Château d'Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé, Sauternes
    Château d'Yquem

    Château d'Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé, Sauternes,

    Destination

    vintage

    Château d'Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé, Sauternes, 2003

    Justerini & Brooks Tasting note
    Château d'Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé, Sauternes, 2003
    Maturity:
    Keep/Drink
    ABV:
    14%
    96/100
    Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
    Soft gold in colour, packed full of generous stone fruit, nectarine and white peach, honeysuckle, white truffle, saffron-laced lemon curd, bitter orange peel, all wrapped up in the satiny texture that makes drinking Yquem feel like the most indulgent of moments. The 2007 vintage was a fairly generous 18hl/h yield, with 130g/h residual sugar. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay.
    Date Reviewed:
    12/2021
    Drinking Window:
    2021 - 2040
    98/100
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
    A blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, with 137 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2007 Yquem has a pale to medium gold color. It slips sensuously from the glass with open-knit scents of apricot preserves, persimmon butter, and Golden Delicious apples, followed by hints of baking bread, aniseed, and wood smoke. The palate is concentrated, with alluring stone fruit and spiced apple layers, supported by just enough freshness, finishing long and opulently spicy.
    Date Reviewed:
    09/2023
    Drinking Window:
    2023 - 2057
    95/100
    Neal Martin, Vinous
    There was only one way to finish: by switching over to Sauternes for the 2007 d'Yquem. This is a vintage I have tasted several times. Lucid amber in color, it has a reticent nose at first, though it blossoms with aeration to reveal captivating aromas of mirabelle, dried honey and beeswax. A subtle adhesive scent loiters backstage. The palate is medium-bodied with vanilla pod and almond on the entry, and very tensile with a seductive viscosity toward the close. Touches of nougat and white chocolate lace the finish of one of the finest Yquems of this decade. Glorious to drink now and doubtless glorious to drink in 50 years’ time!
    Date Reviewed:
    08/2021
    Drinking Window:
    2021 - 2075

    specifications

    country:
    France
    region:
    Bordeaux
    Appellation:
    Sauternes
    Producer:
    Château d'Yquem
    style:
    Sweet
    Grape Variety:
    Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
    Allergen Information:
    This product may contain sulphites. Full allergen information is available upon request, please call our Customer Relations Team on +44 (0)20 7484 6430.

    Bordeaux

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    Château d'Yquem

    Château d'Yquem

    Chateau Yquem is without doubt the grandest and best known of all the great Sauternes estates. In fact, it is widely regarded as one of if not the most exclusive dessert wines produced anywhere in the world. When classified in 1855, Yquem was granted the exclusive and unique title of Premier Cru Supérieur.

    The list of past owners reads like a who’s who: King Louis VII and King Henry II were just two of the illustrious previous owners. In more recent times (1785), the estate became the property of the Lur-Saluces family. After a 219 year family association with the Chateau, Alexandre Lur-Saluces stood down in 2004. Now the property is under the ownership of luxury goods brand LVMH and the stewardship of Pierre Lurton and winemaker Lorenzo Pasquini.

    In all, they have 100 hectares of vines, planted with 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Pickers are required to undertake numerous tries, depending on the vintage and the spread of botrytis. Fermentation takes place in oak and there is liberal aging in barrel. The Grand Vin is one of life’s treasures. It is a wine of unerring purity, complexity, finesse and power. It is the wine that all other Sauternes estates aspire to be. For sweet wine lovers, it is quite simply Sauternes nirvana.

    There is also a very successful dry wine called ‘Y’ (Ygrec). This is produced from Sauvignon Blanc, harvested before botrytis affects the vineyards.

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