While wine lovers, collectors, winemakers, and others can enjoy arguing which is the best wine of a specific appellation, there is only one wine in the world that is the undisputed best wine in the region. That unique honour goes to Yquem.

Producing wine at the top classified growth in Sauternes is a challenging proposition. Yquem is highly commendable in that it takes great pains every step of the way – from the vineyard to the cellar.

Yquem plays a game of chance with Nature every season. Not only does the growing season have to deliver grapes with sufficient concentration, but they depend upon a “conjugation of quirks” to trigger botrytization. The risks are always great. Yet Yquem’s geographic and geological uniqueness, together with its historical know-how and praxis, lower the odds and raise the heights of what is achievable. What might defeat a noble Sauternes does not necessarily defeat Yquem.

What makes these wines so incomparable and valuable: they are never obtrusive in their sweetness, but fascinatingly delicate, mineral and playful, with an unfathomable depth. Château d’Yquem tells the unique story of a remarkable expertise that has been passed down since 1593.

Today, Lorenzo Pasquini runs the unique château: “Our goal is to break the ‘dessert wine’ label and the idea that these wines must age for decades before being enjoyed. While they do gain complexity after 20/30 years, they can be delightful when young. Offering Yquem by the glass—whether on its own or paired with savory dishes—will help recreate the conditions for people to truly discover it.”