James Suckling (99)

This has so much blossom honey and white flowers with limes and other citrus. Stone and mineral undertones. Subtle passion fruit. A truly complex and great nose. Full-bodied and compact with fruit, phenolics and fresh acidity. Just a touch of sea salt. Very long and persistent. If you close your eyes, it’s like a great red wine. One of the best whites ever to come from here. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% semillon, 5% sauvignon gris. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Simply stunning and undeniably one of the whites of the vintage, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a light gold hue as well as a brilliant perfume of honeyed grapefruit, crushed stone, and lemon zest. Rich, full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and concentrated on the palate, it’s one of those rare whites that brings a red wine-like sense of structure and mouthfeel while staying vibrant, juicy, and incredibly precise. Give it 2-3 years and enjoy through 2042.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Simply stunning and undeniably one of the whites of the vintage, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a light gold hue as well as a brilliant perfume of honeyed grapefruit, crushed stone, and lemon zest. Rich, full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and concentrated on the palate, it’s one of those rare whites that brings a red wine-like sense of structure and mouthfeel while staying vibrant, juicy, and incredibly precise. Give it 2-3 years and enjoy through 2042.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)

Distinctive as ever, right at the top of what Pessac Léognan Blanc can deliver. Structured, fleshy white peach and pear, waves of salted cracker and sage, creamy texture, great length, just a brilliant wine. A buy.

Engage in a soulful journey through the treasury of viticulture with the exquisite Suau Blanc 2016. Embodying the purity and rustic charm of Spain's Castilla-La Mancha region, this white wine, produced by the renowned Bodega Suau, mirrors an intimate understanding of the art of exquisite winemaking. The wine exhibits a timeless tradition that spans centuries.

Meticulously crafted, the Suau Blanc 2016 encompasses handpicked, perfectly ripened Airen and Macabeo grapes, adeptly blended in the most sensitive manner to retain their authenticity. Through stringent fermentation in controlled stainless steel tanks, the producer ensures the perfect balance of aromatic intensity and flavour.

The wine reveals a stunning straw yellow hue in the glass and seductively greets the palate with vibrant notes of green apple and lemon zest, underlaid with subtle hints of fresh herbs that crescendo into a delightfully crisp finish. The Suau Blanc 2016 is a splendid reflection of its terroir and a testament to the mastery of winemaking.

Imbued with a rich legacy, the Suau Blanc 2017 brings to you Catalonia's finest winemaking relics. This tantalising white wine is crafted by the revered Spanish vintners, Celler Piñol. Bearing the recognisable stamp of the Terra Alta region, the Suau Blanc 2017 is created from meticulously selected Grenache Blanc grapes, flourishing under an ideal Mediterranean climate, complemented by chalky, calcerous soils.

The wine reveals alluring aromas of green apple, pear and floral hints, offering a stimulating sensation to the discerning palate. Carefully aged on lees, the Suau Blanc 2017 also encompasses a modest characteristic of elegant oak notes, which elevates its complex body and rounded mouthfeel.

Renowned for its precisely balanced acidity and lasting finish, the Suau Blanc 2017 is a true embodiment of superlative Spanish vinification. Connoisseurs seeking a truly distinguished white wine experience will find the Suau Blanc 2017 enlightening.

Wine Spectator (98)

Gorgeous aromas of honey, passion fruit, mango and candied lemon rind. Full-bodied and ultraconcentrated, yet balanced and refined. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This has just about everything in the right place. Stunning. Best after 2009. 6,665 cases made. -JS

Wine Spectator (98)

Gorgeous aromas of honey, passion fruit, mango and candied lemon rind. Full-bodied and ultraconcentrated, yet balanced and refined. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This has just about everything in the right place. Stunning. Best after 2009. 6,665 cases made. -JS

Wine Spectator (95-100)

This is subtle yet powerful. It's full-bodied, with loads of honey and licorice character. Racy and refined. Sweet yet delicate. It 's a very complex wine. Tight. Score range: 95-100

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Powered by dry botrytis, this is a wine with immense potential. It has weight, complexity and richness, all under the cloak of botrytis. To leaven the power, there is acidity, but this is certainly for aging.

Scoring 98 points from the Wine Advocate's Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 97 points from Decanter's Jane Anson and 18.5/20 from Jancis Robinson MW, this 2009 "remains the benchmark Suduiraut of recent years".

 

Still taking a while to open up fully, indicting a very long life ahead, it has a "divine bouquet... building layer upon layer" (NM) that "seductively unfurls" (WA) with gorgeous notes of honey, dried pineapple, chamomile tea, yellow flowers and nectarine. The rich, viscous and satiny texture of the palate is "effortlessly" countered by a "beautiful razor-sharp line of acidity" (NM) that gives this Sauternes bags of freshness. With "epic length and depth" (WA) on the finish, this is a wine that will span generations with Neal Martin giving it a drinking window up to 2070.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94-96)

The 2013 Suduiraut is magnificent. A bold, direct Sauternes, the 2013 hits the palate with an exotic mélange of apricot jam, lychee, spices, mint and honey. One of the bigger, deeper wines of the vintage, the Suduiraut is firing on all cylinders today. This is a great showing.

Vinous - Neal Martin (96)

The 2014 Suduiraut was picked from 12 September to 30 October. It is very similar to the bottle tasted blind at the Southwold tasting, offering a gorgeous array of almond, quince and wild honey, perhaps just less of the orange blossom here but still utterly captivating. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, as animated as the 2015 with great precision and tension towards the finish. Perhaps this is a little sharper than the 2015 at the moment without the same roundness or depth, but it is just as good. 150gm/L residual sugar, 13.8% alcohol. Tasted at the Suduiraut vertical at the château.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)

The 2016 Suduiraut is fabulous. Crème brȗlée, passion fruit, tangerine peel and exotic floral notes all race out of the glass. I marvel at how Suduiraut can deliver so much flavor intensity and yet remain so gracious and classy. The 140 grams of residual sugar are very well integrated. This is such a gorgeous wine.

James Suckling (97-98)

What a crazy Sauternes. The density and sweetness are amazing, yet at the same time it’s fresh and bright with an inspirational energy and dryness at the end. Phenolic and textured.

James Suckling (97-98)

This has lots of concentration and mushroom and spice character. Plenty of botrytis. Dense and flavorful finish. Big wine for the vintage. Five hectoliters a hectare and half went into the second wine.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2019 Suduiraut is absolutely stunning. Rich, heady and explosive, but in the vibrant style that marks the wines of today, Suduiraut is a real head-turner. An exotic melange of apricot jam, orange confit, spice, candied ginger and pineapple all soar out of the glass. The 2019 is creamy and intense, but not at all heavy. The 130 grams of residual sugar are perfectly integrated. Magnificent.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

On another level, the 2020 Château Suduiraut is flat-out stunning and boasts a phenomenal array of orange blossom, honeyed minerality, lychee nut, caramelized peach, and assorted spices. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it nevertheless has the vintage’s riveting purity and precision. Sauternes doesn't get much better.