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Kirjeldus

1593. aastal ostis selle legendaarse veinimõisa Sauvage perekond ja selle omandus läks üle Lur Saluces perekonnale kui Francois Josephine de Sauvage abiellus 1785. aastal krahv Louis Amédée de Lur Saluces’ga. Markii Bertrand de Lur Saluces oli aga üks 20. sajandi tähtsamaid isiksusi kogu veinimaailmas. Krahv Alexandre de Lur Saluces on oma onu Bertrand’i jalajälgedes sammunud 1968. aastast alates. Tema eesmärk on viia oma vein perfektsuseni, samas austades traditsiooni. 1993. aastal tähistati Chateau Yquem’is 400 aasta möödumist Lur Saluces perekonna omanduses olemisest. 1999. aastal omandas suure osa veinimõisa aktsiatest LVMH grupp. Chateau Yquem kui vein on tegelikult aga kõigi mõisas töötavate inimeste ennastohverdav tulemus, kuigi ilma Botryitis Cinerea väärishallituseta ei oleks Yquemi olemas.

Chateau Yquem on vaieldamatult kõige kallim, samuti ka kõige parem Sauternes vein. Tema kõrge hind on võimaldanud Alexandre de Lur Saluces’l säilitada veini eripäraseid standardeid. Tema 150 liikmeline saagikoristajate meeskond koristab viinamarjaaiad üle 4 – 6 korda olenevalt saagikusest. Korjatakse vaid Botrytis väärishallitusega nakatunud viinamarjad. 100 ha suurune kasvandus on perfektselt kuivendatud, see on jagatud nelja ossa, mis võimaldab anda veinidele erinevat karakterit, võimaldades segada parimaid koguseid, veinid, mis nõetele ei vasta, jäetakse kõrvale. Yquem on lühidalt öeldes käsitsi valmistatud vein ja ta kinnitab ütlust, et “suur” Sauternes on tehtud pigem kasvanduses kui keldris.

Vein valmistatakse 75% Semillon ja 25% Sauvignon Blanc viinamarjadest. Pärast käärimisprotsessi lõppu, mis leiab aset uutes tammevaatides ja võib kesta 2 nädalast kuni 6 nädalani, algab ülipikk laagerdumisperiood tammevaatides, mis kestab sõltuvalt aastast 2-3 aastat. Veini iseloomustamiseks peab kasutama vaid ülivõrdeid. Märksõnadeks on integreeritud tamm, rikkalikkus, peen happesus, elegantsus ja lõputu maitse. Ülikõrge vananemispotentsiaaliga.

“Power, freshness, depth, after the extremes of 2021 and 2022, this walks the line between the two, exceptional, mandarin, quince, mirabelle plums, white truffle, fresh fruit and confit fruit, a vibration of slate and steel, opulent but slices closed on the finish. The botrytis came early and quickly in 2023. Francis Mayeur in final vintage as consultant, after many years as inhouse winemaking team, Lorenzo Pasquini director. 154g/l residual sugar, 3.85ph, harvest September 14 to October 11.” Jane Anson 100 points

“Perfect aromas carry through to every milliliter of this wine, showing intense orange peel, honey, butterscotch, saffron, smoke and peat, with hints of coffee and dried apples. Full-bodied but weightless and silky, with an excellent balance of fruit, sweetness and spices. Some peanut brittle, dried oranges and lemons at the end. I can’t get over how wonderful this is now, but it can age forever.” James Suckling 100 points

“With 153 grams per liter of residual sugar – placing it among the 10 most concentrated vintages in the château’s history – the 2023 d’Yquem ranks among the finest wines bottled here under Lorenzo Pasquini’s direction. It unfurls from the glass with a complex, vibrant and remarkably pure bouquet of pineapple, guava, mango, confit citrus, beeswax and spices. Full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it combines formidable depth with perfectly judged control, built around a fleshy core of fruit, framed by lively acidity and a crystalline texture and culminating in an endless, refined and ethereal finish. Yquem’s natural power is here masterfully harnessed by the vintage’s freshness and tension, revealing an aesthetic of precision and vibrancy encountered only in the estate’s greatest years – made all the more remarkable by the fact that the château now achieves even higher levels of concentration than a decade ago, without any perceptible increase in sweetness on the palate.” Wine Advocate 100 points

“The nose is so seductive that it should come with a warning sticker. Pure and mellow, it offers beguiling scents of wild honey, quince jelly, almond shavings and that signature hint of saffron destined to accentuate with age. It displays wonderful definition, though it does not have the aromatic drama of the previous vintage. The palate has exquisite balance and poise that belies the depth of this Yquem, though it is less exuberant, less ostentatious than the 2022. It is really the umami sensation that defines the 2023, how it caresses, almost soothes the grateful taste buds, vanilla and flecks of white chocolate lingering on the aftertaste. This will probably drink a little sooner than the 2022. If the 2023 does have a fault, it’s that it is so flattering in its flush of youth that it will be difficult to resist. Sublime.” Antonio Galloni Vinous 99 points