52 vintages of D`Yquem Sauternes up for Auction

PRESS RELEASE 15.10.2015
52 vintages of D'Yquem Sauternes up for Auction
It is very rare that Bruun Rasmussen's wine department receives such a large and almost complete vertical
of 52 vintages from 1939 to 2006 of Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes for auction. It is nevertheless the case
right now, where the auction house presents this completely unique collection that comes from a private
Scandinavian cellar. Château d'Yquem is according to the wine industry "the world's finest wine," which is
also reflected in the estimated hammer price between DKK 220,000 and 280,000.
The Wine District
The castle itself, Château d’Yquem, dates from the 13th century and is located in the French wine district
of Sauternes. The vineyards slope down towards the Gironde River, which helps produce the sweet nectar
that is the hallmark of Yquem.
The Harvest
Only few other wines in the world take as
long to make as a bottle of Yquem. The
harvest will often go on for as long as two
months in many vintages, lasting all the way
until the end of November. This means that
more than 100 harvesters must be on standby for the entire period. Once the harvest is
finally secured, the 100 ha of vineyards have
been meticulously examined as many as ten
times. Not only the rows and the vines are
inspected, but also the very clusters of
grapes. Grapes are removed or picked from
individual clusters for every trie (selection).
This places a heavy responsibility on every
single harvester, since it is simply too
onerous a task to train that many new
workers every year. Instead, regular
employees are hired to return year after year
to harvest the grapes for the finest wine in
the world.
The Taste
The greatest Sauternes wines are renowned for lasting many, many years. This, of course, is also the case
for Chateau d'Yquem. The sugar is the primary cause of the long durability. Richard Olney's book about
the chateau contains numerous tasting notes that describe wines from vintages as far back as before the
year 1800 that are still absolutely drinkable. All of the tasting notes on Yquem leave no doubt about the
grandeur, durability and strength of this wine.
There are many different ways to enjoy this enchanting wine. Bruun Rasmussen’s wine experts regard it as
a kind of liquid gold, albeit far more varied, colourful and rewarding than the precious metal.
Viewing and Auction
The impressive collection of Château d'Yquem is up for auction at Bruun Rasmussen's upcoming wine
auction on Sunday 25 October at 8 pm. The preview will take place at Baltikavej 10 in Copenhagen's
Nordhavn.
Contact information
For further information, please contact Anders Gudmundsson on tel.: 8818 1205 / [email protected]
Press photo
1543/3109: 52 bts. Château d'Yquem, Sauternes. 1. Grand Cru Classé. Estimate: DKK 220,000-280,000 /
€ 29,500-37,500.
Best regards
Eva Helsted
Press Manager, MA.
Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers
Sundkrogsgade 30 · DK-2150 Nordhavn
Tel: +45 8818 1072
http://www.bruun-rasmussen.dk