Sauternes · superior first growth (1er cru supérieur) in 1855
Château d’Yquem: vintages available, prices and pairings
Yquem's Sauternes, older vintages included, vintage by vintage, with the format, the guide price and what to expect of it today: to drink, or to keep. Tick what interests you, and the quote goes out with your selection.
Vintages on the price list
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The château
The only superior first growth in the 1855 classification, above all the other sweet wines. The Lur-Saluces family held it from 1785 to 1999, when LVMH became its main shareholder.
Mostly Sémillon, plus Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes, touched by noble rot, are picked one by one, in several passes through the vines. In years that are too weak, the château releases no grand vin. An Yquem can be drunk from ten years and keeps for more than half a century. The estate also makes a dry white, “Y”. The other Sauternes are on the Sauternes wines page.
What to serve it with
- Foie gras, mi-cuit or pan-fried, the classic pairing (what wine with foie gras).
- A blue cheese: Roquefort above all (what wine with cheese).
- With dessert: a yellow-fruit tart, a dessert that isn't too sweet (what wine with dessert). An old Yquem is also drunk on its own, at the end of the meal.
Which vintage for which occasion
The bottle for the very big dates: an Yquem from the birth year, for a fiftieth or sixtieth birthday (birth-year vintage). For Christmas Eve, with the foie gras (what wine with the Christmas menu). Serve it at around 10–12 °C, no colder.
What is a superior first growth?
A rank created for Yquem alone in the 1855 classification of the wines of Sauternes and Barsac, above the first growths. No other Bordeaux wine holds it.
How long does an Yquem keep?
For decades. Sugar and acidity preserve it: a fifty-year-old Yquem can be in top form if it has been well stored. Young, it is rich and fruity; with age, it takes on an amber colour and notes of orange peel, honey and spice.
Does an open bottle keep?
Yes, for several days in the fridge, corked: a sweet wine oxidises far more slowly than a red.
Are the prices shown the ones in the quote?
They are the guide prices from the price list, incl. VAT, per bottle of the format, delivery excluded. The quote confirms the price, the availability of each vintage and the shipping; the delivery rates give the lead times. For a vintage not in the table, the quote request is still open.