Notes from Chateau Suduiraut:

"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.

Years come and go, and no two are ever alike. After a very dry 2015 vintage, 2016 was characterised by a damp beginning to the year: the first four months of 2016 saw the equivalent of the entire rainfall of 2015. The sun returned from June onwards and nature quickly made up for lost time. Warm, dry weather set in for three months from July, resulting in water stress which delayed the harvest, but the old vines withstood the conditions with ease. The harvest period ran from 22nd September to 9th November, with four selective pickings in total. A welcome storm on 20th September triggered botrytis which allowed the first selective picking to be performed on 22nd September. The summer's very hot and dry weather dried out the grapes in various areas. We harvested the plots most heavily affected by this form of concentration from 22nd to 28th September and from 4th to 7th October. The batches were rich and offered vital acidity. The second selective picking began on 11th October following a second period of rainfall, and the third was staggered with its predecessor until the end of the month. The last two weeks offered the highest quality and the most prolific quantity, with more than 75 % of the harvest being gathered during this period. We began the final selective picking in early November, finishing on the 9th of the month. The 2016 harvest was generous at more than 22 hl/ha and is extremely promising, complex, rich and gourmand".