2012 YQUEM WILL NOT BE!

It was during the Grand Tasting event in Bordeaux, organized by Terre de Vins magazine on 15 and 16 December, that the news broke.

Pierre Lurton, Managing Director of Chateau Yquem of which luxury group LVMH is the principal shareholder, announced that due to “insufficient excellence,” there would be no 2012 vintage. Yquem is the only Premier Cru Sauternes that was ranked in the 1855 Classification and has become the benchmark for sweet wines.

“Everything has been tried, but nothing could be done, unfortunately, despite our rich terroir,” he added.  The final decision was made after consulting with Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH. “A brand like Yquem should know when to not make a vintage.” He also added that to maintain the history, prestige and excellence of Yquem, it seems more reasonable to not produce a 2012 vintage.

Yquem sits on 103 hectares which allows the wine to cover a wide range of the Sauternais terroir. It is this variation of terroir that exemplifies the complexity of the final wine. The vineyards at Yquem are gradually renewed about every 35 years and are comprised of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.

The quality of the vintage was initially there, but in the weeks leading up to the harvest heavy rains prevented the grapes from achieving optimal concentration and size.  This is not the first time in the history of Château Yquem that the decision was made to “skip a year,” as demonstrated by the absence of 1952, 1972, and 1992 vintages… as if “the curse occurs every 20 years “ slipped Lurton.

The Managing Director acknowledged that with a production of 100,000 bottles per year, losses could reach 25 million euros before he added, confident in a bright future, that losses would certainly be recovered due to exceptional vintages produced by the Chateau. However, this only reinforces Yquem’s image of perfection.

Millésima, guarantor of this image, offers many Chateau d’Yquem vintages, coming directly from the Château to our cellar – resting far away from any light or any external element that may affect the quality of the vintages.