2005 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classe 750 ml

The 2005 vintage in Bordeaux was absolutely gorgeous. And it produced some fabulous Sauternes. None of the stars shone brighter than the 2005 Château Suduiraut, which outscored even the legendary Château d’Yquem. 

The waiting is the hardest part with great Sauternes, and this bottle has been aged perfectly for you. Whether you’re buying it to drink in the short term or age it another decade plus, this is an outstanding buy.

Bordeaux’s sensational ‘05 vintage was a drought year without extreme heat. A very warm and dry summer with cool nights helped the grapes maintain sound levels of acidity—the magic formula for serious, cellarworthy Sauternes—and the season yielded tiny, perfect grapes. “In terms of power and elegance,” wrote Decanter, “2005 may well become one of Sauternes’ most classic.” They compared it with the region’s bucket-list years, including 1949, 1921, 1906, and 1899.

With a history dating back to the 1600s, Suduiraut has mastered the art of cultivating the “noble rot” brought on by Botrytis cinerea. A beneficent fungus, Botrytis increases glycerol and concentrates sugars and acids by the dehydration and shriveling of grapes. Nothing is more important to the development of noble rot than the warm, moist conditions at the sites known for producing top-flight Sauternes.

Situated in the village of Preignac, the Suduiraut estate actually borders the Yquem vineyards, and possesses the same incredible diversity of soils and parcels, ranging from sandy-gravel to clay. In the 2005 harvest, four passes were made through the vineyard, from September 26 to November 7, to ensure each parcel was picked at the peak of perfection. The vinification was classic, in barrels with careful temperature control.

A blend of 97% Sémillon and 3% Sauvignon Blanc, the ‘05 was aged for 18 months in 65% new barrels. After two decades, it’s drinking absolutely perfectly. We recommend you jump on this bottle, we don’t get a lot of Sauternes that checks all the boxes like this one.