Sauternes

Fruity desserts, Blue cheese

Years come and go, and no two are ever alike. After a very dry 2015 vintage, 2016 was characterised by a damp beginning to the year: the first four months of 2016 saw the equivalent of the entire rainfall of 2015. The sun returned from June onwards and nature quickly made up for lost time. Warm, dry weather set in for three months from July, resulting in water stress which delayed the harvest, but the old vines withstood the conditions with ease. The harvest period ran from 22nd September to 9th November, with four selective pickings in total. A welcome storm on 20th September triggered botrytis which allowed the first selective picking to be performed on 22nd September. The summer's very hot and dry weather dried out the grapes in various areas. We harvested the plots most heavily affected by this form of concentration from 22nd to 28th September and from 4th to 7th October. The batches were rich and offered vital acidity. The second selective picking began on 11th October following a second period of rainfall, and the third was staggered with its predecessor until the end of the month. The last two weeks offered the highest quality and the most prolific quantity, with more than 75 % of the harvest being gathered during this period. We began the final selective picking in early November, finishing on the 9th of the month. The 2016 harvest was generous at more than 22 hl/ha and is extremely promising, complex, rich and gourmand. There was sporadic rain in August and September, this humidity was conducive to the growth of botrytis, and was followed by a beautiful Indian summer which enabled us to wait for optimal ripeness and to spread the harvests over an extended period (with 7 selective pickings) until 2 November.

50% in new barrels, 50% from barrels of one vintage, for 18 months

The estate took the name of Suduiraut in 1580 on the marriage of Nicole d'Allard to Léonard de Suduiraut. The château was plundered and burned down during the Fronde insurrection, then rebuilt in the XVII century. It was re-named Cru du Roy in the late 18th century on being taken over by a nephew of the Suduiraut family, Jean Joseph Duroy, Baron of Noaillan. The family home then acquired a cartouche featuring the Suduiraut and Duroy coats of arms, which was to give rise to the escutcheon used by Château Suduiraut today. The property was planted with magnificent formal gardens, designed by Le Nôtre, King Louis XIV's renowned gardener. On 18 April 1855 the estate was classed as a Premier Cru during the official wine classification programme in the Gironde winegrowing area. AXA Millésimes acquired Château Suduiraut in 1992 with the aim of preserving and perpetuating the estate's remarkable tradition of vineyard management and winemaking. Inspired by the great Suduiraut wines of the past, the new management has enabled this great vineyard to fulfil its full potential in recent years.