Château Audinet (half bottle) 2020

Revel in mesmerising notes of orange, marmalade, honey and intense citrus in this fine Sauternes crafted in a top vintage. Château Audinet is the property of the renowned Mercadier family, owners until 1992 of the Premier Cru Classé Château Suduiraut, which lies just 5 kilometres away. With the proceeds of the sale they invested back into the region, gradually buying another four estates. Today it is Paul Mercadier and his wife Emilie in charge, fervent defenders of the region and its gorgeous wines with Paul, himself, the winemaker. At Château Audinet, they have 13 hectares of half-century-old vines – mostly Sémillon, with a little Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Yields are minute – 14 to 16 hectolitres per hectare for these botrytised grapes, carefully handpicked, slowly fermented, the wine aged for 10 months in French oak barrels. Like the best Sauternes, it has a delicious balance of intensely sweet, ripe apricot and orange fruit, with bristling lemon freshness.