2016 - Suduiraut, Sauternes

The 2016 Suduiraut has 145 g/l of residual sugar. Pale lemon-gold in color, it flies out of the glass with vivacious, youthful scents of lemon tart, lime cordial, and orange blossom, plus suggestions of nutmeg, marzipan, and creme brulee. The rich, seductive, full-bodied palate really packs a powerful wallop of fruit, supported by a seamless line of freshness and a decadently oily texture, finishing long and perfumed.

The 2016 Suduiraut was very fine out of barrel and bottling but ten years on, wow, it trounces all-comers with a stellar showing. It is very nuanced on the nose, pure with scents of quince, saffron and a touch of white flowers, the oak beautifully integrated. The palate is very well balanced with superb weight, real density and power as it fans out towards the finish. There is a sense of grandeur here. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

Yet another distinctive wine, the 2016 Suduiraut reveals a spicy, intriguing bouquet of licorice, acacia, curry leaf and exotic fruits mingled with ripe orchard fruits. Moderately weighted and perfectly balanced, it’s charming and round, with a rich core of fruit framed by a gastronomic bitterness and a long, penetrating finish. Harvested in four tries between September 22 and November 9, with a yield of 22 hectoliters per hectare, it was matured for 18 months in 50% new oak barrels and 50% one-year-old barrels and contains 140 grams per liter of residual sugar.

Tasted blind. Round and peachy/floral. Not the finest and a little burnt but it delivers and I’d be very happy to drink this in the short term. (JR)