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TheDrinkShop.com : CHATEAU SUDUIRAUT - Premier Cru Classe de Sauternes 1996 - French White Wine

Golden yellow.

The nose is fresh, complex with aromas of lemon honey and crystalised fruit.

The palate long and fresh.

A balanced wine with a hint of spice in the finish.

Wonderful depth.white wine

ABV: 13%
Country of Origin: France
Grape Type: Sauvingnon Blanc/Semillon
Region: Bordeaux, France
Sub Region: Sauternes
Vintage: 1996

Château Suduiraut


Château Suduiraut can be found among the five communes of Sauternes which are Preignac, Sauternes, Bommes, Barsac and Fargues. The Château in Sauternes itself, is architecturally elegant and simple, something of a contrast when compared to its wines!

At the end of the 17th Century the Comte Blaise de Suduiraut bought the vineyard which had been devastated during the Fronde wars. The Comte re-established the vineyard and a few years later, the magnificent gardens designed by Le Nôtre were completed.

The terroir of Sauternes covers nearly 2,200 hectares and lies forty kilometres from Bordeaux between the left bank of the Garonne and the Landes forest. The vineyard of Suduiraut covers nearly 200 hectares of which 92 hectares of vines are planted in a sandy clayey soil.

A Year in the Vineyard


After the harvest in November, the hard work of ploughing and manuring the soil begins. The vines in the oldest areas of land are inspected and replaced where required.

In January the winter pruning commences. The pruning is extremely severe (en gobelet étalé) which helps limit the yield and ripen the fruit as early as possible.

In April, the first phosphate treatments start and these are continued until mid-August.

In March, April and May, the soil is ploughed again, the trellis-work is maintained and any planting of new vines will be finished. June sees the work of tying-in the vines, they are lifted, cut back and trained.

July into August sees the green harvest, where some of the unripe bunches on the vine are removed. During August, work on the soil continues as does cutting back the foliage which allows the grapes to have a greater expose to the sunshine. Weeds are controlled by hoeing. This is a very important time as from now until September, fruit growth and foliage are constantly monitored.

The end of September the grapes which will not be selected for wine-making are picked and discarded, this is the beginning of the long-awaited harvest. It is also the time when the noble rot (botrytis cinerea) attacks the skin of the grapes due to a result of the particular climatic conditions. This triggers a concentration of sugar, reduces the acidity, and encourages the formation of glycerine which is exactly what the wine growing team wants. The grapes become crumpled, dried and turn violet with colour, a state known as 'roti' . The picking starts slowly, little-by-little and is spread over several weeks, all carefully controlled and overseen by the technical director Pierre Montegut.

CHATEAU SUDUIRAUT - Premier Cru Classe de Sauternes 1996

Grape Type: Sauvingnon Blanc & Sauvingnon Semillon.
ABV: 13.5%.
Colour: Draped in its golden yellow colour, this wine is visibly still young.
Nose: Notes of tobacco followed by aromas of dried fruit and peach.
Palate: The fresh initial taste, the straight-forwardness of the mid palate backed by a fine acidity reveal its great cellaring potential. Flavours of candied fruit mingle with mineral touches. The finish, enhanced by a hint of mint, lingers with touches of wax and fudge. Still somewhat discreet, this vintage is fast coming round and is well worth waiting for.
Food and Wine Matching: Its character and complexity allow this wine to both complement spicy, sweet and fruity dishes. Great with Chinese, poultry, duck in orange. Roquefort and Bleu d'Auvergne work especially well with this wine and it almost makes a perfect partner with fruity desserts.

On Special Offer - Was £20.84 - Now £17.98