Two Sauternes first growths have released their prices – Chateau Suduiraut and Chateau Guiraud.

They follow Lafaurie Peyraguey, Doisy Daene, Doisy Vedrines and Sigalas Rabaud in being among the first properties to release.

Chateau Suduiraut, which Michel Bettane in Decanter describes as ‘a triumph’ and ‘without doubt the best since 1899 or 1928’ is the most expensive Sauternes so far, with merchants offering it at around £650 per case.

Guiraud is ‘monumental but silky and supremely elegant [with] immense length’, and is offered at around £390.

Lafaurie, Doisy Daene and Doisy Vedrines are between £250 and £400.

The 2009 vintage in Sauternes has been described by Bettane – widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts on the region – as one of the best anyone can remember.

The botrytis was so uniform, he writes, that growers picked their grapes with only one or two passes through the vineyard.

‘The general enthusiasm is easy to understand…The overall level of my tasting marks is ummatched.’

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Written by Adam Lechmere

Adam Lechmere
Adam Lechmere
Decanter Magazine, Wine Editor & Writer

Adam Lechmere is consultant editor of Club Oenologique among other things.

Formerly launch editor of Decanter.com, which he edited until 2011, he has been writing about wine for 20 years, contributing to Decanter, World of Fine Wine, Meininger’s, the Guardian and many others. Before joining the wine world he worked for the BBC, and as a music and film gossip journalist.