Château d'Yquem

Château d'Yquem is the very top Sauternes - and has been for generations. In no other district is there a château with such a pre-eminent position. Many wine lovers make their way up the long drive simply to gaze at the château, which is well worth the effort, since the grandness of d'Yquem also extends to its place of birth.

The château was built partly in the 16th and partly in the 17th century on the spot where several centuries previously a castle with a keep had stood. In 1592 the estate came into the possession of the Sauvage d'Yquem family.

It became the property of the de Lur Saluces family in 1785 when Josephine d'Yquem married Comte Louis Amedee de Lur Saluces. Chateau d'Yquem was acquired by the LVMH group in 1999. The present management of the estate is under the control of Pierre Lurton, President of the château since 2004.

The great secret of d'Yquem is that the grapes are picked one by one at exactly the right moment, namely when their sugar content is such that they could in theory produce wine of an alcohol content of 19 degrees to 20 degrees.

When fermentation stops naturally at 13 degrees to 14 degrees of alcohol, unconverted sugar is left. In terms of pure class, style and richness, d'Yquem leaves all other Sauternes behind. It is a wine which inspires praise of the most extravagant kind.

The most beautiful description of d'Yquem came from Andre Simon who saw the wine as 'distilled dew and honey with the fragrance of all of the fresh wild flowers of the field greeting the dawn.'

THE VINEYARDS
Château d'Yquem has 113 hectares of vines, of which only one hundred produce grapes in a given vintage.

Two or three hectares of vines that are too old are grubbed up every year, and the soi lis then left fallow for a year. It takes at least five years before new vines produce grapes that are up to Yquem's very strict standards.
Twelve hectares of land thus remain uncultivated every year.
There are just two grape varieties : Sémillon (80%), which produces a rich, sappy wine with body and structure, and Sauvignon Blanc (20%), an early-ripening but less reliable producer, which contributes aromas and finesse.

The wines are tended with the greatest of care. Workers perpetuate a tradition of painstaking work under the watchful eye of the vineyard manager.

THE TERROIR
Great wines are not born just anywhere, by accident.

A unique set of climatic and geological conditions combine to form a rare equilibrium. This is undoubtedly the case at Yquem, which epitomises  all that is best the singular winegrowing environment in Sauternes.

Château d'Yquem topsoil is warm and dry, accumulating heat thanks to smooth flat pebbles and coarse gravel.

The clay subsoil contains good water reserves and there are numerous springs on the estate. Drainage pipes were installed some time ago to prevent waterlogging (100km of drains since the 19th century). Yquem's large size made it possible to plant 113 hectares of vines on a very representative sampling of the rich tapestry of the sauternes region's soil types.
This extraordinary variety of soil is a key factor in the quality and complexity of Château d'Yquem.

THE HARVEST
Grapes have been harvested the same way at Château d'Yquem for centuries. At vintage time, the château's work force increases by 140 pickers, divided into four groups.

They scour the entire vineyard for grapes that are both botrytised and have attained maximum concentration. Harvesting at Yquem calls for picking in several waves.

Botrytis cinerea acts differently on every plot, every bunch of grapes and, indeed, on every individual grape. Pickers select only the ripest, most 'rotten' fruit. Any grapes that fall short of these criteria are left for the next wave.

There are an average five or six waves per vintage, spread over six weeks. However, in certain years, when the harvest starts in October and does not end until December, it is necessary to go through the vineyard more than 10 times - despite the risk that the vintage may not be worthy of the Yquem name.

BEST VINTAGES
1811, 1834, 1847, 1859, 1929, 1967, 2001

Yquem 2001
Rating: 100 Points Robert Parker, 100 Points Wine Spectator
The grapes had unusually high sugar levels and almost overpoweringly concentrated aromas. In 2001, botrytis was in full control and we could almost say we 'suffered the dictates' of a great vintage.

Beautiful brilliant golden colour. Concentrated bouquet of ripe fruit (Mirabelle plum, apricot and mango) and dried fruit (fig, raisin and quince), followed by hints of white fruit (pear and vine peach) and spicy nuances (saffron, curry, toasty aromas, fresh mint, and eucalyptus).

Yquem 2001 bouquet has a rare subtlety that can only increase with age.
Alcohol: 13.60% - Residual Sugar: 150g/L

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Château d'Yquem Vintages Available