Location and Terroir
Château Suduiraut is located in Preignac in France and forms part of the Sauternes wine region in Bordeaux. The estate comprises 91 hectares of vineyard on a gravelly, sandy-loam terroir. The thin soils store little water, while the stones absorb the sun’s warmth and promote deep rooting.
Vine Cultivation and Harvest
The vineyards are planted with around 7,000 vines per hectare; the average vine age is 35 years. Documented work includes environmentally responsible viticulture, short pruning and cultivation of the soil. According to the estate, the proximity of the Ciron and Garonne ensures cool nights, autumn morning mists and sunny days that promote the development of noble rot. The grapes for the sweet wines are hand-harvested in several selective pickings; only lots affected appropriately by Botrytis are selected. The blend consists of around 80 % Sémillon, 15 % Sauvignon Blanc and 5 % Sauvignon Gris.
Wines and Ageing
Château Suduiraut produces sweet wines from selectively harvested, botrytised grapes as well as dry white wines. The Château Suduiraut Vieilles Vignes Grand Vin Blanc Sec comes from selected Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc plots with an average vine age of around 45 years. Château Suduiraut PUR SÉMILLON Grand Vin Blanc Sec is produced from a micro-terroir planted exclusively with Sémillon, with vines of around 55 years old. Castelnau de Suduiraut is made from selected picking lots that reveal themselves earlier than the lots used for Château Suduiraut. For the 2023 vintage of Château Suduiraut, fermentation was carried out with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels, of which 50 % were new wood; the wine then aged for 20 months. The 2024 vintage of Vieilles Vignes was fermented in barrel, developed with 12 % new wood and stored for nine months on fine lees; the stirring of the fine lees was variable, and no malolactic fermentation took place.
History
The estate received the name Suduiraut in 1580 through the marriage of Nicole d’Allard and Léonard de Suduiraut. After the château was plundered and burned during the revolt of the Fronde, it was rebuilt in the 17th century. AXA Millésimes acquired Château Suduiraut in 1992. On 18 April 1855, the estate was classified in the Bordeaux classification of 1855 as a Premier Cru.
