1st Grand Cru Classé Superior in 1855
Free shipping from 1000€ Tax excl (US and Europe)
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, covering a 103-hectare vineyard planted on gravelly-sandy soils with clay-limestone outcrops at the break of slope. The grape varieties are 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. The wines are aged for 24 months in 100% new barrels.
The property produces a white wine Sec from the same grapes named Y. In addition, for a small portion of the production, Domaine produces blended wines named simply Sauternes. These wines are the result of an average of 4 to 5 years of blending.
At Yquem Château, one vine will yield only one glass of the famous sweet nectar. This illustrates the drastic work and impeccable selection that goes into this Domaine of excellence.
The Château d'Yquem is a nectar that leaves an unforgettable memory, delivering a finesse and complexity that only it manages to achieve. Its exquisite aromatic expression, freshness and elegance are the fruit of an exceptional terroir coupled with impeccable know-how.
The 2017 vintage is a wine year where the climatic conditions will have allowed a remarkably homogeneous development of the noble rot in Sauternes. It is an early and cool year, where the rainy passage of mid-September was ideal, arriving on a perfectly healthy and ripe harvest, thus allowing Botrytis to settle very well. Everything then followed perfectly between sequences of sorting and concentration, revealing a vintage with exceptional aromatic intensity.
The robe is a brilliant pale golden yellow color.
The nose is particularly intense and complex, with notes of white flesh fruits, candied apricot, acacia and cinnamon.
The entry in mouth seduces by its delicacy and its balance so characteristic of the property. It evolves on a suave and refined texture, delivering flavors of candied fruits, pineapple and vanilla carried by a beautiful acidity. Until the finish, which is long and precise, it does not cease to play this seductive register of freshness and elegance. A great success that this Château d'Yquem 2017.
Food and wine pairing:
Château d'Yquem 2017 deserves a dedicated gastronomic menu to be appreciated at its true value. Choose a scallop terrine as a starter, duck with orange sauce as a main course, Roquefort cheese and a lemon and saffron tart for dessert.
You can also choose a fish dish, such as lobster with mango sauce 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 a peach melba or a rice pudding with turmeric.
Cellaring potential and tasting:
Château d'Yquem 2017 has excellent aging potential, as great Sauternes can skillfully age for decades. Its peak will be reached between 2040 and 2045, and 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 %.
