I’ve been meaning to post these for a while, but never got the motivation until I saw that it won the “Is Expensive, Tastes Expensive” square on the [game](https://www.reddit.com/r/wine/s/ZWWhaDn4vm) run by u/AustraliaWineDude.
For those who aren’t as familiar, Yquem makes arguably the best and inarguably the most famous sweet wine on earth, which they release as simply “Chateau d’Yquem.” This wine is made exclusively from hand-selected grapes (mostly Semillon with some Sauvignon Blanc) that have been affected by “noble rot” from the fungus botrytis. They also make a wonderful (though IMHO a bit overpriced) dry wine called Ygrec (labeled with a simple “Y”).
Yquem is the *only* estate ranked as Premier Cru Superieur (“Superior First Growth”) in the 1855 Classification (people mostly know the classification as associated with the Medoc, but the top estates of Sauternes/Barsac were also ranked). It is often said that few producers on earth stand as clearly above its region’s peers as Chateau d’Yquem.
Two things that struck me while visiting Yquem: 1- the place OOZES money — everything is modern-yet-classic and meticulously cared for. Just like they pick grape-by-grape, their gardener goes around the beautiful grounds making sure every single leaf is the way they want it. 2- the estate doesn’t just metaphorically “sit above” its peers — it’s also physically atop a hill *looking down* at the rest of Sauternes.
My wife and I got to taste 3 vintages of the Yquem grand vin during our visit: – **2016:** Complex and layered, with intense stone fruit and tropical fruit, as well as orange marmalade and a bit of honey. Though still a big wine, probably one of the lightest-bodied Yquems I’ve tasted. Obviously very sweet (though not quite luscious) but balanced nicely by great acidity. Fantastic now and will certainly age well, but not sure this will be a LONG wine by Yquem standards. – **2010:** Richer and more opulent than the 2016 (and obviously a bit darker-colored given development), but perhaps a bit less elegant. Stone fruit dominates, with some honey and white florals. Incredibly long finish. I can’t quite decide if I prefer the clarity and brightness of the 2016 or the opulence of the 2010. – **1982:** Considered a lesser vintage vs. 2010 and 2016, but this is just in a perfect spot right now. Deep gold color. Butterscotch and honey dominate the palate, with a bit of candied stone fruit and citrus, as well as hints of brown sugar. At its peak but still with bright acidity, which makes me think this will stay in a good spot for at least another decade. Is expensive, tastes expensive.
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Those weeds are quite strange to have this close to the main estate.
2 Comments
I’ve been meaning to post these for a while, but never got the motivation until I saw that it won the “Is Expensive, Tastes Expensive” square on the [game](https://www.reddit.com/r/wine/s/ZWWhaDn4vm) run by u/AustraliaWineDude.
For those who aren’t as familiar, Yquem makes arguably the best and inarguably the most famous sweet wine on earth, which they release as simply “Chateau d’Yquem.” This wine is made exclusively from hand-selected grapes (mostly Semillon with some Sauvignon Blanc) that have been affected by “noble rot” from the fungus botrytis. They also make a wonderful (though IMHO a bit overpriced) dry wine called Ygrec (labeled with a simple “Y”).
Yquem is the *only* estate ranked as Premier Cru Superieur (“Superior First Growth”) in the 1855 Classification (people mostly know the classification as associated with the Medoc, but the top estates of Sauternes/Barsac were also ranked). It is often said that few producers on earth stand as clearly above its region’s peers as Chateau d’Yquem.
Two things that struck me while visiting Yquem: 1- the place OOZES money — everything is modern-yet-classic and meticulously cared for. Just like they pick grape-by-grape, their gardener goes around the beautiful grounds making sure every single leaf is the way they want it. 2- the estate doesn’t just metaphorically “sit above” its peers — it’s also physically atop a hill *looking down* at the rest of Sauternes.
My wife and I got to taste 3 vintages of the Yquem grand vin during our visit:
– **2016:** Complex and layered, with intense stone fruit and tropical fruit, as well as orange marmalade and a bit of honey. Though still a big wine, probably one of the lightest-bodied Yquems I’ve tasted. Obviously very sweet (though not quite luscious) but balanced nicely by great acidity. Fantastic now and will certainly age well, but not sure this will be a LONG wine by Yquem standards.
– **2010:** Richer and more opulent than the 2016 (and obviously a bit darker-colored given development), but perhaps a bit less elegant. Stone fruit dominates, with some honey and white florals. Incredibly long finish. I can’t quite decide if I prefer the clarity and brightness of the 2016 or the opulence of the 2010.
– **1982:** Considered a lesser vintage vs. 2010 and 2016, but this is just in a perfect spot right now. Deep gold color. Butterscotch and honey dominate the palate, with a bit of candied stone fruit and citrus, as well as hints of brown sugar. At its peak but still with bright acidity, which makes me think this will stay in a good spot for at least another decade. Is expensive, tastes expensive.
Those weeds are quite strange to have this close to the main estate.