Château d'Yquem 1er Grand Cru Classé Supérieur en 1855 2022

Château d'Yquem is the benchmark Sauternes, a luscious botrytis wine from the only estate given Premier Cru Supérieur status.

History runs deep here: the estate passed to the Lur-Saluces family in the late eighteenth century, and its wines were prized by Thomas Jefferson among many others. Today it is part of the LVMH group. The vineyard lies on the highest ground in Sauternes, where autumn mists rising from the Ciron and Garonne rivers encourage noble rot. The team harvests Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc by hand over several weeks, selecting individual bunches or even single berries, and it's often said that each vine gives only about a glass of wine. 2022 was a hot, dry summer in Bordeaux, and the vintage has apricot jam and orange marmalade richness with beeswax, quince and a salty, bitter-orange finish.

Chill well, to about 10 degrees, and open a little ahead of time. It pairs beautifully with blue cheese, crème caramel or a spiced duck dish, and is equally rewarding sipped slowly on its own. Young Yquem is delicious, but it has the concentration to age for generations.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: Sweet Wine
Style: Sweet and full-bodied, from grapes affected by noble rot (botrytis)
Grape Varietal: Sémillon (80%) and Sauvignon Blanc (20%)
Tastes Like: Classic Sauternes at its most concentrated: a Sémillon-led sweet white from noble-rot grapes, richer than late-harvest styles
Alcohol Percentage: 13.5%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Sauternes AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée: France's protected designation of origin, here for sweet whites from five villages south of Bordeaux). Ranked Premier Cru Supérieur in the 1855 classification, the only estate given that rank
Region: Sauternes, Bordeaux, France
Terroir: About 100 hectares under vine on a rise of gravel and clay above the Ciron valley, where autumn mists encourage noble rot; a network of drainage pipes was laid under the vines in the 19th century
Aging: Hand-picked in several passes between 20 September and 26 October 2022, taking only the botrytised berries; aged for a long period in new French oak barrels before bottling
Serving Temperature: 10-12°C

Château d'Yquem stands on a rise above the Ciron valley in Sauternes, south of Bordeaux. The Sauvage family held the estate from 1593, and it passed to the Lur-Saluces family when Françoise-Joséphine de Sauvage d'Yquem married Count Louis-Amédée de Lur-Saluces in the late 18th century; widowed young, she ran the estate herself for decades. In the 1855 classification of Bordeaux, Yquem was the only estate ranked Premier Cru Supérieur, a rank it still holds alone, and LVMH has owned it since 1999. About 100 hectares are under vine, planted to Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Autumn mists from the cool Ciron encourage noble rot, and the pickers go through the vines several times each harvest, taking only the shrivelled, concentrated berries. The wine then spends a long time in new French oak barrels, and in years judged not good enough no Yquem is released at all: ten vintages have been skipped since 1910, most recently 2012.

The 2022 was shaped by extreme heat and a long drought: the château calls it the hottest and driest year at Yquem since 1896. Picking ran from 20 September to 26 October; noble rot spread quickly from the morning of 15 October, helped by mild weather and a south-easterly wind. The blend is 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. A young Yquem that will reward many years in the cellar.

Desserts: Crêpes Suzette with orange butter
Starters: Duck rillettes with orange and fennel salad
Mains: Roast chicken with saffron and apricots
Afternoon tea: Candied orange peel dipped in white chocolate

Roquefort: The classic: salty sheep's milk blue against rich, sweet wine
Bleu des Basques: A sheep's milk blue from the Pyrenees, rich and gentle
Comté (18 months): Nutty and supple, a calm partner
Saint-Nectaire: Earthy and creamy, for a savoury contrast

Crêpes Suzette (Crêpes in Orange Butter Sauce)

Ingredients (Serves 4, makes 12 crêpes):

• For the crêpes: 125g plain flour, 2 eggs, 300mL milk, 1 tbsp caster sugar, pinch of salt, 30g melted butter
• For the sauce: 80g butter, 80g caster sugar, finely grated zest of 2 oranges, 200mL fresh orange juice, juice of half a lemon
• 3 tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• Orange segments, to serve

Instructions:

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, salt and eggs, then gradually whisk in the milk and melted butter to a smooth, thin batter. Rest for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a lightly buttered 20cm pan over medium heat. Pour in a small ladle of batter, swirl to coat thinly and cook for about 1 minute each side. Stack and keep warm.
3. For the sauce, melt the butter and sugar in a large frying pan and cook until lightly caramelised. Carefully add the orange zest, orange and lemon juice and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until syrupy.
4. Fold each crêpe into quarters and lay them in the sauce, turning to coat.
5. Warm the liqueur in a small pan, pour over the crêpes and carefully set alight (away from the range hood). When the flames die down, serve with orange segments and the sauce spooned over.

Crêpes Suzette became a star of grand French restaurants in the early 20th century, flambéed at the table with orange butter and liqueur. Orange and Sauternes are a famous partnership, and the light, buttery crêpes let a young Yquem stay in the spotlight.