Description
1976 Château d’Yquem for sale at Arden Fine Wines in London.
A history of Château d’Yquem
English people almost owned Château d’Yquem!
During the Middle Ages, in fact, the King of England, who was also Duke of Aquitaine at the time, owned the estate.
In 1453, Charles VII once again brought southwest France under the dominion of the French crown and has kept it French ever since.
In 1593, Jacques Sauvage, a descendent of a local noble family, received feudal tenure over Yquem.
The Gironde department archives, as well as those of the château, show that special winegrowing practices and late harvesting already existed at this time.
A few years later, the Sauvage family built the château and patiently constituted the present-day vineyard, plot by plot.
The family became full owners of Yquem in 1711, during the reign of Louis XIV.
In 1785, Françoise Joséphine de Sauvage d’Yquem married Count Louis Amédée de Lur-Saluces.
Three years later, in 1788, the count died after a riding accident.
His young widow thus became the head of the family and showed extraordinary acumen in managing the estate.
Famous connoisseurs of the period, such as Thomas Jefferson, already appreciated the wine.
Françoise Joséphine managed to hold on to the family property and make Yquem prosper.
She built a new wine cellar in 1826 with her steward Garos, transforming the estate into a true business.
It was during her time as head of Yquem that they perfected the method of picking in several passes.
Château d’Yquem and the 1855 Classification
Romain-Bertrand de Lur-Saluces, Françoise-Joséphine’s grandson, took his role as manager of Yquem very much to heart.
In 1855, in posthumous recognition of the tremendous accomplishments of “the lady of Yquem”, the classification made at the request of Emperor Napoléon III designated the estate as the one and only premier cru supérieur.
How Château d’Yquem ages
Château d’Yquem enjoys a very long life span: twenty, fifty, a hundred years, or more…
As with all great wines, time transfigures Yquem, developing a host of deliciously subtle aromas and flavours.
The years change its colour from the brightness of dawn to the darkness of dusk, and from shimmering straw yellow to golden-brown with amber and caramel highlights, and then to mahogany.
1976 Château d’Yquem for sale
The Château d’Yquem 1976 is a benchmark Sauternes from a warm and dry vintage.
It is highly praised by critics, with ratings up to 100 points from Robert Parker.
It is considered to be in its absolute prime for drinking now and for many decades to come.
Typically, this great 1976 wine exhibits a deep golden, amber, or dark copper colour.
It has a profound bouquet of dried apricots, candied orange peel, honey, toasted almonds, saffron, caramel, and tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, and banana.
The palate is opulent and unctuous, with flavours of ripe tropical fruits, honeycomb, butterscotch, orange marmalade, and vanilla, all balanced by vibrant acidity.
It has a viscous, silky texture and a very long, complex finish.
