Unrivaled Y (Ygrec); The glorious dry white wine from Château d'Yquem

Have you ever tried dry, still Sauternes wines? These white wines are dry. Of course, people know that Sauternes produces some of the finest dessert wines, but this region also has excellent dry white wines. This blog will discuss Ygrec, one of the most renowned dry white wines produced by Chateau d'Yquem.

Sauternes is best known for its dessert wines, but the region also produces excellent dry whites. The most famous sauternes is Château d'Yquem, made from a blend of noble grapes, including Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

I will outline 3 topics to learn better about Ygrec Wine.

1. Introducing Ygrec, the dry white from Château d'Yquem

Only 10,000 bottles of Y (which is pronounced "ee-grek" in French) are made each year, making it a rare wine. It comes from the same great soil and vines used to make Chateau d'Yquem. Even though work in the vineyard is just as careful, grapes are decided to pick, and wine is made.

2. The history of this unique wine

Y used to be made from the last bunches of grapes left on the vines at the end of the harvest. Botrytis cinerea affected these grapes differently, but they never had more than 15% potential alcohol, so the wine they made was very unusual. Because of this, it has only been made in small amounts and rarely since 1959. Since 1996, Y has changed, but it has kept its own character. It did this to show that it was more in with the times by being fresh and crisp, two qualities important for a great white wine today. Therefore, it was decided in 2004 to do Y every year. So, Ygrec now chooses to pick some Sauvignon Blanc plots at the beginning of the harvest, making sure to pick perfectly ripe bunches.

These are finished off with Sémillon grapes that are picked right when they are at their ripest, botrytis is just starting to show up, and the skins have turned pinkish. This is when this type of grape phenolic is soft enough to let the aromas of the best clay soil plots come through.

3. A few words from the winemaker himself

Pierre Lurton - Winemaker

“Y is a wine in its own right that has succeeded in emancipating itself from Yquem.”

“Y is sometimes elusive and unable to be classified. However, it is not rare for people to find it somewhat reminiscent of Alsace or Burgundy”

“It can age, but we also like to drink it young when it has a bouquet of citrus, white peaches, etc.”

Key Points of Ygrec ( Y ) Wine

•Y is a rare wine with an annual production of 10,000 bottles.

• It is made from the same terroir and vines as Château d'Yquem.

• Work in the vineyard is meticulous, and the grapes are picked and made into wine differently than for Château d'Yquem.

•The final blend usually consists predominantly of Sauvignon Blanc and a few lots of Sémillon after tasting.

• Y was formerly produced irregularly since 1959 but changed in 1996 to be more modern while maintaining its unique character.

• It became an annual vintage in 2004 by choice, using Sauvignon Blanc grapes picked early for freshness and Sémillon grapes picked at maximum ripeness just before botrytis appears on the skins.

• The wine undergoes light pressing and temperature-controlled must-racking during the fermentation process, which takes place in new state-of-the-art vats just for this wine variety.

We hope you enjoyed reading our blog and found it helpful. Ygrec wine is a great way to impress your guests or have a nice dinner. Thanks for reading, and we hope you enjoy trying out Ygrec wine!

For more information, please check the Château d'Yquem website. Click here