Château d’Yquem

If raw, unadulterated decadence is your game, look no further than the resplendent Château d’Yquem. Located on a hill, overlooking all others, in the commune of Sauternes in the Graves region of southern Bordeaux, Château d’Yquem boasts a pedigree dating back to the Middle Ages (when it was once owned by the King of England), and has been producing its exalted sweet wine since at least the mid 1600’s. Now owned by luxury goods brand LVHM (since 1996), these wines are synonymous with hedonistic excess. Indeed, the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold was its “comet vintage” 1811, going for a record $117,000! Château d’Yquem claims the distinction of holding a singular classification all its own: Premier Cru Superior (Superior First Growth), the only wine given this status in the Classification of 1855. Planted to 80% Semillon/20% Sauvingon Blanc and infected with the benign fungus botrytis cinera or “noble rot”, these wines are glitteringly sweet, with tones of honey, peach, tropical fruits, and acacia flowers. With age these flavors give way to caramel, crème brulée, and even chocolate. Sweet but never cloying, with a racy acid backbone allowing it to age for decades, Château d’Yquem is one of life’s most unforgettable indulgences and should never be missed.