Liquid Gold, part 1 — a visit to Château d'Yquem


The illustrious history, the famous fans, the personal invitation! A highlight of my recent trip to Bordeaux was a visit to Château d'Yquem, recognized as one of the most superior fine wines in the world. They graciously opened their cellar doors (and bottles) for me, and it took days for me to stop smiling.




The grounds are as spectacular as you’d expect – with its fairytale castle, parts of which date back over 500 years, its lush gardens, and its impeccably cared for vineyards. And its story is equally spectacular. During the Middle Ages, Château d'Yquem was owned by the King of England before passing into French hands, and finally, luxury goods conglomerate LVMH.



Château d'Yquem's unique microclimate (its vineyards are at the highest point in Sauternes), famed terroir (clay and gravel over deep limestone), exceptionally low yields (all hand-picked), delicate botrytis (that magical noble rot) and meticulous winemaking ensure a quality worthy of the Yquem name. And if not, no vintage is declared – like in 2012.



And then, there’s the wine. I tasted the youthful 2011 vintage, with its vibrant fruit, energetic acidity, delicate richness and overall brightness unlike any wine I’ve tasted.


The romantic in me believes that wine makes us time travelers – we are able to taste the past in every glass. The wine sleeps and waits regardless of what worlds change above ground. Tasting the 2011 Château d'Yquem may have been my first time tasting the distant future, thanks to the wine's famed and nearly limitless aging potential.

And while part of me felt a little bad about drinking this glorious wine so young, another was reminded that even legendary wines are made to be opened, to bring happiness, and to freeze us forever in time and memory. For me, that will always be a late spring morning with my favorite partner in crime, on a misty Sauternes hilltop that will see more history than we ever will.


Cheers! Don't forget to tweet me @LAWineGal. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sipping south of the border

Image
Mexican tequila and mezcal may receive most of the acclaim - but there's plenty of great wine coming out of Mexico, too. I recently spent time in Valle de Guadalupe and can't recommend it highly enough. About two to three hours drive from San Diego, the region is exceptionally tourist-friendly with generally good roads (although a 4X4 vehicle is recommended for some of the harder-to-reach spots, and in bad weather.) Most of the larger wineries offer public tastings, but there are plenty of small boutiques where an appointment is essential. (There are over 100 wineries in the valley — and that number grows impressively every year.) If you're planning your itinerary, here are some notable standouts in the area that I loved. To drink: Vena Cava - the wines are good and the location is fabulous. (They built the winery into a cave with a boat as a roof...) Lechuza - this is my absolute favorite in the area. Spectacular wines made with care, passion and elegance....
Read more

Oh, Paso — Off the beaten path in Paso Robles, CA

Image
I've been visiting Paso Robles on the stunning central coast of California at least twice a year for about seven years now. And each time, I discover new wineries. There are currently over 200 wineries in the area, many of them smaller boutique operations. Unlike Napa, it's still quite common to walk into a tasting room and be greeted by the owner or winemaker and have them walk you through their wines personally. There are a number of gems in the area, but this blog post isn't about those. It's about the handful of hidden spots a little further off the traditional wine trails. Our first stop? The fabulous Via Vega . Open most weekends, winemaker Larry is a legend and the reason we keep coming back visit after visit. Ask him about the Giants this season. Or anything at all, really. He's hilarious, genuine and passionate. They sell big reds for fair prices. I especially enjoy their Los Amigos and La Perla wines, and if you ask nicely, they'll even let y...
Read more

Kir for a drink?

Image
See ya mimosa? Bye bye bellini? Meet your favorite new bubbly cocktail, the Summer Kir. Sip sip hooray! You'll need:  Sparkling wine Cherry almond simple syrup A Champagne coupe For the bubbles, I prefer the mouthwatering Nino Franco Rustico NV Prosecco . It's fresh and elegant with light peach, citrus and honeysuckle notes and a wonderful creamy quality. It finishes tight and clean and it's one of my sparkling go-tos. Founded in 1919, Nino Franco is one of the oldest estates in Valdobbiadene, and they have definitely perfected their prosecco over the last 100 years. (I used Root 23 Cherry Almond simple syrup in this recipe.) Pour a generous splash of the simple syrup into your glass, then top slowly with the wine. Garnish with a cherry or an orange slice. Repeat every day until winter... Cheers!
Read more

All roads lead to... Pauillac. (Part 2: Château Pichon Baron)

Image
Château Pichon Baron Bordeaux's  Château Pichon Baron is magnificent. Drive past its famous château (no longer a private residence) and you’ll see many a wine tourist taking photos of it from the road. Originally classified as one of the 15 prestigious second growths in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855, the estate is now owned by French insurance company AXA, which has invested significantly in modernizing its facilities. Château Pichon Baron Château Pichon Baron Although I did join the tourists taking selfies from the road, I was also offered a private tour of the spectacular property. It’s a beautifully-designed estate, with a definite eye to the future. Much of the winemaking actually takes place underneath the famous pond and lawn in front of the château. (And yes, there are portholes!) The library at Château Pichon Baron Their library collection is astounding, with bottles dating back to the late-1800s. Oh, to be that time trave...
Read more

Bizarre Bars (Part 1: the Ski Inn)

Image
Join me on my quest to drink in some of the world's most random bars. Road trippin' in Southern California? The next time you find yourself Palm Springs way and in need of a stiff one, consider heading to the incredible Ski Inn - dive bar extraordinaire, just miles from the Mexican border, in forgotten Niland, California. Wendel, tending his bar It's a good hour from Palm Springs, but well worth the trip. (There's absolutely no public transportation, so at this point, it would be a good move to make friends with a designated driver.) Continue east into the desert towards the Salton Sea , another forgotten California destination that is as eerie and unique as it is remote and surreal. You may not want to go in the water, although I'm assuming the countless dead fish will help you come to that conclusion on your own... The Salton Sea has an astounding history and is a must-see phenomenon. Something fishy, Salton Sea That said, we're here to drink...
Read more

Say cheese! My take on Modernist Cuisine's sodium citrate mac and cheese.

Image
I used sodium citrate to create a perfectly smooth cheese sauce from some of my favorite cheeses. Thanks to Modernist Cuisine's simple recipe it was a pretty smooth process, too. plating I was cooking for six and wanted to have leftovers, so I doubled the recipe (to serve 10). I used a pound of cheese for the sauce, (half a pound of gorgonzola, a quarter pound of medium cheddar, a quarter pound of mild goat cheese). In doing so, I retained the delicious pungency of the blue without it becoming overwhelming. (I'd like to pair it with a fab gewurztraminer.) To contrast the blue, I tossed candied pecans into the pasta. I also added porcini mushrooms and topped the entire dish with black truffle shavings. I was thinking about salting the pasta with truffle salt but it really didn't need it. the ingredients I made the sauce the night before and had no trouble reheating it the following day. I microwaved it in small batches and drizzled it over the pasta. b...
Read more

Meet some Real Nice Winemakers

Image
First of all, great name, right? Real Nice Winemakers is the brainchild of wine industry veteran Anthony Van Nice. He and his sommelier friends wanted to create wines that were truly representative of the Willamette Valley, and that also delivered great Oregon quality at a great price.  Because of that glorious trifecta of taste, quality and price (oh – and philosophy, but that’s messing up my trifecta analogy…) they’re my wine spotlight today. I dig them and I think you’ll dig them, too. They currently have two wines on the market: Black Magnolia Pinot Noir (in collaboration with Laurent Montalieu of Solena Estate) and Shallow Seas Rosé, priced around $22 and $18 respectively. I found the Pinot Noir to be elegant and light with oodles of red berries and savory notes of leather and light tannins. The bright acidity gave this wine a solid backbone, while the darker earthy tones provided for a surprisingly long finish. This wine is a prime exam...
Read more

Kiwi Courage

Image
I recently tasted some of the Loveblock Wines catalog along with the winery's founder and CEO Erica Crawford. The meal was sumptuously paired by the (aptly-named) Marcel Vigneron at Wolf . Chef Marcel Vigneron Erica's passion for the wine came through even before the first sip. Loveblock is grown high above Marlborough's Awatere Valley, with Erica and her winemaker husband Kim focussing on low intervention farming to ensure the wine reflects this extraordinary terroir. And in a way that ensures future generations can enjoy this remarkable land, too. Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc Loveblock's commitment to ethical farming and viticulture even makes its way onto their bright label, reflecting the simple wildflowers and dandelions that grow between the rows of grapes. Now, let's get to the wine! 2016 Sauvignon Blanc: This old world-style beauty woke up slowly and elegantly. It is a delightfully- restrained example of a Marlborough SB, with subtle waves o...
Read more

All roads lead to... Pauillac. (Part 1: Château Lynch-Bages)

Image
I was lucky enough to score a private tour of   Château Lynch-Bages   during my visit to Bordeaux earlier this summer. (Thank you to the Twitter-friendly staff who handle their marketing!) This Pauillac icon has been producing wine since the mid-eighteenth century and was classified as one of the 18 fifth growths in the Bordeaux classification of 1855. The Château has passed through several families since then, but has now been in the Cazes family since 1938. When visiting the Bordeaux area, it’s easy to be impressed by the ultra-modern technology, the shiny wine cellars and sparkling new vat rooms, but what impressed me most about Lynch-Bages was their devotion to preserving and celebrating the past. They’ve dedicated plenty of prime Pauillac real estate to creating a museum on their property to house their old equipment and share the winemaking stories and traditions of past generations. Their old press, sorting table and vats teach us an important wi...
Read more