"Y" Bordeaux Blanc 2017

Producer history

Château d'Yquem's dry white wine "Y" (pronounced Ygrec) was first produced in 1959, made from grapes grown in the same Sauternes vineyards but harvested and vinified separately from the botrytized fruit used for the sweet wine. Production was sporadic for decades and only became an every-vintage release starting in 2004. Yquem itself passed by feudal tenure to the Sauvage family in 1593 and became their full outright property in 1711; the Lur-Saluces name entered the estate's history in 1785, when the last Sauvage heiress, Françoise-Joséphine de Sauvage d'Yquem, married Count Louis-Amédée de Lur-Saluces (he died three years later, in 1788, after a riding accident, leaving her to run the estate through the French Revolution). The Lur-Saluces family then controlled Yquem for roughly two centuries. LVMH announced the purchase of a 55% stake from the Lur-Saluces family shareholders for about $100 million on November 28, 1996; Comte Alexandre de Lur-Saluces contested the sale in court for over two years, and a December 1998 Bordeaux Court of Appeals ruling confirmed LVMH's right to 38% of the estate. In 1999, LVMH bought out additional family shareholders' stakes, reaching roughly 64% ownership — a clear majority — though Alexandre de Lur-Saluces retained a managing role for several more years. In 2004, LVMH bought out the remaining shares, took full operational control, and installed Pierre Lurton (already managing director of Château Cheval Blanc) as president on May 17, 2004.

Signature pairings

• Grilled river prawns with lime and lemongrass (กุ้งแม่น้ำเผา) — The wine's high acidity and citrus-driven profile can stand up to lemongrass and lime without the dish's chili heat, which should be kept mild to avoid overwhelming the wine's delicate flinty character.
• Seared scallops with beurre blanc — Classic pairing logic: the wine's richness from barrel aging and lees contact complements the butter-forward sauce while its acidity cuts through the richness of the scallops.