🌟全球最知名的甜酒之一
🌟法國波爾多甜白酒的皇帝
🌟唯一獲得「優等一級酒莊(Premier Cru Superieur)」
🌟酒價經常貴過波爾多5大名莊
🌟 2004年後管理權交給LVMH集團
🏅 Decanter 100pts
🏅 Robert Parker 97pts
🏅 Vinous 98pts
🏅 Wine Spectator 97pts
🏅 Jancis Robinson 19/20pts
🏅 Vivino 4.8stars
滴金酒莊(Chateau d'Yquem)位於波爾多南部的知名貴腐甜白酒產區Sauternes的丘坡上，與一級酒莊(Premier Crus Classes)相鄰，如Chateau Guiraud，Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey以及Chateau Rieussec等。滴金一詞最早源自於十世紀日爾曼語中的Aighelm，意為「擁有尖頂頭盔的人」，是波爾多歷史最悠久的酒莊之一。最原始為Aquitaine的Eleanor所有。1137年Eleanor與法王路易士七世Louis Capet結婚。這段婚姻僅持續15年宣告瓦解。1154年Eleanor與英國國王亨利二世(Henry II )再婚，滴金領地隨之歸屬英國皇室。直至1453年英法百年戰爭後回到法國懷抱。
1593年貴族後裔滴金夫人Jaques Sauvage受封獲得滴金領地。那時滴金酒莊及周圍的莊園已經在種植葡萄，用晚收葡萄釀造甜酒。Sauvage家族修建滴金城堡，陸續將周圍的葡萄園收購延續至今，具有四百多年歷史的Chateau d'Yquem。Sauvage家族代代相傳，精心管理龐大酒莊。1785年Jaques Sauvage嫁給Luis Amedee，從此滴金酒莊歸入de Lur Saluces家族。新婚三年後夫婿不幸去逝，再由Jaques接過家族產業管理。開拓酒園最絢麗的一段歷史，當時廣受世界最著名的葡萄酒鑒賞家欣賞，包括美國開國元勳、第三界總統Thomas Jefferson。Jaques Sauvage家族領袖在法國大革命時發展到極致，許多皇家貴族在革命中送命，她不僅保住莊園，還讓酒莊發展得更輝煌。1851年Jaques Sauvage去世，四年後是聞名的1855年波爾多分級(1855 Classifications)，Chateau d'Yquem在分級中是唯一獲得「優等一級酒莊(Premier Cru Superieur)」，有著「法國波爾多白甜酒的皇帝」之稱。這也是對滴金夫人一生管理酒莊成就的最高褒獎。歐洲的王宮貴族、俄國皇親國戚、日本皇族都以鉅資搶購酒款。
戰爭結束後Bertrand de Lur Saluces接手酒莊管理，在半個世紀中，滴金酒莊再顯輝煌。波爾多各酒莊懂得如何開拓國際市場的人極少，Bertrand de Lur Saluces與幾位同仁共同創建，以品酒為主要市場策略的「紀龍特省特級酒莊聯合會(Union des Crus Classes de la Gironde)」，並擔任會長四十年。1966年因膝下無子，將酒莊管理權交給弟弟的兒子Alexanderde Lur Saluces。1999年經過長時間收購股份，LVMH集團獲得Chateau d'Yquem的絕大多數股份，成為莊園的新主人。2004年Alexander de Lur Saluces退休，擁有Chateau d'Yquem長達235年的de Lur Saluces家族正式將管理權交給LVMH集團。
葡萄的種植面積100公頃，產量很小。土壤複雜多樣，表層是碎石與沙子，下層是粘土與更深為石灰岩。葡萄品種種植比例：Semillon 80%、Sauvignon Blanc 20%。葡萄樹齡達到45年就會砍掉，休耕3年後再種植。目前葡萄樹平均年齡為25年。葡萄園的每粒葡萄都是手工選擇採摘，只採黴變葡萄，若未出現貴腐黴的年份則不生產正牌酒。
貴腐黴侵蝕過的葡萄釀酒是滴金酒莊的創舉。1847年莊主打獵遲歸，另也有傳聞為訪俄遲歸，錯過了葡萄採摘季節，葡萄已黴變，莊主試探性釀酒，竟發現酒變得更加甜美，從此就故意晚些採摘，待貴腐黴侵蝕後再釀酒。在歷史上有兩筆著名的交易，為美國第二任總統傑弗遜的大量訂購，以及沙皇兄弟對酒莊1847年貴腐黴酒以天價訂購。
釀造方法：從葡萄園管理到葡萄酒入窖封藏，Chateau d'Yquem葡萄酒的生產過程相當挑剔，收時會雇用140人的採收隊伍，分成四組同時作業，只能逐粒挑選感染貴腐黴菌(Botrytis cinerea)的葡萄，並且依照感染貴腐的程度分類到不同籃子。若上午採摘的葡萄糖份過高，另還需摘一些不完全貴腐的葡萄，用以平衡酒的酸度。夜晚和早晨的濃霧，以及下午的陽光和乾燥空氣，為貴腐黴發展提供了最佳條件，黴菌絲穿透葡萄皮使水分蒸發，葡萄汁濃縮讓糖度增高。葡萄感染貴腐菌至感染成熟需花費時1~2個月的時間，採收的次數隨之增加，每年約6~10的採收，之後還會再次進行篩選。
Chateau d'Yquem釀造酒款極為複雜，平均每棵葡萄樹只能釀出一杯酒。葡萄酒窖藏嚴格遵循工藝，在新橡木桶中陳釀三年。每週須將木桶中的酒加滿，並經常換桶，自然蒸發率高達二成。培養期滿裝瓶前，還要進行嚴格檢查，以延續四個世紀的嚴格管理傳統為理念，在無法釀甜白酒的年份，便不出甜白酒，確保滴金酒莊的品質和聲譽。正如莊園名譽總裁Alexamdre de Lur Saluces在評論Chateau d'Yquem酒款：「你只有接受失去的一切才能得到一切」。
Chateau d'Yquem貴腐甜酒耐久藏，歷經百年而更甜美。由於甜葡萄需發酵溫度低時間長，約要 6年後才能上市。酒款價格昂貴，經常超過波爾多五大名莊，拍賣價更是驚人，主要是貴腐甜白酒需要4~5倍的葡萄，才能得到一瓶上等精釀甜白酒，再加上具有陳放到50~100年的實力，絕對是一個最佳的收藏佳釀。
🏅 Decanter100pts
This took home the audience award at the 67Pall Mall tasting that I was hosting, with good reason. What a brilliantexample of why Sauternes should be left to gather nuance and to shed its moreexuberant, fattier early years before opening. This is just a masterclass inthe layers and complexity that you find in fully mature Yquem; saffron,truffle, pineapple, quince, lime, apricots and lemon. Hugely persistent with asqueeze of scraping slate acidity through the final few minutes that gives adry but mouthwatering finish. It is clearly in its tertiary phase in terms ofthe type of aromatics, and the beautiful amber, rose-gold colour, but there isno sense that it is beginning to run out of steam. A concentrated, gloriouslybalanced Yquem that has decades ahead of it, and fully justifies the reputationof the vintage. Count Alexandre Lur Saluces was heading up the estate at thetime.
🏅 RobertParker 98pts
What a remarkable trilogy of vintages forChateau d'Yquem (I am speaking of the 1990, 1989 and 1988). This vintage leansmore toward the 1990 than 1988 in style. It is a very unctuously textured,medium gold-colored Yquem that is oozing with honey-soaked oranges, pineapples,apricots, and peaches. This is a very powerful, rich, thick wine, with load ofglycerin, fabulous aromatics, and seemingly low acidity, but mind-bogglinglevels of depth and concentration, and a finish that goes on well over aminute. Like the 1990, it is a bit more flamboyant than its restrained sibling,the 1988, and tends to be more impressive in terms of power and richness thanthe more nuanced 1988. A great, great Yquem! Anticipated maturity: now-2065.
🏅 Vinous98pts
The 1989 Yquem is probably the best andmost consistent of the triumvirate at the end of the decade. Two bottles tastedat 30 years of age give me no reason to alter that opinion. Limpid gold incolor, slightly lighter than the 1988, it has a vivacious bouquet of gorgeousorange blossom, tinned apricot, quince jelly and wild heather, all deliveredwith impressive clarity. The palate is cohesive, pure and exquisitely balanced,sporting just the right amount of viscosity (less than the 1990). It burstswith tangerine, white peach, saffron and fresh fig, flecks of Seville orangemarmalade appearing on the finish. This is Yquem flirting with its very best, andyou never know – it could get even better with age.
🏅 WineSpectator 97pts
Very classy and beautiful, packed withbotrityzed flavors. Marvelous blend of vanilla, cream, tobacco-box notes, witha lot of oak on it for now but also loads of pure, clean and elegant fruit. Aninfant that will age for a long time.
🏅 JancisRobinson 19/20pts
Two halves tasted towards the end of theJancisRobinson.com Christmas dinner were surprisingly different. They were bothdeep golden amber hue but with different intensities. The paler one wasdefinitely simpler than the darker one. The former had an intense impact ofsweetness beautifully counterbalanced by just the right amount of acidity andthe special depth of Yquem with glossy satin texture. Candied-lemon flavour.The darker one, on the other hand, was much more intense and savoury in flavourwith more complexity. Really intense and long. The score applies to the darkerexample, which continued to reverberate on the palate for minutes.
