Chateau SUDUIRAUT Sauternes 1er Cru Classe 2015

Located close to Chateau dYquem, the massive 200 hectare Sauternes vineyard of Chateau Suduiraut has 90 hectares under vine and in production. The terroir is mostly gravel, sand, limestone, and clay soils that are on sloping hillside. The large 90-hectare vineyard of Chateau Suduiraut is planted to 88% Sémillon and 12% Sauvignon Blanc.Although, there is a small amount of Sauvignon Grisplanted in the vineyard as well.

Chateau Suduiraut has a long history in Sauternes that dates all the way back to 1580 when Leonard de Suduiraut married Nicole d’Allard. The land that became Suduiraut was a dowry. Once the magnificent chateau was constructed, the property needed a garden and grounds of equal splendor.

The estate and vineyards were completely renovated at the end of the 17th century by Count Blaise de Suduiraut. The Count, who was the grandson of the founder, hired the designer of the gardens at Versailles to create something truly special at Suduiraut. With its stunning park-like grounds, lakes, and greenery, there are few Bordeaux estates that are as beautiful as Chateau Suduiraut.

The next big step for Suduiraut came in 1831 when the property was passed to Nicolas Guillot who increased the size of the already vast estate.

Like many Bordeaux estates, Suduiraut passed through numerous hands for the next two centuries. During the 1940s, 1950’s and 1960’s, the property went through a bad patch. At a time, the wines were aged in vat, instead of oak, which did not help with the quality of the wine.

That practice was fortunately discontinued. The wines had lost interest for many lovers of Sauternes. This changed in 1992 when Suduiraut was sold to AXA, the large French insurance group that counts several other Bordeaux wine properties in their holdings, Château Pichon Baron and Château Pibran in Paullauc.