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.
