Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes 1991 AOC 0,75l

This Château d'Yquem 1991 is a Sauternes in a 0.75-liter bottle. In the 1855 classification, Yquem was the only wine to receive the rank of Premier Cru Supérieur, above the other classified growths of Sauternes and Barsac. 1991 is a small vintage, marked by the April frost.

In 1593, Jacques Sauvage, a local notable, obtained the rights to the land at Yquem. In 1785, the marriage of Françoise-Joséphine de Sauvage d'Yquem and Count Louis-Amédée de Lur-Saluces brought the estate to the Lur-Saluces family, who managed it for more than two centuries; Count Alexandre de Lur-Saluces took over in 1968. At the end of 1996, the LVMH group announced its purchase of shares from other family members, a move challenged in court by Alexandre: since 1999, LVMH has been the majority shareholder, and in 2004 management passed to Pierre Lurton.

At Yquem, grapes are harvested by hand in several successive passes, called tries, each time picking only berries affected by noble rot: six passes a year on average, and up to ten in some vintages. Yields remain around nine hectoliters per hectare, and the wine ferments and matures in barriques. In vintages deemed inadequate, the estate releases no wine under its own name: this happened, among other years, in 1992, the year after this one.

Today, the estate has around one hundred hectares of vineyards planted with Sémillon, the main grape variety, and Sauvignon Blanc. Gravel retains heat at the surface; below, clay-rich subsoil holds water, while a drainage network about one hundred kilometers long regulates moisture. Morning mists followed by sunny afternoons encourage noble rot.

On April 21, 1991, frost hit the Bordeaux vineyards hard; at Yquem, however, it spared several parcels on the slopes. A hot, dry summer followed, then a rainy September. The harvest was completed in three passes, yielding a small quantity of grapes of good quality. Over the years, Sauternes changes in color from gold to amber, developing notes of candied fruit, citrus, honey, and toast; great Sauternes wines can age for many decades.

This is Yquem’s grand vin, its Sauternes. Since 1959, the estate has also produced a dry white wine called Y (Ygrec), released every year since 2004. Sauternes pairs well with foie gras, cheese, and poultry.

In the STELT selection, this 1991 Yquem is the Premier Cru Supérieur from a small vintage, produced from the parcels spared by frost, in the years when the estate was managed by Alexandre de Lur-Saluces.

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