Chateau Yquem

The wines of Chateau Yquem

Yquem is the most famous and greatest sweet wine in the world! 

Owned by the LVMH group since 1997 (formerly the Lur de Saluces family), Château Yquem is the only Premier Cru supérieur classé in Sauternes and Barsac in the 1855 classification, and produced no wine in 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974, 1992 and 2012. 45km from Bordeaux (left bank), next to Châteaux Guiraud, Rieussec, Clos Haut Peyraguey, Lafaurie Peyraguey and Raymond Lafon, the 100 hectares of Yquem vineyards nestle at the top of the sandy-clay terrace, composed of a thin layer of sand on a dome of clay. Château Yquem is legendary, and since the 19th century has had 100 km of underground pipes to drain rainwater. The vines are around 35 years old, 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon, and are planted at 7,000 vines/ha.

The prestigious Château d'Yquem produces two white Bordeaux wines: the Grand vin of Château d'Yquem and the second wine 'Y d'Yquem'.

Discover everything on this emblematic Chateau ! 

History of Château Yquem

It all began in the Middle Ages when the estate belonged to the King of England, who was then Duke of Aquitaine. In 1453, Charles VII, attached to the region by the French crown, gave the estate its current nationality. A century and a half later, in 1593, Jacques Sauvage, a local notable, became the tenant of Yquem and began constructing the château. He gradually built the current vineyard, parcel by parcel. In 1711, ennobled under the reign of Louis XIV, the Sauvage family became full owners of the Yquem estate. In 1785, the last heiress of the Sauvage d'Yquem family, Françoise Joséphine, married Louis Amédée de Lur-Saluces (a colonel in a cavalry regiment). After the accidental death of her husband, the estate passed to his widow, who developed the renown of Yquem wines, already highly appreciated by the great connoisseurs of the time. Despite a difficult period during the Revolution, she managed to preserve the family heritage and make the property prosper. In 1826, she built the cellar, a bold innovation for the time, transforming the estate into a true wine enterprise and expanding its international reputation.

What was once a family property became internationally recognised thanks to Romain-Bertrand de Lur-Saluces, Françoise Joséphine's grandson, who succeeded her after her death in 1851. The estate was then elevated to the rank of premier cru supérieur at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1855. During the second half of the 19th century, the estate enjoyed a long period of prosperity. In 1859, Grand Duke Constantine, brother of the Tsar, bought a barrel of Yquem for 20,000 gold francs, an incredible price for the time. Furthermore, Japan, during the Meiji era, discovered the pleasures of Yquem wine. After Romain-Bertrand's death, the estate was taken over by his son Amédée de Lur-Saluces, then by his younger brother Eugène. This phase of Yquem's history ended with the great phylloxera crisis and World War I.

In 1914, Château Yquem was transformed into a military hospital while Bertrand de Lur-Saluces, Eugène's son, fought in the trenches. After the conflict, he resumed direction of the estate for half a century. Faithful to Yquem's philosophy, he opposed chaptalisation of the wine and defended family estates even during the 1930s crisis. As president of the Union of Classified Growths of the Gironde, he played a central role in defending the grands crus and contributed to determining the AOC Sauternes. He was also one of the main promoters of "estate bottling," thus ensuring authenticity. Engaged again during World War II, he found his estate preserved after being a prisoner for two years and continued to ensure its development until his death.

In 1966, Bertrand de Lur-Saluces designated Alexandre de Lur-Saluces, one of his brother Amédée's sons, as his successor at the head of the estate. Despite difficult beginnings marked by a series of bad years, a violent trading crisis, and significant inheritance taxes weakening Yquem, the estate was saved by better management and an excellent 1975 vintage. During the 1980s, better harvests allowed new investments, reaching an even higher level of demand and technicality than in the past.

Château d'Yquem was acquired in 1996 by the LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton group. In 2004, the management was entrusted to Pierre Lurton, who has since been promoting its modernity, authenticity, and expertise while remaining open to the present times.

Château Yquem, its Vineyard, and Botrytis Cinerea

Here is a paragraph explaining the success of Yquem, the world's most famous sweet wine!

For the past 100 years, it has been the only Premier Cru Classé of Sauternes: it stands out for its extreme quality and exemplary consistency, even in more difficult vintages. It only produces marvels, which enhances its status as a mythical wine. Indeed, to avoid tarnishing the exceptional quality of this cru, the estate allows itself not to always produce its wines depending on the quality of the vintage.

This is a wine to be tasted at least once in a lifetime!

Under the direction of Pierre Lurton (also the director of Cheval Blanc), this wonderful Sauternes derives its excellence from its terroir and all the expertise surrounding it.

Thanks to a terroir where botrytis develops under the best conditions, the wines produced are thus powerful, concentrated, with unparalleled aging potential compared to its neighbours.

Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that develops and pierces holes in the skins of the berries. It is often considered a parasite causing grey rot, but when its development occurs under very specific conditions, the resulting rot is termed noble rot.

For this, the berries must have already reached a certain level of maturity, the mists that facilitate its development and growth must spread in the morning and dissipate in the afternoon to limit the infection rate and prolong the maturity of the berries until harvest. Moreover, the vineyard's soils are composed of large gravel pebbles, favouring heat accumulation and precipitation drainage, all to achieve berry maturity.

Thus, the holes pierced under such conditions allow the water present in the grapes to evaporate: this process concentrates the flavours and sugars.

Such conditions are therefore precise and complicated: Yquem's terroir is fortunate to benefit from this microclimate thanks to the Ciron river which generates morning mists, and often sunny afternoons.

A myth on its own, high prices, but something to savour and remember.

The Expertise of Château Yquem: How Are These Exceptional Wines Vinified?

The cultivation method at Yquem remains traditional. The soil is enriched with farm manure on only 20 hectares per year, maintaining the natural balance of the soil. The vines are never chemically weeded but are constantly worked by winegrowers respecting traditional cultural methods, such as earthing up and unearthing. In winter, severe pruning favours maximum maturity. Sémillon is pruned "à cots" while Sauvignon is pruned "à cots" for 90% and "simple guyot" for the rest. The female winegrowers take care of the parcels and carry out "green" operations such as disbudding, training, and stripping. Before harvest, teams perform leaf thinning to allow the clusters to dry more quickly in the morning while protecting the west side.

The next step is the harvest, an unchanged method at Château d’Yquem. Botrytis infects the berries, turning them brown and making the skin permeable, allowing water to evaporate and sugar concentration inside to increase. The must thus reaches levels well beyond normal ripeness, with a potential of 18 to 30° alcohol, equivalent to 300 to 600 grams of sugar per litre. The goal is to obtain a must at 20° alcohol potential, implying a long wait and a significant risk of crop loss as winter approaches. Yquem's low yield (9 hectolitres per hectare on average) is explained by the volume decrease due to this concentration. Then, 200 pickers, organized into 4 teams, scour the vineyard searching for "botrytised" grapes at their optimal concentration. The harvest requires several successive selections to pick only the "roasted" berries transformed by noble rot. Spanning 6 weeks, this harvest requires an average of five to six selections, and sometimes more than ten in some years.

From the vine to the cellar, it all begins with pressing, adapted to the texture of the berries. Unlike other white wines, three to four presses are performed at Yquem to increase the sugar content and quality of the juices. The first press, done in a pneumatic press, gives 75% of the juice with about 19° alcohol potential. The second press represents 15% of the juice at about 21°, and the third can reach 25°. The juice is then returned to a vertical press for final drying. Fermentation takes place in barrels, with new barrels traditionally made from oak staves. Each barrel is identified, and the lots are monitored daily by the château's laboratory. Fermentation can last from two to six weeks depending on the activity of the musts. Each day of harvest is vinified separately for 6 to 8 months. A pre-blending is done among the lots in the spring following the harvest, and the wine then stays 20 months in the aging cellar, with 15 rackings to eliminate deposits. Fine suspensions are removed by a light "fining." The final selection is made through blind tastings to decide the final blend of Château d’Yquem.

The final stage is bottling. During the third winter, the wine is bottled under the best technical conditions, with a 54 mm cork to ensure its great aging capacity. Yquem offers different bottle sizes, from half-bottles to Nabuchodonosor. Once bottled, the packaging is meticulous: label, capsule, the bottle is wrapped in white tissue paper and placed in a wooden case, in crates marked with the château's arms.

The Characteristics of Château Yquem Wines

The wine produced thus has a golden robe and is adorned with a magnificent aromatic palette.

In the great vintages, the grand vin Yquem is very opulent, rich, powerful, smooth, and full-bodied with nuances of orange marmalade, pineapple, apricot, peach, crème brûlée, spices, and coconut. Silky texture, enveloping sensation that coats the palate, this nectar offers a magnificent balance between sweetness, opulence, freshness, and acidity, all with a pronounced intensity of flavours!

With its exceptional length, one must wait at least 15 years for the wine to reveal its full aromatic potential. Its exceptional aging capacity, sometimes exceeding 100 years, offers a wide range of possibilities to tasting enthusiasts.

For food pairings, one can pair it with foie gras and blue cheeses. However, to avoid saturating the palate, it is advisable to pair it with less opulent dishes such as chicken supremes with white fruits and apples, refined cheeses such as Comté, Parmesan, or matured mimolette.

For desserts, classic pairings include a tarte Tatin, fruit tarts, or exotic fruit salads.

Sauternes also pairs perfectly with Asian cuisine, which balances spicy flavours with sweetness.

But the ultimate, and most suitable, is to enjoy it on its own, simply to appreciate its remarkable aromatic complexity.

The Best Vintages of Château Yquem

The greatest vintages of Yquem, with scores above 96/100, are: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001, 1997, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1986, 1983, 1976, 1975, 1967, 1959, 1955, 1949, 1947, 1945, and 1937. Yquem has received the perfect score of 100/100 from Parker eight times: in 1811, 1847, 1921, 1945, 1975, 1976, 2001, and 2009. Reviews of Château Yquem are fabulous, earning 3 stars in the Guide Vert by RVF, and the prices reflect the quality of this great cult wine with its incredible ageing potential.

The Price of Yquem: Why It’s a Safe Investment

The prices of Château d'Yquem bottles from the previous century are very high for several reasons that contribute to the reputation and value of this exceptional wine:

History and Prestige: Château d'Yquem is one of the most prestigious and oldest wine estates in the world. Its history dates back to the Middle Ages, and it was classified as Premier Cru Supérieur at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1855, a unique distinction in the Sauternes wine classification. This historical recognition and prestige contribute to its value.

Quality and Uniqueness: Yquem is renowned for its exceptional quality. The production of this wine is marked by unparalleled rigour and attention to detail. The estate uses very precise vinification and ageing techniques, and the harvest is done manually, selecting only the grapes affected by noble rot (botrytis cinerea). This laborious and delicate process ensures a unique concentration of sugar and aromas.

Longevity: The wines of Château d'Yquem are known for their exceptional ageing potential. They can improve for several decades, even more than a century, developing remarkable complexity and depth over time. This longevity makes Yquem wines highly prized collectibles.

Limited Production and Low Yields: Yquem's production is intentionally limited to maintain quality. The yields are very low, about 9 hectolitres per hectare, which is much lower than the average of other vineyards. This rarity increases the value of the bottles.

International Reputation and Demand: Château d'Yquem enjoys an international reputation and is highly sought after by wine enthusiasts and collectors worldwide. The demand for these wines is always high, which drives prices up.

Exceptional Vintages: Some years, climatic conditions and the terroir allow the production of exceptional vintages. These vintages are particularly sought after and can reach very high prices. Wine lovers often seek specific years known for their extraordinary quality.

Auction Success: Yquem wines often reach record prices at auctions, reinforcing their reputation as a safe investment and solid value.

In summary, the high prices of Château d'Yquem bottles from the previous century are explained by its prestigious history, exceptional quality, ageing potential, limited production, and international demand. These factors make Yquem a safe investment for wine enthusiasts and investors.

How to Taste a Château Yquem

When opening a bottle of Yquem, one must ensure an optimal experience. The bottle should be opened a bit in advance to allow the wine to breathe: 1 to 2 hours before tasting, and served chilled around 10°C. The taster should take their time to let the wine express its full aromatic palette. It is also interesting to spend time describing its colour, the aromas that emerge on the first and second nose, and fully appreciating its flavours and texture in the mouth, either alone or paired with various dishes.

Food and Wine Pairings for Château Yquem Grand Cru

When it comes to food and wine pairings for Yquem, you have many options!

Simple dishes with quality products: puff pastry with Roquefort, duck with honey and balsamic vinegar, roast chicken or other simple poultry dishes, duck breast with peaches, lobster with mango sauce, a casserole of scallops or another fine-fleshed fish…

For desserts, you can opt for citrus touches that will perfectly complement the orange marmalade aspect of this nectar, ensuring that the chosen recipe is not too sweet! Crêpe Suzette with flambéed orange, chocolate-dipped candied orange peels, pineapple tart, tarte Tatin…

How to Store Château Yquem Wines

With a very high ageing potential, one must be very careful when storing Yquem to avoid ruining it. It is necessary to wait at least 15 years to taste it and appreciate its tertiary aromas, related to bottle ageing under perfect conditions. Here they are:

The wines should be stored lying down, away from light, temperature variations, and vibrations, in a space with perfect humidity, out of their carton and away from products with strong odours. Also, avoid any place subject to vibrations or tremors.

Pay attention to this storage, so that on the day of tasting, everything is perfect!

Y d’Yquem

The second wine, Yquem, offers an aromatic palette composed of candied yellow fruits, quince, frangipane, sweet spices, with a hint of minerality. This wine is made from the same plots as Yquem, but produced from 1959 to 1996 with non-botrytised grapes. Since 1997, the grapes are harvested very ripe for Sauvignon, and just before botrytisation for Sémillon. This wine will keep for a minimum of 10 years in the cellar to fully express itself.

Discover many other great Sauternes : Guiraud, Fargues, Sigalas Rabaud, Filhot, Rabaud Promis, Rieussec and Suduiraut ! 

For over 10 years, Vins & Millésimes has offered you the opportunity to buy the best bottles of old wines and grands crus online, in stock and with fast delivery! Discover the bottles and magnums of Château d'Yquem available for purchase!