France · Bordeaux

Chateau d'Yquem

Château d'Yquem is the only Premier Cru Supérieur of Sauternes and stands unchallenged as the world's greatest sweet wine. The estate occupies a unique hilltop position in the Sauternes appellation where morning mists and afternoon sun create ideal conditions for the development of Botrytis cinerea — noble rot — on Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The property has a history stretching back to the 16th century; Thomas Jefferson visited in 1787 and declared it the finest white wine in the world. LVMH acquired the estate in 1999, but quality has been maintained at its legendary level. The wine is made by repeated passages through the vineyard — typically eight to twelve tries — selecting only perfectly botrytised grapes. Yields are extraordinarily low, sometimes producing only one glass of wine per vine, and in exceptionally poor years (1992, 2000, 2012) d'Yquem declassifies entirely rather than produce an inferior wine. The resulting wine is extraordinarily concentrated: layers of apricot, peach, orange peel, honey, saffron, and ginger that evolve over decades into something almost indescribably complex. Vintages from 1921, 1937, 1945, 1967, and 1986 are considered among the greatest bottles ever made. At auction d'Yquem commands prices rivalling the First Growth reds, a testament to its singular status.