Château Suduiraut 2024

A Premier Cru Classé from Sauternes of great complexity

The property

Founded in the 16th century, the Château Suduiraut is a gem of the Sauternes appellation, in the Bordeaux region. This historic estate, Premier Cru Classé since 1855, spans 92 hectares of sandstone, clay and limestone soils, conducive to the production of exceptional sweet wines. The gardens designed by André Le Nôtre and the 17th century architecture add to the prestige of the place. Today, under the ownership of the AXA group, the château continues a tradition of rigor and excellence, mainly cultivating sémillon, with vinification in oak barrels.

The vineyard

The Sauternes vineyard benefits from a unique microclimate created by the confluence of the Ciron and the Garonne, promoting the development of Botrytis cinerea, this "noble rot" essential for the production of great sweet wines. The plots selected for Château Suduiraut 2024 are planted on sandy-clay gravel soils that bring minerality and freshness to the wine, while allowing deep rooting of the vines.

The vintage

The year 2024 began with a particularly rainy winter and early spring, with mild temperatures causing an early bud break of the vines, about 10 days ahead of normal. The cool and wet spring slowed vegetative growth, with a very rainy May increasing mildew pressure. The hot and dry summer allowed disease control and slowed vine vigor, promoting optimal ripening. Early September rains followed by sunny and windy weather created ideal conditions for the development of botrytis.

Vinification and aging

At Château Suduiraut 2024, the harvest took place between September 19 and October 24 in four successive passes to select only perfectly botrytized grapes. After a gentle pneumatic pressing of about 3 hours, followed by a vertical pressing for the most concentrated juices, the musts were cold settled at 10°C. The alcoholic fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels (50% new) for 2 to 3 weeks, before being stopped by cooling and sulfiting to preserve residual sugars. The aging is 16 to 20 months in barrels, 50% of which are new and 50% of a wine.

Grape variety

This Château Suduiraut 2024 is a 100% sémillon.