Founded more than five centuries ago, Château d’Yquem is the only Sauternes classified as Premier Cru Supérieur in the 1855 classification and is considered the finest sweet wine of all. Its reputation had already spread beyond France’s borders by the 18th century, reaching the United States, where Thomas Jefferson delighted in sharing it—and tasting it! A family enterprise, the estate passed to Françoise-Joséphine, the last heir of the de Sauvage d’Yquem family, in 1785 after the death of her husband, Amédée de Lur Saluces. She played a key role in the estate’s rise, contributing greatly to its development and renown. After nearly 400 years of family ownership, the successful enterprise was acquired by the LVMH group in 1999 following a family dispute. Pierre Lurton now heads the estate. Alexandre de Lur Saluces continues to run Château de Fargues with great success.
The terroir of Château d’Yquem
The vineyard now extends over approximately 100 hectares. It is planted on gravel and clay soils that provide excellent drainage, allowing the vines to take up water according to their needs. Two grape varieties are grown: Sémillon dominates, accounting for around 80% of the vines and bringing richness and body to the wine, while Sauvignon makes up the remaining 20%, contributing finesse and aroma. Then there is Botrytis cinerea, or “noble rot,” a fungus whose development is encouraged by the morning mist of Bordeaux’s autumn. By drawing water from the grapes, it helps concentrate their sugars. All these elements contribute to the greatness of Château d’Yquem’s wines: an exceptional terroir, certainly, but also unparalleled expertise! The grapes are harvested by hand and selected with great rigor, retaining only the finest berries with the best noble rot. Picked one by one at perfect ripeness, they reflect a preference for quality over quantity in the pursuit of the best possible wine. The château even reserves the right not to release vintages it considers “unworthy,” rather than compromise on quality. There are therefore no 1992 or 2012 vintages, for example.
The wines of Château d’Yquem
True to its reputation, Château d’Yquem has maintained remarkable consistency in the quality of its wines from vintage to vintage. The wine’s aromatic profile features orchard fruits such as apricot, orange and prune, as well as exotic notes of quince and fruit paste. In its youth, it also shows vanilla and toast notes from aging, alongside gentle spices such as clove, saffron and cinnamon. The superb balance of alcohol, acidity and residual sugar on the palate makes it a striking example of drinkability. Its extraordinary aging potential also sets it apart from its neighbors after just a few years. Its longevity is incomparable: it needs at least 15 to 20 years to reveal much of its potential. In the greatest vintages, its freshness and richness can even endure for more than a century!
There is also a second cuvée, Château d’Yquem’s Y. As a dry white wine, it is not entitled to the Sauternes appellation. It is nonetheless a fine wine worthy of the estate’s reputation. Made from equal proportions of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, it has superb aging potential. The vintages from the 1970s are showing at their best today! It is not produced every year, making it all the rarer and more sought-after.
The wines of Château d’Yquem are a unique experience that every wine lover, especially anyone who enjoys sweet wines, should have in their lifetime. As San Antonio author Fréderic Dard put it: “Yquem? Light you can drink…”
Among the great Yquem vintages that can still be found on the market, more or less, the wines can be grouped as follows: exceptional vintages: 1967, 1975, 2001. Great vintages: 1976, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997. Unfortunately, not enough time has passed for us to assess the quality of the more recent vintages, produced under the château’s new management since the 2004 vintage.
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