest that it does not have the profundity of either Chateaux Coutet or Yquem, but it has bravura about it, tipping over towards the slightly alcoholic finish. This is still drinking very well.

• Vinous: The 1971 Suduiraut must be one of the best vintages of the Seventies, vying with the 1975. It has an intense bouquet with marmalade and quince, touches of Seville orange marmalade and toffee apple, well defined if not sophisticated. The palate is well balanced and harmonious with a fine bead of acidity. It does not have the searing penetration of say, Coutet or Yquem in this vintage, but there is a sense of purpose and vitality, whilst the finish feels long if a little warm with alcohol. Very fine. 14.4% alcohol, 64gm/L residual sugar. Tasted from a bottle from my personal cellar.

Producer Information

Chteau Suduiraut is located in Sauternes, Bordeaux, and is well-known for its highly-prized sweet wines made predominantly from Smillon. In 1855, it was classified as a Premier Cru producer in the 1855 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac. Today, the vineyards are planted mostly with Smillon, alongside small plots of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. The estate, which borders the top estate of the appellation Chteau d’Yquem, has over 90 hectares (220 acres) under vine, on gravelly, sandy soils near the banks of the Gironde, whose humidity (and that of nearby streams feeding the river) helps with the development of botrytis late in the growing season. As is often the case in top Sauternes estates, harvest is done in “tries” (successive passes through the vineyard) to make sure all the bunches are at optimum levels of botrytis when picked, and only the best botrytis-affected grapes make it into the Chteau Suduiraut grand vin. The grand vin is aged on its lees in 50 percent new French oak for up to 24 months. This process is controlled barrel-by-barrel to allow for an easier distinction between the top wine and the wines that will become the second and third wines of the estate. The second wine, Castelnau de Suduiraut, is made from grapes that are generally expressive earlier in the season, and the wine itself is approachable in its youth. In 2011, Chteau Suduiraut made a third wine, Lions de Suduiraut. The chteau takes its name from a former owner: 16th Century nobleman, Lonard de Suduiraut. The estate has had a chequered history, from being ransacked during the Fronde uprisings of the 17th Century to having its ornamental gardens designed by Le Ntre (the famed gardener who designed the gardens of the Versailles palace, outside Paris). It was acquired by investment firm AXA Millsimes in 1992. AXA holdings include Chteau Pichon Baron in the Mdoc, Domaine de lArlot in Nuits Saint-Georges and Quinta do Noval in the Douro.