Description
Find this Château d’Yquem 1909 price at Arden Fine Wines.
Older bottles often show signs of age, such as slightly damaged capsules and/or scuffed or damp-stained labels.
This is perfectly normal and does not mean that the wine is faulty or damaged, or that the bottle is a counterfeit or fake.
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Château d’Yquem 1909 price
This 1909 Château d’Yquem represents a highly-coveted vintage from the only Sauternes producer awarded Premier Cru Supérieur status.
Summer in 1909 was cooler than usual.
Two weeks of dry weather in late September facilitated ripening and a “tidying-up” pass to remove any berries affected by sour rot could be made.
After light showers, a second pass took place and the grapes were of good quality.
However, subsequent rain in November came at the wrong time and ruined the final passes.
Overall, it is an honourable Yquem.
At this great age, you can expect aromas and flavours of crème brûlée, caramel, dried apricot, orange peel, and saffron.
It retains vibrant acidity that balances its intense sweetness even after a century.
A short history of Château d’Yquem
Château d’Yquem in Sauternes stands out as the only wine classified as Premier Cru Supérieur in the 1855 classification.
Château d’Yquem almost had English origins.
During the Middle Ages, the King of England, who was also Duke of Aquitaine at the time, owned the estate.
In 1453, Charles VII regained southwest France under the dominion of the French crown and has kept it French ever since.
A century and a half later, in 1593, Jacques Sauvage, a descendant of a local noble family, received feudal tenure over Yquem.
The Gironde department archives, as well as those of the château, indicate that special winegrowing practices and late harvesting already existed at this time.
Furthermore, the château has hosted a vineyard since at least 1711, when Léon de Sauvage d’Yquem fully owned the estate.
Subsequently, in 1785, Françoise-Joséphine de Sauvage d’Yquem married Count Louis-Amédée de Lur-Saluces, and the estate passed to the Lur-Saluces family.
Notably, their descendants managed the property for over 200 years.
In fact, by the eighteenth century, people already recognized its wine as renowned.
After centuries of family ownership, Louis Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy purchased d’Yquem in 2000.
Then, in 2004, Pierre Lurton, MD at Château Cheval Blanc (another LVMH property), assumed control.
On average, Château d’Yquem produces only 65,000 bottles each year.
Moreover, the yield never exceeds 900 litres per hectare, compared to the usual 2,000 to 3,000 litres in Sauternes.
Interestingly, the legend states that just one glass of wine comes from each vine.
