Castelnau de Suduiraut 2007 Sauternes 37.5 cl (6 half bottles)

Anthony Rose of The Independent says:

"It may only be in a half-bottle, but good sweet things can come in small packages, too, and this luscious sweet Bordeaux blend, the second wine of the grand cru classé Sauternes estate, Château Suduiraut, is certainly just that. A luscious sweet marvel of honeyed richness and complexity, it's seductively intense and peachy now, but will develop further wine time.

Castelnau de Suduiraut is the second wine of the prestigious Grand Cru Classé Château de Suduiraut. The estate covers 90 hectares of vineyards adjacent to the most prestigious of all Sauternes estates, Yquem. Selective hand harvesting of botrytised, or 'nobly rotten' grapes, means low average vine yield of 17 hectolitres per hectare. Château Suduiraut is a beautiful property situated in the commune of Preignac with magnificent gardens designed by Le Notre, who was also responsible for those at Versailles.

Sauternes is an appellation which applies to 5 villages to the South of the Ciron. The Ciron is a tributary of the Garonne and is responsible for the misty autumn conditions that give rise to noble rot, making it possible to make deliciously sweet wines from the concentrated sweet juice of the dehydrated grapes.

On the nose, the wine shows intense honeycomb, beeswax and spice; the palate is lush and sweet with honeyed flavours giving onto a spicy, toasty finish.