Château
Château d’Yquem
How to read this
Capitals mark the stressed syllable. The recording is the reference.
The only Premier Cru Supérieur of 1855, already priced at 4 times the next tier of
- Appellation
Sauternes - On Instagram
- @yquem
- Châteaux
- See it among the 629
The château
The classification of 1855 gave the white wines 3 levels, Premier Cru Supérieur, Premier Cru and Second Cru, and put exactly 1 estate in the first. The trade had drawn that line before the brokers did. In the 1853 edition of his Traité sur les vins du
The Lur Saluces family held Yquem until 1999, when LVMH bought from Count Alexandre de Lur Saluces and took 95.63%, leaving the family 4.37%. Pierre Lurton succeeded Lur Saluces in 2004 and is president, with Lorenzo Pasquini as general manager. The 103 hectares are planted 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, and yields run to about 10 hectoliters a hectare, an average of 1 glass a vine. The estate bottles 80,000 a year, after 24 months in new oak. In May 2019 Bernard Arnault announced that Yquem had taken decisive steps toward organic and then biodynamic farming. There is no second wine; Y, written Ygrec, is a dry white, a separate wine rather than a lesser one.
Yquem is, in my view, probably the most consistent wine in Bordeaux, with centuries of top performance behind it. Tasting the 2021 at the château in April 2024, I was struck again by its balance of bitterness, sugar and acidity. The 1991, from a tiny vintage cut down by frost, was stunning at 33 years old in June 2024: deep amber, orange marmalade, ginger and dried apricot, rich and very long, carried by a zesty acidity.
At a glance
- Appellation
Sauternes Terroir ofSauternes →- Classification
- Premier Cru Supérieur 1855, the only estate at that level; Michelin Guide, 3 grapes (2026)
- Owners
- LVMH, majority shareholder since 1999; the Lur Saluces family keeps 4.37%
- Direction
- Pierre Lurton, president, since 2004; Lorenzo Pasquini, general manager
- Vineyard
- 103 hectares; about 10 hectoliters a hectare, an average of 1 glass a vine
- Grapes
- Sémillon 75%, Sauvignon Blanc 25%
- Farming
- Toward organic and then biodynamic farming, announced in May 2019
- Cellar
- 24 months in new oak
- Production
- 80,000 bottles a year
- Wines
Château d’Yquem ; Y, written Ygrec, a dry white; no second wine- In history
- 1,800 to 2,000 francs the tonneau in 1853, against 400 to 500 for the tier below
Sources
- Institutions
- Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux,
Château d’Yquem ; CIVB, the classifications of 1855 - Press
- Decanter,
Château d’Yquem ; Decanter China,Château d’Yquem ; The Drinks Business, Yquem to convert to biodynamics - Its own publications
Château d’Yquem , the estate; LVMH,Château d’Yquem
Revised October 13, 2026. How I choose sources
The record
In the Michelin Guide’s first Bordeaux selection, announced on September 8, 2026, it took 3 grapes, the highest mark, one of only 9 estates to do so.
Private
By invitation only.
Tastings
5
January 26, 2026 · 2
December 26, 2025
June 13, 2024
CHÂTEAU D´YQUEM,
April 23, 2024 · 3
April 17, 2024
Chateau D’Yquem is a wine of such beauty and elegance that it shows greatness at every age
In the news
12
-
Top estates support Bordeaux’s next vignerons
Cheval Blanc, Lafite Rothschild,
Petrus and Yquem are helping up-and-coming Bordeaux vignerons.The involvement of four prominent estates puts talent development and the next generation of Bordeaux producers firmly in view.
-
Legendary Wine Hidden by the Nazis Restored After 130 Years
Eight late-19th-century bottles of
Château d’Yquem , believed to have been hidden during WWII, were restored by the estate after being found in a Czech castle. The bottles, dating from 1892 to 1896, will go on display after surviving war and communist-era upheaval. -
‘Impressively fresh’ 1892
Château d’Yquem found under chapel floorA cache of 133 late-19th-century wines, including 8 bottles of
Château d’Yquem from 1892 and 1896, was found beneath a chapel floor at Bečov Castle in the Czech Republic.Château d’Yquem restored the bottles, with only 5 full original bottles surviving, according to The Drinks Business. -
Montpellier: a bottle of
Château d’Yquem 1811 goes to auction starting at 60,000 eurosA bottle of
Château d’Yquem 1811 will be auctioned on Sunday, May 31, near Montpellier, with a starting price of €60,000, according to actu.orange.fr. -
Rare bottle of
Château d’Yquem 1811 goes under the hammerA bottle of
Château d’Yquem 1811 will be auctioned on May 31 near Montpellier, in southern France, by Farran Enchères. According to Vinetur, it is expected to fetch at least €60,000. -
French Waterways Launches Gastronomic Voyage in Bordeaux
French Waterways is introducing exclusive 6-night gastronomic barge voyages through Bordeaux for 2026, aboard Saint Louis on the Canal de Garonne, with Michelin-starred dining and private tastings at estates including
Château d’Yquem . All-inclusive charters run on select dates from May to October. -
The sweet spot:
Sauternes at auctionAccording to iDealwine, auction prices for most
Sauternes remain accessible relative to quality, whileChâteau d’Yquem remains in a category of its own. -
La Tour Blanche students shake up wine’s rulebook
Students from the La Tour Blanche wine school presented innovative projects during a viticulture hackathon aimed at energizing the wine sector, from artistic initiatives to new youth-oriented drinks. The results were announced at
Château d’Yquem , highlighting Bordeaux/Sauternes education and entrepreneurship. -
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz dine with a 1811
Château d’Yquem On Jan 28, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz shared dinner photos showing an 1811
Château d’Yquem , aSauternes wine said to be worth about £75,000 per bottle. Only 10 bottles of the vintage are thought to exist worldwide. -
The key dates in La Place de Bordeaux’s 2026 calendar
La Place de Bordeaux’s 2026 calendar includes January 20 in Washington, D.C., mid-March trade-fair competition and the anticipated release of Yquem’s 2023 vintage.
-
From Champagne to the Andes via Yquem
On Sunday, December 14, Bordeaux Tasting concluded with 3 masterclasses featuring Champagne Laurent Perrier,
Château d’Yquem and Cheval des Andes. The 26th Grand Siècle iteration combined 2007, 2008 and 2012, whileChâteau d’Yquem ’s 2023 vintage was tasted in a world premiere, according to terredevins.com. -
Why You Shouldn’t Miss the 2025 Edition
The 2025 Bordeaux Tasting will bring Bordeaux, Champagne, spirits and foreign wines to the Palais de la Bourse, with producer-led tastings and masterclasses. Featured names include Pichon Baron, Smith Haut Lafitte,
Clos Fourtet ,Château Pavie ,Château d'Yquem and Cheval des Andes.
On from here
Test yourself on