Château d'Yquem is a name that is surrounded by myths and legends. Hardly any other winemaker has received so many top ratings of 100 points as this legendary château. It is a château of superlatives, whose noble sweet wines are almost cultically revered worldwide as divine nectar.
Château d'Yquem can trace its history back to the 12th century, making it one of the oldest wine estates in Europe. In the famous 1855 classification, it was not classified as 1er Cru Classé like the other "Big Four," but was the only château to be classified as 1er Grand Cru Classé Supérieur. The actual rise to the top of European wine producers began above all in the 19th century, when the Counts of Lur-Saluces took the reins at Château d'Yquem. There are certainly explanations for the absolutely exceptional quality of these wines today, but they do not unravel all the mysteries surrounding the creation of these crescents.
About 100 hectares are under vines, 80 percent of which are Sémillon, 20 percent Sauvignon Blanc. In this spot of the Sauternes region, the autumnal early morning mist, which promotes the formation of the Botrytis mold, essential for the creation of these noble sweet wines, always seems to magically appear at just the right time. But that is not all. Individual, perfect berries are broken out of the grapes in up to ten harvests or more, an incredibly laborious process, at the end of which at least three vines are required for one bottle of Château d'Yquem at these extremely low yields.
For four years, longer than anywhere else, this nectar is aged in new barriques before it can delight one proud owner or another. What makes these wines so incomparable and valuable: they are never obtrusive in their sweetness, but fascinatingly delicate, mineral and playful, with an unfathomable depth. Today, Bordelais icon Pierre Lurton runs the unique château. He is also responsible for another Bordeaux legend - Château Cheval Blanc.
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