Sauternes 1er Cru Classé 2013 – Château Suduiraut (375ml)

To produce Sauternes 1er Cru Classé Château Suduiraut,  pressing, removal of the lees from the must and clarification of the grape juice take place.  Fermentation in new French oak barrels with temperature control (24ºC) for 3 weeks. Sauternes 1er Cru Classé Château Suduiraut  ages in French oak barrels for 16 months, with 10% new oak, 20% 1 year old oak and 70% of 2 year old oak. Racking every 3 months then light filteration before bottling.

The estate comprises 91 hectares of vines, planted in a gravelly, sandy-clay soil. The gravel captures the sun’s heat, thereby helping the grapes to reach maturity more rapidly, contributing to the wine’s opulence. The thin soil retains very little water, resulting in low yields, which concentrates the sugars and flavours in the grapes and forces the vine to draw its nourishment from deep into the soil. The vines are planted at a high vine density of 7,000 vines per hectare and the vines have an average age of 35 years. The vines are grown according to environmentally responsible practices and the estate is certified High Environmental Value (HEV); cultivation practices include short pruning and tilling of the soil. 90% of the Suduiraut vineyard is planted with Sémillon vines and 10% with Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon is an aromatic grape and when is infected with botrytis or noble rot it has an ample structure on the palate, giving the wine great mellowness and unctuosity. The Sauvignon Blanc when vinified as a dessert wine adds acidity, bringing freshness and aromatic complexity to the blend. The best botrytised bunches are meticulously selected by hand and are naturally high in concentrated sugar suitable for dessert wine.