Chateau d`Yquem Sauternes AOC 1-er Grand Cru Superieur 2016

Chateau d’Yquem is the most famous winery in Bordeaux, located in the commune of Sauternes. According to the 1855 classification of wines, it belongs to the highest category of Premier Grand Cru Superieur and has been on the list of the best Bordeaux producers for over two hundred years. In the Middle Ages, the estate belonged to an English duke, but in 1453, after the ascension of Charles VII, it passed to the French. Since then, Chateau d’Yquem has been owned by many noble figures, but it truly flourished only in 1788 when, after the tragic death of her husband, Count Louis Amédée de Lur Saluces, Françoise Joséphine d`Yquem began to manage the estate independently, producing luxurious wines. Even then, a multi-stage harvesting technology was implemented, which has remained to this day, and in 1826 a large cellar was built, significantly expanding wine production. Among the admirers of Chateau wines was US President Thomas Jefferson, as well as Grand Duke Constantine, who made Chateau d’Yquem very popular in Russia. So what is the secret of Chateau d’Yquem? Undoubtedly, a significant role in creating this great wine is played by the unique microclimate of the terroir, determined by the proximity of the ocean and the Ciron River. The warm and humid weather favors not only the even ripening of grapes but also the development of "noble rot." Only affected grapes are used for winemaking, as rot settles on well-ripened berries and contributes to a several-fold increase in sugar concentration. Harvesting occurs in several stages; in unfavorable years, pickers comb the vineyards 10-15 times, collecting grapes berry by berry rather than in bunches. The juice from such half-dried grapes is four times less than from normal ones, and the owners of Chateau d’Yquem claim that from one vine they obtain only one glass of the famous wine. The fermentation of the grape must proceeds very slowly, and before the wine matures, about three to four years pass, after which Chateau d’Yquem often calmly lives to its centenary. Typically, the wine enters its maturity phase after 20-30 years of bottle aging. According to one of the last owners of the estate, Alexandre de Lur Saluces, much can be said about Chateau d’Yquem, but: After taking a sip, you will feel that there exists and will always exist a wine whose mystery remains unsolved....