Château d'Yquem 1934

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château d'Yquem 1934

Tasting

Appearance

The Château d'Yquem 1934 displays a deep amber hue, enhanced by mahogany and copper highlights, characteristic of a great Sauternes that has undergone nearly nine decades of evolution.

Nose

The nose reveals a remarkably complex bouquet, harmoniously combining roasted fruit and candied apricot. Notes of salted butter caramel mingle with beeswax and saffron, while hints of roast character evoking mocha and blond tobacco enrich the aromatic profile.

Palate

The attack is sumptuous, offering a velvety texture in which the wine’s lusciousness has melted in over time. Balance reaches a masterful level thanks to an acidity that remains present and beautifully supports the aromatic richness. The finish lingers at length with notes of sweet spices and bitter orange zest.

Food and wine pairings

This Château d'Yquem 1934 can be enjoyed on its own, allowing its complexity to be fully appreciated. It also pairs elegantly with foie gras, whether in terrine or pan-seared, as well as blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort. Dried-fruit desserts or citrus tarts also make refined gastronomic matches.

An exceptional Sauternes, testament to a legendary vintage

The estate

Founded in 1593 in Sauternes by Jacques Sauvage, Château d'Yquem spans around one hundred hectares, mostly planted with Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Owned by the LVMH group since 1996, it owes its singularity to a microclimate conducive to botrytis cinerea, resulting from the meeting of the mists of the Ciron and the warmth of the Garonne, as well as to practices of extreme rigor: late hand-harvesting, parcel-by-parcel vinification, and extended aging in barrel. The only Premier Cru Supérieur in the 1855 classification.

The vineyard

The Château d'Yquem vineyard is rooted in an exceptional terroir of gravel over a clay subsoil in Sauternes. This unique microclimate, where the morning mists of the Ciron combine with the warmth of the Garonne, promotes the harmonious development of botrytis cinerea, the noble rot essential to crafting the great sweet wines of the appellation.

The vintage

The year 1934 stands out as one of the twentieth century’s high points for the Sauternes region. A hot, dry summer was followed by an autumn ideal for the development of botrytis cinerea. Harvest began on September 4 and lasted for two months, allowing several successive passes through the vines to select only the berries that had reached the optimal level of concentration. These exceptional weather conditions produced grapes of remarkable purity and concentration.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Château d'Yquem 1934 were pressed three times to extract the entirety of the concentrated juice. After settling, the must was racked into new oak barrels, where alcoholic fermentation began and proved particularly slow due to the very high sugar concentration. Aging in new barrels lasted approximately 18 to 20 months, allowing subtle tannins to integrate and the wine’s complex aromas to develop.

Grape varieties

Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.