Here's a paragraph explaining the success of Yquem, the most famous sweet wine in the world!
For 100 years, it has been the only Premier Cru Classé in Sauternes: it stands out for its extreme quality and exemplary consistency, even in the most difficult vintages. It produces nothing but prodigies, which accentuates its status as a mythical wine. Indeed, in order not to detract from the exceptional quality of this vintage, the estate allows itself to be tasted at least once in a lifetime.
Under the direction of Pierre Lurton (also director of Cheval Blanc), this marvellous Sauternes draws its excellence from its terroir and all the know-how that surrounds it.
Thanks to a terroir where botrytis thrives in the best conditions, the wines produced are powerful, concentrated and have an ageing potential second to none.
Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that develops and bores holes in the skins of grapes. It is often regarded as a parasite that causes grey rot, but when it develops under very specific conditions, the resulting rot is known as noble rot.
To achieve this, the grapes must already have reached a certain level of ripeness, and the fog that facilitates its development and growth must spread in the morning and dissipate in the afternoon to limit the rate of infection and prolong the ripening of the grapes until the harvest. What's more, the vineyard's soils are made up of large gravelly pebbles, which encourage the accumulation of heat and the evacuation of rainfall, all with the aim of achieving better ripening of the berries.
The holes drilled in these conditions allow the water in the grapes to drain away, concentrating the flavours and sugars.
Such conditions are both precise and complicated: the Yquem terroir is lucky enough to benefit from this micro-climate thanks to the river Ciron, which generates morning fog and often sunny afternoons.
It's a myth in itself, and the prices are high, but there's plenty to enjoy and remember.
The wine produced has a golden colour and a magnificent range of aromas.
In great vintages, Yquem grand vin is very opulent, fat, powerful, unctuous and full-bodied, with hints of orange marmalade, pineapple, apricot, peach, crème brûlée, spices and coconut. With its silky texture and enveloping sensation that coats the palate, this nectar offers a magnificent balance between sweetness, opulence, freshness and acidity, all with a pronounced intensity of flavour!
With its exceptional length, you'll need to wait at least 15 years before drinking it, but it can age up to 100 years depending on the vintage. The grand vin is luxuriously matured in new barrels for 42 months.
The second Yquem wine offers an aromatic palette of candied yellow fruit, quince, frangipane, sweet spices and 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 have been harvested at a very ripe stage for the Sauvignon, and just before botrytisation for the Semillon. This wine will keep for at least 10 years in the cellar to express itself.
Yquem's greatest vintages, 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, 1955, 1949, 1947, 1945 and 1937. Yquem has been awarded the perfect score of 100/100 by Parker 8 times, in : 1811, 1847, 1921, 1945, 1975, 1976, 2001 and 2009. The reviews for Chateau Yquem are fabulous, with 3 stars in the RVF Guide Vert, and the prices are on a par with this great cult wine with its incredible ageing capacity.
When opening a bottle of Yquem, it's important to ensure that it's an optimal experience.
You need to open the bottle a little early to allow the wine to open up: 1 to 2 hours before tasting, to be enjoyed chilled at around 10°C. Tasters should take their time to allow the wine to express its full range of aromas. It's also a good idea to spend some time describing the wine's colour and first and second nose aromas, and to fully appreciate its flavours and texture on the palate, either on its own or with a variety of foods.
When it comes to food and wine pairings for Yquem, the choice is yours!
Simple dishes with quality products: Roquefort puff pastry, duck with honey and balsamic vinegar, roast chicken or other simple poultry dish, duck breast with peaches, lobster with mango sauce, a scallop cassolette or other fine fish...
For desserts, you can opt for citrus tips that will perfectly match the orange marmalade aspect of this nectar, while making sure that the chosen recipe is not too sweet! Crêpe suzette with flambéed orange, chocolate orangettes, pineapple tart, tarte tatin...
With its great ageing potential, Yquem needs to be stored very carefully to avoid spoiling everything. You need to wait at least 15 years before tasting it and appreciating its tertiary aromas, linked to bottle ageing in perfect conditions. Here they are.
Wines should be stored lying down, away from light, temperature variations and vibrations, in a space with perfect hygrometry, out of their box and away from strong-smelling products.
Take care with this storage, so that on the day of the tasting, everything is perfect!
For over 10 years, Vins & Millésimes has been offering you the chance 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!