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Château Suduiraut is a Premier Cru Classé of 1855, set in Preignac at the foot of the Yquem hill, with gardens by André Le Nôtre. Since 1992 AXA Millésimes has produced a lavish yet fresh and mineral Sauternes here – carried by the influence of the cold little Ciron river, which fosters noble rot. Secure the Grand Vin or the second wines Castelnau and Les Lions de Suduiraut – great Sauternes from the AXA hand.
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Château Suduiraut is a Premier Cru Classé of the 1855 Classification in the appellation of Sauternes on the left bank of the Gironde, in the commune of Preignac at the foot of the Yquem hill. The estate is celebrated for its 17th-century château and the gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. On some 91 hectares of sandy-clay gravel soils, a concentrated Sauternes emerges that is at once fresh and mineral. The estate has been owned since 1992 by AXA Millésimes under Christian Seely; the technical director is Pierre Montégut. The Grand Vin is complemented by the second wines Castelnau de Suduiraut and Les Lions de Suduiraut, as well as dry white wines.
The name derives from the family who owned the estate from 1580 until the end of the 18th century. The original château – then called Château d’Allard – was razed to the ground and its vines torn up on the orders of the Duc d’Épernon during the Fronde rebellion in the 1650s. Blaise de Suduiraut had it rebuilt in the 1660s, gave it his name and modelled it on Versailles – complete with gardens by the royal gardener Le Nôtre, whose layout survives to this day. Suduiraut has belonged to AXA Millésimes since 1992; Christian Seely, the group’s managing director, oversees the estate, while Pierre Montégut has held technical responsibility since 2004.
Suduiraut is a Premier Cru Classé of 1855 and ranks among the great references of the appellation. Under AXA Millésimes, its reputation and quality have grown steadily; the group’s uncompromising quality philosophy – also familiar from Pichon Baron – shapes the entire portfolio.
The soils fall into two sections: a sandy-gravel plateau around the château (around 80 hectares under vine, rising to 50 metres at its highest point) and a smaller section of around 9 hectares of clay and gravel on the Yquem hill at 60 metres. Crucial to the estate is its proximity to the cold Ciron stream, whose morning mists, combined with the Garonne, create the ideal humidity for noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). A replanting programme is under way, with a slightly increasing proportion of Sauvignon.
The grape mix comprises 90% Sémillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, planted at around 7,000 vines per hectare. The dry white wine contains around 75 percent Sauvignon Blanc; the second wine Castelnau de Suduiraut can reach up to 99 percent Sémillon in some vintages – more than the Grand Vin, which stays at around 90 percent to preserve its fresh citrus twist.
The harvest is carried out by hand over several passes spanning weeks, with only perfectly botrytised berries picked; since 1990 yields have been capped at 15 hl/ha at most, usually around 13 hl/ha, with strict selection at times declassifying up to 20 percent of the crop. After slow pneumatic pressing and cold settling, the must ferments lot by lot in barrel; the Grand Vin is aged for 16 to 24 months in 35 to 70 percent new oak, depending on the needs of the vintage. Farming is carried out on an almost entirely organic basis.
The Grand Vin Château Suduiraut accounts for around 40 percent of production. The second wines Castelnau de Suduiraut (since 1992) and Les Lions de Suduiraut (since 2009) come from defined parcels. There are also two dry white wines – S de Suduiraut (since 2004) and Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut (since 2015) – as well as a Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Pur Sémillon. The former Tête-de-Cuvée was discontinued from 2001, with the best selection flowing into the Grand Vin ever since.
Suduiraut is a lush yet elegant Sauternes: apricot, pineapple, candied citrus fruit, honey, acacia blossom and toasted notes, carried by a creamy texture and a saline, fresh tension that balances the sweetness. With age, the wine takes on a sun-gold, later amber robe and gains in depth.
Among the outstanding recent vintages are 2015, 2016 and 2019. Among the more mature vintages, 1989, 2001, 2007, 2009 and 2010 are especially worthwhile – the technical director explicitly compares the most recent top vintages to 2009 and 2010 in terms of sugar content and freshness.
The Grand Vin ages for thirty years or more in great vintages, while also being approachable young. Castelnau and Les Lions de Suduiraut reach their peak after five to ten years, the dry white wines after three to six years.
European Wine-Searcher prices for current vintages (retail prices incl. VAT, indicative):
Suduiraut offers a great, classified Sauternes from AXA’s stable at a moderate price.
An accessible entry point is offered by the dry white wines and the second wines Castelnau de Suduiraut and Les Lions de Suduiraut. For the cellar, the Grand Vin in top vintages is the strategically most interesting position – a lush, long-lived Sauternes in direct neighbourhood to d’Yquem.
Who owns Château Suduiraut? Suduiraut has belonged to AXA Millésimes since 1992. Director and CEO is Christian Seely, with Pierre Montégut as technical director since 2004.
What classification level does Suduiraut hold? Suduiraut is a Premier Cru Classé of the 1855 Classification (Sauternes).
What is the composition of the Grand Vin? The grape mix comprises 90% Sémillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc; the Grand Vin remains at around 90 percent Sémillon to preserve its fresh citrus twist.
What are the second wines and dry white wines called? The second wines are Castelnau de Suduiraut (since 1992) and Les Lions de Suduiraut (since 2009); the dry white wines are S de Suduiraut (since 2004) and Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut (since 2015).
What makes Suduiraut’s terroir special? Proximity to the cold Ciron stream produces morning mists that, combined with the Garonne, create the ideal humidity for noble rot. Part of the vineyard borders directly onto d’Yquem.
What does a bottle of Suduiraut cost? Current vintages of the Grand Vin sell on the European market for around 40 to 70 euros (0.75 l), with sought-after vintages costing more. The second wines and dry white wines start at around 20 euros.
Suduiraut combines a Premier Cru Classé of 1855 with the quality philosophy of AXA Millésimes and one of the most beautiful estates of the appellation. As a lush, elegant Sauternes in direct neighbourhood to d’Yquem, the estate ranks among the great references of Sauternes.
