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
The autumn and winter of 2019-2020 were very wet. Total rainfall reached 519 mm in March, more than half the annual average. It was accompanied by mild temperatures, leading to bud break more than two weeks earlier than usual. This advance persisted, even with significantly cooler weather at the end of the month and a frosty day on 27th March. Flowering, although early, took place in unsettled weather, causing coulure. The impact was very irregular, varying according to the terroir, how early the plot developed, and the age of the vines. Good weather returned in July, with conditions becoming very dry, and above all very hot. The water reserves enabled the vines to withstand the successive heat waves, and a little rain in mid-August brought the ripening of the grapes back on track. The ripening process drew to a close about ten days ahead of schedule under very favourable weather conditions: hot days and cool nights, which preserved the range of aromas.
Harvest
The harvest began on 16th September and ended on 5th November, with a total of four selective pickings. We harvested mainly passerillés grapes on this first clean-up picking that lasted four days from 16th September. The quantity harvested was very small. A first period of unsettled weather brought 68 mm of rain over 10 days.
At the end of September our hopes were raised with Botrytis Cinerea covering the whole vineyard, but unfortunately a second period of unsettled weather brought significant rainfall.
Before this, we quickly carried out another selective picking in the vineyard’s finest terroirs on 29th and 30th September. We resumed the second selective picking only on 12th and 15th October.
On 19th October our decision to wait for a sunnier, more stable period yielded excellent results with an abundant third selective picking, which brought wellbotrytised grapes, of high quality and satisfactory quantity (350 hl). The third selective picking ended on 24th October. Another rainy period brought the harvest to a halt. With 30 mm more rainfall, the sugar content dropped sharply and we took another risk waiting to take full advantage of forecast sunshine. We started the fourth and final picking on 2nd November. The pickers meticulously selected only those grapes affected by the right type of rot. Ultimately the yield was 8.5 hectolitres per hectare.
Ageing
20% in new barrels
80% from barrels of one vintage, for 15 months
Varietal
Sémillon : 100%
Specifications
Alcohol content : 14 % vol.
Residual Sugar : 115 g/l
Total acidity : 3.69 g/l
Tasting
The colour is a deep, bright golden yellow. The influence of Botrytis, with its typical aromas of candied orange and apricot, is almost immediately perceptible on the nose. This is followed by aromas of tropical fruit, in particular lychee, which we feel is characteristic of this vintage. The attack is smooth, becoming full and racy as it evolves. Aromas of candied citrus fruit, tropical fruit and spices are still at the fore. The finish is long and elegant with hints of bitter orange, ginger and more candied notes. A rich, racy, elegant Castelnau, still reticent and requiring some bottle age.
Pierre Montégut - Technical Director - December 2022
Bottling date: May 23rd 2022