Château de Suduiraut, France

The Château was plundered and burned down during the Fronde insurrection, then rebuilt in the 17th century. It was re-named Cru du Roy in the late 18th century on being taken over by a nephew of the Suduiraut family, Jean Joseph Duroy, Baron of Noaillan. The family home then acquired a cartouche featuring the Suduiraut and Duroy coats of arms, which was to give rise to the escutcheon used by Château Suduiraut today. The property was planted with magnificent formal gardens, designed by Le Nôtre, King Louis XIV's renowned gardener. Although winegrowing in the region can be traced back to Roman times, there is unquestionably a Dutch influence in the emergence of the Sauternes wines. In the 17th century Dutch merchants were well-established in the Barsac vineyard, where they produced sweet white wines without using noble rot. It was only in the early 18th century that the practice of harvesting over-ripe grapes through a process of successive selections was introduced. On 18 April 1855 the estate was classed as a Premier Cru during the official wine classification programme in the Gironde winegrowing area.

Viticulture

Certified High Environmental Value (HEV), the estate comprises 91 hectares of vines, on gravelly, sandy clay soil. The stones capture the sun's heat, thereby helping the grapes to reach maturity more rapidly. It is this unique terroir that gives the wine its outstanding opulence. This thin soil which retains very little water leads to low yields. It concentrates the grapes' qualities and forces the vine to draw its nourishment from deep in the earth. The wine's relationship with the terroir is even stronger because of this, and it expresses itself with strongly-marked minerality. High vine density (7,000 vines per hectare) and the high average age of vines (35 years) are important factors in the quality of the wines, along with environmentally responsible winegrowing methods, short pruning and tillage. The proportion of each grape variety used determines the wines' unique profile. 90% of the Suduiraut vineyard is planted with Sémillon vines and 10% with Sauvignon Blanc. Semillon is a traditional variety of the region. When it is infected with noble rot it has an ample structure on the palate and gives the wine great mellowness and unctuosity. Wines produced with Semillon grapes are remarkably aromatic: they evoke honeyed fragrances, grilled dried fruits, acacia blossom and candied citrus. Sauvignon Blanc has very characteristic aromas such as citrus, white peach, exotic fruits... When vinified as a liquoreux, or dessert wine, it adds a touch of acidity to the blend, bringing freshness and aromatic complexity.

Winemaking

Lions de Suduiraut has been specifically designed to reveal the pleasures of tasting Sauternes wines. With a specific blending style made of Semillon and Sauvignon blanc, it gives a unique personality to the wine. Smooth, subtle, fresh and mineral, with a creative profile, Lions de Suduiraut is modern and pleasant to drink even when young.