Château d’Yquem 1983 — Sauternes, 0.75 L

Name: Château d’Yquem 1983 — Sauternes, 0.75 L
Brand: Château d'Yquem
SKU: BOR-YQUEM-1983-075
Price: 474.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Château d'Yquem

1983 · 0.75 L · RP 96

€ 474,00

2 in stock

Château d'Yquem 1983, a 43-year-old Sauternes, 0.75 L. Yquem is the only Premier Cru Supérieur of Sauternes; mature, with a suggested drinking window of 2005 to 2050.

Guaranteed authentic
0.75 L
Drink 2005-2050
Cellar-stored
Photo on request
Insured shipping

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SKU: BOR-YQUEM-1983-075

Key facts

Vintage: 1983
Appellation: Sauternes
Classification: 1er Cru Classé
Grapes: Sauvignon blanc
Drinking window: 2005–2050
Vintage rating: 88/100 — ready to drink
Format: 0.75 L
Producer: Château d'Yquem
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Type: White
Sweetness: Sweet

Sauternes 1983 on the Robert Parker Wine Advocate vintage chart

Category: Sauternes, 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, Sauvignon blanc, White, Wine

Château d’Yquem 1983: a 43-year-old Sauternes from the Lur-Saluces years

Comte Alexandre de Lur-Saluces ran the estate after 1968, and LVMH has owned it since 1999. The family had held Yquem since 1785, when Françoise-Joséphine de Sauvage d’Yquem married Count Louis-Amédée de Lur-Saluces. Comte Alexandre retired on 17 May 2004 and was replaced by Pierre Lurton. The bottle is 0.75 L of sweet white Sauternes, and our suggested drinking window runs from 2005 to 2050.

Illustration: Sémillon vines in autumn mist, Sauternes

How the 1983 stands in the Sauternes vintage chart

The Robert Parker Wine Advocate vintage chart gives Barsac/Sauternes 1983 a score of 88 and marks it “ready to drink”. That score describes the vintage across the appellation. The chart rates the appellation for the year, not this wine.

Illustration: Sauternes barrel cellar, Sauternes

Height and noble rot at Yquem

The estate lies in the Sauternes appellation in Bordeaux. It stands at about 80 m, the highest point in Sauternes, and the site is susceptible to noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). The appellation requires hand-picked grapes over-ripe with noble rot, and every lot sold must hold at least 45 g/l of fermentable sugars.

Yquem picks in successive selective passes, about six per harvest on average. The vines are about 80/20 Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc. The soils are clay and gravel at the surface with limestone in the subsoil. The wine ages about three years in oak. In 1855 Yquem was rated Premier Cru Supérieur, the only Sauternes given that rank.

Questions buyers ask

Was Château d'Yquem made in 1983?

Yes. The years without a Château d'Yquem release were 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974, 1992 and 2012, and 1983 is not among them.

Is 1983 a good vintage in Sauternes?

The Robert Parker Wine Advocate vintage chart scores Barsac/Sauternes 1983 at 88 and describes it as ready to drink.

When should Château d'Yquem 1983 be drunk?

Our suggested drinking window is 2005 to 2050, so the wine is in its window now.

What grapes go into Château d'Yquem?

Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc. About 80% and 20%.

Is Château d'Yquem a dessert wine?

Yes. It is a sweet (liquoreux) white Sauternes made from grapes affected by noble rot, picked in successive passes.

What rank did Château d'Yquem receive in 1855?

In 1855 Yquem was rated Premier Cru Supérieur, the only Sauternes given that rank.

This bottle

Kept at controlled temperature and humidity, lying down and in the dark until dispatch.
Insured, temperature-controlled shipping: if a bottle is stolen or broken in transit, we resend it or refund it through our insurer.
Older bottles may show cellar wear on the label or capsule; it does not affect the wine and is not a reason for return. Photos of this bottle on request.
Report any damaged or missing item within 24 hours of delivery — see the terms of sale.