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1st Grand Cru Classé Superior in 1855
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What Domaine more famous throughout the world to evoke the great sweet wines of the Sauternes vineyard than Château of Yquem?
A name associated with a myth whose reputation has undoubtedly crossed borders. It was in 1593 that Jacques Sauvage was granted "tenure rights", and a few years later began the construction of Château. Françoise-JosépHine de Sauvage d'Yquem married Count Louis Amédée de Lur-Saluces in 1785. At the death of the latter, she will gradually raise the Domaine to the top of the hierarchy of great wines of Sauternes.
During the classification of Bordeaux wines formalized in 1855 at the request of Napoléon III for the Paris World's Fair, Yquem's Château would be the only Domaine to obtain the distinction of Premier Cru Superior.
A page will turn for Yquem Château when it is acquired in 1999 by the LVMH group. Pierre Lurton has been its Chairman and CEO since 2004. The Château d'Yquem has long adopted the philosophy of producing a great wine only if nature has allowed it, in other words if the vintage has been up to La Tâche thus conducive to giving a botrytized grape of quality.
Yquem's Château rests on the highest point of the Sauternes appellation,... See more ...
The year 2016 was a splendid success for the vineyards of Bordeaux and especially in Sauternes. Quality and quantity were at the rendez-vous. The summer period was marked by drought, and this heat wave almost impacted the ripening of the berries. But thanks to the rains in September, the ripening of the grapes was completed without any problems. The weather remained warm and dry and it was only very late that botrytis developed, finally revealing the great potential of this vintage.
Blend of the 2016 vintage: 75% Sémillon, 25% Sauvignon blanc.
The robe is a brilliant pale golden yellow color very pronounced.
The nose is unparalleled in its purity and finesse, with notes of white-fleshed fruit, orange blossom and citrus, followed by beeswax, pineapple and vanilla.
The entry in mouth is very refined, revealing a body of great class, fat and subtle. It evolves on a magnificent aromatic complexity with candied fruits and cinnamon carried by a lively acidity. Very pure and almost moving, it stretches out for a long time on a suave and persistent finish. A very great Château d'Yquem.
Food and wine pairing:
Château d'Yquem 2016 deserves a dedicated gastronomic menu to be appreciated at its true value. Choose a goose foie gras as a starter, a roast duck with peaches and spices as a main course, Roquefort cheese and a Pithiviers for dessert.
You can also choose a fish dish, such as scallops with shallot cream, ravioli with diced lobster or monkfish with sweet and sour sauce.
Other cheeses such as blue cheese from Auvergne or fourme d'Ambert will be adequate.
For dessert, you can also enjoy it with lemon pie or rice pudding with turmeric.
Cellaring potential and tasting:
Château d'Yquem 2016 has excellent aging potential, as great Sauternes can skillfully age for decades. Its peak will be reached between 2040 and 2045, or even beyond.
However, its extreme finesse makes it accessible for tasting right now. To do so, take care to place the bottle the night before in the serving room at room temperature. Open it at least 3 to 4 hours before tasting.
The bottles will be kept in the cellar protected from light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70 %.
