Château d'Yquem Wine

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Château d'Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur (Great First Growth) wine from the Sauternes, Gironde region in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards known as Graves. In the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Château d'Yquem was the only Sauternes given this rating, indicating its perceived superiority and higher prices over all other wines of its type.

The land which became Château d'Yquem was acquired by Jacques de Sauvage in December of 1593. De Sauvage acquired the property from the French monarchy in exchange for other lands that he owned from what was then referred to as the 'House of Yquem'. The site has been home to a vineyard since at least 1711 when the estate became fully owned by Léon de Sauvage d'Yquem. Thomas Jefferson visited the château and later wrote, "Sauterne (sic) This is the best white wine of France and the best of it is made by Monsieur de Lur-Saluces". Jefferson ordered 250 bottles of the 1784 vintage for himself, and additional bottles for George Washington.

Château d'Yquem success stems largely from the site's susceptibility to attack by "noble rot" (Botrytis cinerea), which helps give the wine its complexity, concentration and sweetness. A relatively high acidity helps to balance the wine's sweetness, making it among the best Sauternes.

The vineyard has 311 acres in the Sauternes appellation, though only 247 acres are in production at any one time. On average, 65,000 bottles are produced each year. In a poor vintage, the entire crop is deemed unworthy of bearing the Château's name. This happened nine times in the 20th century: 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974, and 1992.

Château d'Yquem wines are particularity known for their longevity. With proper care, a bottle will keep for a century or more. During this time, its fruity overtones will gradually fade and integrate with more complex secondary and tertiary flavors. The 1811 Château d'Yquem, has exhibited what wine experts like Robert Parker have described as exceptional longevity. Parker gave the wine a perfect 100 points when he tasted it in 1996.

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