Presentation
Castelnau de Suduiraut is a wine with a distinctive character for which the groundwork is prepared far in advance, even down to the choice of specific plots to give it its own unique identity.
Made from portions of the harvest that are expressive earlier than those used for Château Suduiraut, this wine with aromas of candied yellow fruit, quince, frangipani, mild spices and a hint of minerality is more approachable when young in terms of tasting than its elder.
The vintage
- A late autumn and winter 2022/2023 with abundant much desired rain (350 mm of total rainfall, i.e. 30% more than the previous year).
- 4th and 5th April: a frost episode occurred, but fortunately with limited impact thanks to late budburst.
- A dry and warm spring, which contributed to the good development of the vines, with a very nice emergence of bunches.
- Ideal weather conditions for flowering, with a very generous harvest potential.
- July: rainfall and high temperatures led to an attack of mildew, which was fortunately kept under control.
- August: a cool, overcast start to the month, followed by a return to dry, warm weather to perfect the ripening of the grapes.
Harvest
The harvest for the sweet wines took place between 18th September and 17th October with a total of 3 selective pickings.
As a result of the hot, dry weather, we started the first picking composed mainly of raisined grapes on 18th September and finished it on 27th September with 7 batches representing a volume of 148 hectolitres, i.e. 20% of the harvest. Rain from 21st to 23rd September triggered good botrytisation. However, we had to wait for optimal concentration and began the second picking on 2nd October.
A radical change in weather with wind and heat led us to accelerate the pace of the harvest. The hectolitres amassed and the days passed quickly until 11th October, the end date of this second selective picking, representing 70% of the harvest in volume, with a very pronounced botrytised character (17 batches giving 540 hl). We finished with a third picking on 17th October. The overall harvest was 12 hectolitres per hectare.
The 2023 vintage is generous, with distinct acidity, a very classic botrytised character and similarities to the 2021 vintage. It offers purity with fresh and candied citrus flavours.
Winemaking
Vinification in French oak barrels with native yeasts, during 3 weeks.
Ageing
20% in new barrels
80% in old barrels, for 15 months
Varietal
Sémillon : 100%
Specifications
Alcohol content : 14 % vol.
Residual Sugar : 142 g/l
