描述
Château D’Yquem (滴金酒庄)
PREMIER CRU SUPERIEUR, SAUTERNES
BORDEAUX, FRANCE.
Great wines are not born just anywhere, by accident. A unique set of climatic and geological conditions combine to form a rare equilibrium.
This is undoubtedly the case at Yquem, which epitomizes all that is best about the singular winegrowing environment in Sauternes. Château d’Yquem’s topsoil is warm and dry, accumulating heat thanks to smooth flat pebbles and coarse gravel. The clay subsoil contains good water reserves and there are numerous springs on the estate. Drainage pipes were installed some time ago to prevent waterlogging (100 km of drains since the 19th century). Yquem’s large size made it possible to plant 113 hectares of vines on a very representative sampling of the rich tapestry of the Sauternes region’s soil types. This extraordinary variety of soils is a key factor in the quality and complexity of Château d’Yquem.
Château d’Yquem has 113 hectares of vines, of which only one hundred produce grapes in a given vintage.
Two to three hectares of vines that are too old are uprooted annually, and the soil left fallow for a year. Furthermore, it takes at least five years before new vines produce grapes that are up to Yquem’s very strict standards. Twelve hectares of vines are thus non-productive every year. Yquem is planted with two grape varieties: Sémillon (75%), which produces a rich wine with body and structure, and Sauvignon Blanc (25%), an early-ripening but less reliable producer, which contributes aromas and finesse. The vines are tended with the greatest of care. Workers perpetuate a long tradition of painstaking work under the watchful eye of the vineyard manager.
