Nose
Château Suduiraut 2015 presents a subtle and very complex nose. First of all smoky and mineral aromas emerge combined with very ripe stone fruit. The nose reveal notes of honey, verbena and mild spices. The attack is smooth and echoes the aromas on the nose, in particular yellow peaches and spices.
Palate
The palate is powerful while showing restraint and elegance. The very velvety and fresh finish lingers on notes of juicy orange and spices. This is an extremely generous and powerful vintage with great finesse.
Growing Conditions
Winter and spring were generally mild with little rainfall. The vines started to develop early, helped by rising temperatures as the season progressed. Late June and early July were marked by a heat wave. In the end this heat did not affect the flowering and growth of the inflorescences thanks to rainfall in mid-June. Temperatures remained high but storms in mid-August led to consistent onset of ripening and water stress that was not detrimental for quality and early development of Botrytis.
Harvest
The harvest period ran from the 4th of September to the 27th of October, with five selective pickings in total. We got off to a very early start, with a first selection made during the week from the 4th to the 11th of September, which then continued from the 15th to the 24th of September including both passerillage and botrytis.
The yield of 1hl/ha was very small but that is not uncommon for the first wave of harvesting. The second round of selection ran from the 15th of September to the 5th of October. These first two selections were small in quantity but big on quality. The must was very rich, with a vibrant fruitiness. The third selection, between the 24th of September and the 9th of October, brought in the bulk of the grapes with a superb level of noble rot: this wave gave us both volume and quality, with a yield approaching 7hl/ha. The fourth round of grape selection was completed on the 26th of October, bringing in fewer grapes but still of excellent quality, followed by one final round of picking between the 14th and the 27th of October. There were smiles all round as the harvest came to an end, with all involved confident that 2015 will give us a magnificent wine with a yield of around 16hl/ha.
Bottling
Bottling date: July 4th 2017
Aging
50% in new barrels,
50% from barrels of one vintage, for 18 months.
Appearance
A deep golden yellow colour, showing its great maturity.
