Mostly Semillon yet with a splash of Sauvignon, the 2005 Château Suduiraut offers up a rockingly good perfume of orange blossom, caramelized grapefruit, flower oil, spice, and brioche. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, ripe, yet vibrant, elegant Sauternes that has a balanced, layered, light on its feet style that makes it such a joy to drink.

With 163 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2005 Suduiraut exhales a deep, complex bouquet of exotic fruits, pineapple, apricot and spices despite a slight touch of volatile acidity. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated with a stunning "rôti"—the French term for the consequence of noble rot—it’s satiny and chiseled with racy acids and a long, mineral and saline finish underlined by gastronomic bitterness. This splendid Sauternes, a blend of 97% Sémillon and 3% Sauvignon Blanc, was matured for 18 months in oak barrels (65% new and 35% one year) and was harvested in four tries between September 26 and October 17. - Yohan Castaing

Bright gold. Perfectly balanced. Not sweet, and yet explosively sweet with flavors of fresh nectarine, scents of jasmine and honeysuckle. The sweetness pours out of the freshness, so it's impossible to taste them apart. The flavors last, perhaps because it's the kind of wine you'll want to roll around in your mouth over and over. Glorious.

Picked over a period of eight weeks this wine shows the class and care resulting from such efforts. Citrus and white flower aromas lead to a wine that is not overtly rich with subtle shades of botrytis and orange marmalade flavors. The acidity is vibrant fresh a great balance.

Still quite young, decanted 4 hours in advance, this is still young, fresh and lively. Loads of pineapple, apricot, vanilla and honey in the perfume. The wine is unctuous in texture and long in the finish. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2005&wine=Chateau%20Suduiraut

(93+) The quality of the botrytis is very exciting in the 2005 Suduiraut, as it seems very clean and really lifts the aromatics on the wine at this early stage. The simply beautiful bouquet offers up a classy mélange of pear, honeycomb, pineapple, acacia blossoms, a gentle touch of grassiness and a deft framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep, fresh and very light on its feet, with excellent mid-palate depth, impeccable balance and lovely length and grip on the tangy, focused finish. This wine blossomed stunningly with extended aeration, becoming more floral, more perfumed and more elegant as it sat in the glass. A great vintage for Suduiraut. (Drink between 2015-2060)

Tasted on several occasions most recently at home the Suduiraut '05 is slightly deeper in colour than the 2007. It has a rich almost decadent nose with a conspicuous veneer of vanillary new oak underneath which lies honey orange peel creme brulee passion fruit and a touch of spice. It has very fine definition although it does not have the clarity of the 2007. The palate is rich and mellifluous rounded and sumptuous with slightly lower acidity than the 2007 a real fatness here redolent of the 2003 or 1990. There are touches of lemongrass inflecting the finish and giving the finish and edginess that counterbalances that 163gms/L residual sugar. Tasted July 2011.

The 2005 Suduiraut has an intense bouquet of lanolin, dried apricot and subtle hazelnut scents that are well defined and approaching full maturity. The palate is nicely balanced with a viscous, honeyed opened, allied with notes of marmalade, caramel and caramelised pear. Boasting lovely weight on the finish, this is ageing well. The 2005 is a Suduiraut that looks to be heading in a positive direction. Tasted at the château. -- Neal Martin