Château d'Yquem
Chateau d’Yquem is a name of absolute international prestige, with more than 4 centuries of history behind it. In 1855, at the behest of Napoleon III, the properties of the Chateau were awarded the title of “Premier Cru Supérieur” in the official classification of Bordeaux wines. What until then was a vast estate in the hands of the noble Lur-Saluces family became a benchmark of excellence for wine lovers around the world. Even today, it is the only production entity in Sauternes to hold this title of absolute prestige.
Today, Chateau d’Yquem boasts a vineyard heritage of 126 hectares, cultivated in accordance with a very traditional production practice: without the use of herbicides, with abundant pruning that favors very low but excellent yields. The grapes are harvested in several passes at full ripeness, with the clusters affected by Botrytis Cinerea, the noble mold that makes Sauternes inimitable. In the cellar, 3 to 4 pressings are necessary to allow the extraction of the natural sugars present in the grapes. The fermentations, conducted separately by harvest date, take place in rigorously selected new barriques made each year by artisan coopers. Only the wines from certain barriques will be judged, after appropriate organoleptic analyses, worthy of being marketed, and then subjected to a maturation of 20 months.
The wines of Chateau d’Yquem are the only Sauternes in the world that can boast the classification of Premier Cru Supérieur, also defined as “Premier Grand Cru”. These are great expressions of the territory that, in some exceptional vintages, reach the status of true masterpieces, endowed with a remarkable aging potential. The Sauternes of Chateau d’Yquem reach record prices and dizzying quotes because they touch legendary qualitative peaks and carry forward a unique and prestigious story.
Chateau d’Yquem is a name of absolute international prestige, with more than 4 centuries of history behind it. In 1855, at the behest of Napoleon III, the properties of the Chateau were awarded the title of “Premier Cru Supérieur” in the official classification of Bordeaux wines. What until then was a vast estate in the hands of the noble Lur-Saluces family became a benchmark of excellence for wine lovers around the world. Even today, it is the only production entity in Sauternes to hold this title of absolute prestige.
Today, Chateau d’Yquem boasts a vineyard heritage of 126 hectares, cultivated in accordance with a very traditional production practice: without the use of herbicides, with abundant pruning that favors very low but excellent yields. The grapes are harvested in several passes at full ripeness, with the clusters affected by Botrytis Cinerea, the noble mold that makes Sauternes inimitable. In the cellar, 3 to 4 pressings are necessary to allow the extraction of the natural sugars present in the grapes. The fermentations, conducted separately by harvest date, take place in rigorously selected new barriques made each year by artisan coopers. Only the wines from certain barriques will be judged, after appropriate organoleptic analyses, worthy of being marketed, and then subjected to a maturation of 20 months.
The wines of Chateau d’Yquem are the only Sauternes in the world that can boast the classification of Premier Cru Supérieur, also defined as “Premier Grand Cru”. These are great expressions of the territory that, in some exceptional vintages, reach the status of true masterpieces, endowed with a remarkable aging potential. The Sauternes of Chateau d’Yquem reach record prices and dizzying quotes because they touch legendary qualitative peaks and carry forward a unique and prestigious story.
