Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes 2005 (Half Bottle 375mL)

“What a wine for the vintage, with spices and furniture wax undertones, then dried citrus fruit. Great intensity in this powerful stuff. Perhaps the best 2005.” – James Suckling

Mic drop! “Perhaps the best 2005” ?!?! Well, that certainly caught our attention! Sauternes are always such a challenging animal...their best vintages don’t always align with the best vintages of the rest of Bordeaux, and often times the greatest wines of the vintage either aren’t available for years or don’t show well initially as they are meant to be consumed years, sometimes decades after release. It’s a lot for even pros like us to keep tabs on, to be honest.

That’s why we were so absolutely thrilled when an importer dropped off a boatload of back vintage sauternes – ready to drink, and so, so much easier to wrap our collective heads around! This 2005 Château Suduiraut was simply superb – heady, intoxicating, and deeply beguiling tones of orange marmalade, clover honey, chipped river rocks, quince, clove, Chinese five spice – man, this goes on forever! Fresh, never-ending vibrancy comes rushing in – cutting the unctuousness and viscosity like a lightsaber and making this a masterpiece!

97% sémillon, with 3% sauvignon blanc all aged in 65% brand new, and 35% once-used French oak for 18 months. The fruit was harvested over four primary passes through the vineyards – selecting the fully-botrytized grapes in each pass – beginning in late September and continuing into early November. The winery ranks this amongst their greatest vintages EVER – granting it Top 5 status alongside the revered 2001, 1967, 1947, and 1928 vintages. That we have any of this...especially at 50% OFF, well, it is simply a marvel. Do. Not. MISS!

PAIRING IDEAS: Go make friends with your local cheesemonger and ask for this: Bleu d’Auvergne – made from raw cow’s milk, this intense, grassy and floral cheese is a life-changer! Serve alongside green apples, d’anjou pears, and toasted whole walnuts. You’ll be hooked!