Chateau d'Yquem 1961

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Château d'Yquem 1961

Tasting

Appearance
The colour reveals a golden hue that deepens with age to reveal profound amber tones and coppery old gold.

Nose
Remarkably complex, the aromatic bouquet opens with notes of stone fruit, candied citrus and exotic fruits. As it evolves, it develops rich nuances of honey, dried fruit and sweet spices, elevated by tertiary touches of caramel, black tea and truffle.

Palate
Full-bodied and unctuous, the palate seduces with its enveloping texture and remarkable viscosity. It offers a masterful balance between generous sweetness and refreshing tension, extending into an interminably long finish.

Food and Wine Pairings

This sweet wine pairs perfectly with pan-seared or terrine foie gras, as well as noble poultry served with dried fruits. It also creates a delicious contrast with well-aged blue cheeses and enhances lightly sweetened fruit-based desserts made with apricot or citrus.

Serving and Ageing

Built to endure across the decades, Château d'Yquem 1961 illustrates the extraordinary longevity of the estate's great vintages, capable of ageing gracefully for over a century.

The Excellence of a Premier Cru Supérieur from Sauternes

The Estate

Located south of Bordeaux, Château d'Yquem stands among the finest references of the great wines of Sauternes. This legendary Premier Cru Classé Supérieur benefits from an exceptional terroir and produces sweet wines sought after the world over.

The Vineyard

Overlooking the landscape of Sauternes, the vineyard spans around a hundred hectares. It rests on a mosaic of soils made up of gravelly rises that favour warmth, sitting atop a water-retentive clay substrate. This terroir benefits from the decisive influence of the Ciron, whose autumn mists allow noble rot to develop. The vines are cultivated in a virtuous and traditional manner, favouring meticulous manual work, the absence of herbicides and the use of natural composts.

Winemaking and Ageing

The making of Château d'Yquem 1961 relies on the ancestral method of successive selective harvests, requiring multiple passes through the vineyard to pick only perfectly botrytised berries. After gentle pressing, fermentation takes place directly in new barrels. This Bordeaux wine then undergoes extended ageing in oak barrels, allowing it to integrate its power and build the complexity needed for very long ageing.

Grape Varieties

Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc.