Château d'Yquem Tasting
The most famous Sauternes estate shines across eight vintages, back to 1962
By Daniel Sogg
Few wineries inspire superlatives like the legendary Sauternes estate Château d'Yquem. "Yquem is unique, and one of the main reasons is its pedigree. ... It really is a mythical wine," said Wine Spectator senior editor James Suckling as he introduced Friday afternoon's seminar, which featured eight wines spanning 40 years.
In Sauternes, a region about 20 miles southeast of the city of Bordeaux, vintners make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Foggy morning weather in autumn encourages development of a desiccating fungus, Botrytis cinerea (also called "noble rot"), which concentrates the grapes' sugars, flavor and acidity. Warmer afternoon conditions and dry winds keep the rot in check, and prevent other undesirable fungi from taking hold and ruining the crop. Dehydration from the rot limits yields to the equivalent of about one glass per vine, and though the grapes look shriveled and moldy, they're ideal for the production of a luscious sweet wine.
"Yquem is death transformed into gold," said Pierre Lurton, the estate's CEO and managing director.
The first wine tasted was the Château d'Yquem Ygrec 2000 (not rated), the dry white the estate produces from grapes unaffected by noble rot. Only made 21 times since its inaugural vintage, in 1959, Ygrec is comprised of about half Sémillon and half Sauvignon Blanc, with just a trace of sugar that echoes the classic Sauternes character.
Lurton, who is also managing director at St.-Emilion's renowned Château Cheval-Blanc, took over at Yquem in 2004. The shift to Sauternes demanded a major adjustment, he acknowledged. "All my life, rot was a big problem while making red wines. And now I need to work with the rot. ... After one year at Yquem, I think it's very easy to make red wines," he said.
While Yquem is laden with tradition, sometimes change is necessary. In the past, for example, most vintages were aged for four years in new oak, but Lurton decided that spending so much time in oak sapped some purity and vibrancy from the fruit. So he decided that three years was enough for the stunning Château d'Yquem Sauternes 2001 (100 points), which positively oozes intensity and concentration. Though the production volume was fairly standard at 10,000 cases, worldwide demand was voracious.
"At release, it doubled in price in 24 hours," observed Suckling.
"It was two hours, not 24," Lurton corrected him, with a smile.
Great vintages of Yquem can last generations, and Lurton expects that to be the case for the 2001. The 1999 (NR) won't have a comparable lifespan, but it's already drinking well. "What do you do with this wine?" Suckling asked Lurton. "Have it during dinner or for dessert? Things you can say in public."
The question might have been lost in translation. But Lurton needled Suckling back a bit. "I'm responsible for the education of this man," he explained. "Yquem is not a dessert wine. ... You can have it like Champagne. I have it with caviar."
The crowd chuckled, perhaps inspired by the hedonism of the notion. "Yes, I have a difficult life," Lurton acknowledged, eliciting another laugh.
One of the truisms of Bordeaux is that red wine quality determines the reputation of the vintage, Lurton said. But in years where the reds may not excel, Yquem can. The 1997 (95 points) was supple and harmonious, with lush fruit and a toothsome sweet and sour character.
Lurton and Suckling agreed that they slightly prefer the 1996 (NR), a wine produced from a long ripening season that preserved healthy acidity levels. The wine is still very youthful, capable of rewarding decades of cellaring.
The next wine, the 1989 (97 points), came from an atypically warm growing season. While it may not be a classic-style Sauternes, its exotic lushness is still irresistible. "You can taste the sun in this wine. It's very, very rich, raisiny and spicy," said Suckling.
Another Yquem that Lurton characterizes as exotic is the 1983 (98 points), made in a vintage with a long, hot Indian summer. The wine showed some of the benefits of bottle age, with unctuous caramel and dried apricot flavors.
The final wine was the 1962 (NR), from a fairly typical Yquem vintage. The weather was relatively cool, and noble rot developed nicely in mid-October and November. "This has lots of smoothness and fat, like a cashmere," said Lurton.
"We could easily drink a magnum of this ourselves. We should try it sometime," Suckling teasingly suggested to Lurton.
It remains to be seen if Lurton will extend that offer to Suckling, but he did invite the Wine Experience attendees to come by the château to try the 2003 in barrel. Given early indications about the quality of that vintage (expected to be in the range of 95 to 100 points), that's an invitation the crowd seemed unlikely to turn down.
