Chateau D'YQUEM 1996
Château d'Yquem is located in Sauternes , Bordeaux . It is the world's best-known producer of sweet wines. It was the only Sauternes château to be classified as a Premier Cru Supérieur in the official 1855 classification and is priced accordingly. The Yquem estate, owned by the King of England in the Middle Ages, has been producing late-harvest wine since at least the late 1500s. The 113-hectare vineyard is located on the highest hill in Sauternes and is planted with 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. The château was owned by the Lur-Saluces family from 1785 until 1999, when it was sold to LVMH .
In the winery, the carefully selected grapes containing botrytis are pressed three or four times, with increasing pressures giving lower volumes but higher sugar levels. The sweet Yquem is fermented in new oak barrels and the wine contains 120 to 150 g/L of residual sugar. Each batch is aged separately for 6 to 8 months , after which the first selection and a preliminary blend are made. It then undergoes approximately 20 additional months of barrel aging.
Grape varieties: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc