ESF

9.5

Outstanding — 5 months ago

Mark Rosse

9.3

In its next stage. Light golden in color. More like drinking an old burgundy with a bit of frizz. — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Suduiraut – Sémillon 2003 (Sauternes)
Graves, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Crafted primarily from Sémillon, Château Suduiraut is one of Sauternes’ premier estates, producing wines shaped by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). The warm 2003 vintage gave concentration and richness, while time in bottle has deepened its complexity. (Educational note: Sémillon’s thick skins make it particularly susceptible to botrytis, producing the honeyed intensity Sauternes is famous for.)

Aromas & Flavors
Opulent notes of dried apricot, candied orange peel, and golden raisin layered with honey, saffron, and caramelized pineapple. Secondary tones of almond, vanilla, and beeswax show the maturity of two decades.

Mouthfeel
Lusciously full-bodied, with velvety sweetness cut by balanced acidity. The palate is rich and textured, gliding into a lingering finish of dried fruit, spice, and honeyed depth.

Food Pairings
A classic match with foie gras or blue cheese. Also pairs beautifully with fruit tarts, crème brûlée, or even spicy Asian dishes for contrast.

Verdict
A magnificent aged Sauternes — decadent yet balanced, carrying the warmth of 2003 with elegance. Honeyed, textural, and endlessly layered, this is a benchmark for botrytised sweet wines. 🍯🍷cheers!

Did You Know?
Sémillon makes up the majority of Sauternes blends, often complemented by Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Its thick skin and natural waxiness make it ideal for noble rot, creating the world’s most legendary dessert wines.

Collector’s Rarity 📌
Château Suduiraut, a Premier Cru Classé estate from the 1855 classification, produces limited amounts of Sauternes each year — with older vintages like 2003 increasingly rare treasures in the market. — 9 months ago

Mary H

9.5

I’m an addict, what can I say? Full mouthful of bright fruit flavor, golden tropical fruit, honey, singing acidity and long finish. — a year ago

Brennan Roy

9.0

Golden honey with legs. Can’t get enough of that apricot blossom and honeycomb nose. Complex but balanced with a smooth, silky mouthfeel. Sweet, but not overpoweringly so, with a delightfully long finish. — 3 years ago

Tom Garland

9.1

A pale golden straw color. A smooth chalky wine with lemon curd, green apple, bosc pear, toasty vanilla oak, and melon. — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

M. Chiarlo’s Moscato d’Asti is also available in a 375ml which is a nice size to pop open after a nice meal. A slight effervescence wine with a light golden color. Aromas of sweet fresh stone fruits and citrus layered with a bit of floral spice. On the palate flavors of peaches and apricots with a grape-like character. Medium finish ending with citrus, sweet spice and honey notes. A favorite, great value! Grab a 750ml for a larger crowd! — 6 years ago

Chad Powell

9.6

Highly rated for a reason. It’s quite good. — 6 months ago

Conrad Green

9.7

From mag. Golden in color but still fresh. Intense and rounded. Peach and lemon and fine dazzling acidity. Gorgeously deep and balanced and long. Fantastic — 8 months ago

with Bex, Walker and 1 other

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium golden colour , thin lemon colour rim . Quite restrained and closed on the nose at first , with light petrol notes complimenting some honied yellow fruits, orange rind , candied peel , crushed stones and ripe pear. On the palate this has laser like acidity with good volume and definition , very mineral intensity and citrus , pear and lightly honied , wet stony finish . Very long and detailed. This is ready but also ageless , not old nor young , and can see this continuing on for a further 10 years . — a year ago

Jane Nuss

9.2

Pale golden in the glass with fine, persistent bubbles. Aromas of green apple, orange peel, pear, and peach, layered over rich notes of brioche and toast. On the palate, it’s full-bodied and complex, with a creamy texture, energetic mousse, and toasty depth. High acidity. Vibrant and refreshing with a long, satisfying finish. Consistently well-balanced, reliably delicious. A standout non-vintage Champagne. — a year ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Yeah, this is really good. From one of the grandest Champagne vintages in a 100 years or so.

The nose is extremely complex. Notes of; mixed orange citrus, overripe golden apple, bruised pear, overripe papaya & mango, stone fruit, just a hint of Meyer lemon, brioche, biscuits, baguette crust, ginger ale to gingerbread, white spice, faint sea fossils, understated saline, limestone marl, soft herbaceous, beautiful, powdery chalkiness, heavy cream, yellow lilies, jasmine and spring flowers in a field of greens.

The palate is gentle, micro lean bubbles, amazingly, soft mousse. Just beautiful, orange citrus, overripe golden apple, bruised pear, overripe papaya & mango, stone fruit, just a hint of Meyer lemon, juicy lime pulp, brioche, biscuits, baguette crust, ginger ale to gingerbread, graham crackers, vanillin, white spice, crushed more pronounced sea fossils, understated saline, limestone marl, soft herbaceous, beautiful, powdery chalkiness, heavy cream, yellow & white lilies, jasmine and spring flowers in a field of greens. The acidity is perfect. The finish is excellent with similarities wire to wire. Lasts minutes.

Photos from my October visit to Billecart and my tasting with Mathieu Roland-Billecart. — 3 years ago

Nik Kannan

9.4

Really incredible wine. Not paired with any food, the wine is flavorful, quenching w/ oak flavor adding the right dryness and notes of plum & vanilla to finish - really well balanced and opened well. Bottled was empty far too quickly : ) — 5 years ago

with Emily

Eric Urbani

9.3

Drinking fab now! — 6 months ago

Conrad Green

9.3

From mag. Golden in color. Soft bubbles. Dried apricots, hazelnut, toast. Very secondary and soulful. Drink up — 8 months ago

with David, Bex and 1 other

Lyn Farmer

9.4

It’s hard to find fully shed classic Viura (white Rioja) anymore but old-school Lopez de Heredia clings to tradition. This wine, nearly 10 years old on release, is fascinating - aged to the point of considerable oxidation yet it retains its fruit ands acidity. Bruised apple, ripe pear, golden raisin, orange peel, flint, wet stones, and hay happily coexist with hazelnut, dried orange peel, coconut, baking spices ands more. The medium acidity is a firm foundation to a richly textured wine, Long finish too! — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened prior to dinner and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2011 pours a bright gold color with medium+ viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of ripe and tart orchard fruit: bruised Golden Delicious apple, lemon drop, marmalade, white flowers, a whiff of clove, Marcona almonds, lanolin and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is wooly. Weeeeeee!!! A special bottle that’s drinking so well at the moment. Drink now with patience through 2036. — a year ago

GaryWEdwards

9.6

Deep golden color with a citrus undertone and distinct minerality, if not oyster shells. Delightfully pleasant wine. — 2 years ago

Dan

9.5

Golden perhaps almost orange color. Lemon, cream, yeast, richer fruit, great balance and acidity, just so smooth to drink, hard to pick up nuanced tertiary notes but so delicious. — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.3

My last of the 2014 Ultramarine’s. Sad day. Thankfully 2015s are up next, and I was able to secure extra 2016s during the release a few months back.

This was one of three bubblies (2010 Larmandier-Bernier VV du Levant, Egly Ouriet Rosé) opened alongside a lineup of some fun wines when a buddy, @Shawn R , was in town. As always, my experience with these wines is so unique. You can always tell this is like grower champagne from first smell and sip. Gorgeous golden color in the glass. I normally pick up aromas of cream soda with Ultramarine (aside from their rosé), but didn’t get that here. Caramel dipped golden delicious apples, spiced cider, brioche, a little shaved almond, sporting a gentle “oxidative” flair. On the palate it’s zippy and racy with a distinct herb crusted yellow fruit profile (which I get on some Heintz Chardonnays), alongside more apple, poached pear, and kiss of ripe red Berry fruits. There is also a backbone of limestone/mineral here. When compared to the Larmandier-Bernier, this drank more new world, though if I had tried this blind and not next to a true champagne, I may have been able to get there.

As an aside, we drank half of this bottle (and of the other two bubblies as well) and then put a champagne stopper on it to revisit the next day. Upon opening, the bubbles seemed to have diminish quite a bit and it drank closer to a still wine...and then 30mins later, it was like this roared back to life for one last hurrah, full of bubbles and totally vibrant. Not sure I’ve seen a bubbly do that before. The last glass on the second day was just as good as the first glass on the first day. — 5 years ago

with Shawn