On March 18th, I attended the first annual Platinum brand portfolio tasting of importer and distributor Misa NY & NJ. As part of the tasting, they held a seminar for the wines of Chateau D’Yquem which I was fortunate enough to attend. The event was held at an event space at 33 West 19th Street in Manhattan.
Sauterne is an iconic sweet dessert wine and along with another sweet white wine, Barsac, is produced in southeast Bordeaux.
The wines are made using the Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grape varietals. A distinguishable characteristic of these wine is that they are produced after the grapes are infected with a fungus, Botrytis Cenerea also called Noble Rot. The fungus shrivels the grapes and concentrates the sugars and flavors. The best wines have a balance of sweetness and acidity.
At the top of the pyramid when it comes to Sauterne are the wines from the 400 year-old Chateau D’Yquem which many consider make the greatest sweet wine in the world. They pick the grapes by hand with multiple passes through the vineyard.
At the seminar these are the wines served:
2016 “Y” D’Yquem: 75% Sauvignon Blanc 25% Semillon. A rare dry white wine from D’Yquem, Clear light gold with green tints, sweet grass and lime notes on the nose, juicy chewy white fruit with green herbs, balance acids and tannins.
2022 Chateau D’Yquem: 80% Semillon 20% Sauvignon Blanc. This vintage is the current bottling released on the week of this tasting. Clear dark gold, sweet peaches on the nose, nice balance of fruit an acidity.
2015 Chateau D’Yquem: 75% Semillon 25% Sauvignon Blanc: Clear dark gold, ripe vegetal nose, chewy canned peaches on the fruit, getting cardboard flavors.
2010 Chateau D’Yquem: 87% Semillon 13% Sauvignon Blanc: Clear dark gold, green herbs and peaches on the nose, thick with good acidity.
2005 Chateau D’Yquem 80% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc: My favorite of the vertical, clear dark gold, tree bark notes on the nose, chewy and silky with good acidity.
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