A sommelier's crush: Yquem lights up the world, one glass at a time

Château d'Yquem 2015 is poured for guests at the Star Wine List of the Year International Final in Vienna, June 2025. Photo by Anna Stöcher.

By Rachel Fellows

Published 17-September-2025

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Château d’Yquem barely requires introduction. Or so you might think. A worldwide mission to get guests tasting these fabled wines by the glass, with innovative pairings and in vintages of every age, has seen the estate form an international network of ‘Lighthouses’ spreading the word – and the joy – of Yquem. We speak to a few of them as the estate releases its newest dry white vintage.

As one hundred Gold Star sommeliers gathered in Vienna for the Star Wine List of the Year International Final in June 2025, they were greeted by an aperitif that had practically all of them reaching for their phones and queuing up behind one another for chance at a bottle shot: Château d’Yquem 2015, served in magnums.

To wine lovers the world over (whether professional or not), “Yquem” is a hallowed word. It points to the only estate granted the title of Premier Grand Cru Supérieur in the 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines and, while terms like “liquid gold” are often used to refer to the sweet wines of Sauternes in general, never is it more keenly meant than regarding those of Château d’Yquem.

Sommelier Jack Wu pictured with his glass of Yquem at the Star Wine List of the Year International Final in Vienna, June 2025. Photo by Anna Stöcher.

As some of the most revered – and expensive – wine on the planet, Yquem is certainly not your average welcome drink. And that’s also because it is so often associated with dessert courses rather than considered as an option by the glass in different scenarios. Understandable, of course, but since 2022 the estate has been trying to change that conception and get people enjoying glasses of Yquem in new ways and new places, by working with a network of sommelier ambassadors across the globe.

And with this month’s release of the estate’s latest dry white vintage, “Y” 2023, there is no better time to sample a sip of this legendary terroir.

Those participating dining venues are now known as the Yquem Lighthouses, of which there are currently 42, spanning 16 countries on four continents. At each one of these carefully selected venues, the Yquem wines – of varying vintages, young and old, and often in exciting bottle formats such as magnums, double magnums or imperials – are matched with a personal recommendation from the sommelier teams, which could be a dish, a single ingredient, or even a breathtaking view.

We’ve been speaking to some of those teams, for inspiration.

Gravlax and pithiviers at Le Petit Sommelier, Paris

“You have to explain what the very big difference of Yquem is,” says sommelier Pierre Vila Palleja, Star Wine List’s Paris Ambassador, and owner and manager of Le Petit Sommelier in Montparnasse – a proud Yquem Lighthouse.

“I try to explain to guests that the vines are on the top of the hills of Sauternes, like it is 360 degrees. It means that every year they can have very pronounced Botrytis [cinerea], with a lot of diversity of geology (of slopes, of expositions), so it means that every year they can have a wine that is rich, complex, and nuanced.

“You have to explain really what the terroir of Yquem is rather than the history. And this is why it is unique. So this is why Yquem is something else, and you can't beat it.”

Star Wine List's Paris Ambassador Pierre Vila Palleja, of Le Petit Sommelier

Joining the project early on, Pierre has relished the chance to open up the world of Yquem to guests at the bistro he took over from his parents in 2015.

“It's so iconic, sometimes people don't dare to drink it,” he says. Yet, by making a taste of Yquem more affordable with by-the-glass options, and broadening its pairing suggestions – “not only peach and honey tart” – Pierre noticed a remarkable reception straightaway.

“First, we started with the old vintages – something like 15 to 20 years old. As soon as I put this on the wine list, we started to see it because people were like, ‘Ok, we can enjoy that? It’s great!’ It was big, a double magnum, so a really, really nice format to pour it. And we use Coravin. Of course, this type of wine can be stored easily in an open bottle but, just to be sure, I kept it in Coravin.”

While traditional pairings do indeed utilise flavours like peach, honey, perhaps Roquefort cheese and so on, Pierre has found his salmon gravlax with orange zest to work well in balancing out the sweetness and enhancing the texture of the wine. Gratinated oysters, he says, also pair “beautifully with the minerality” of the wines, and his game pithivier, combining layers of pigeon, foie gras, mushrooms and cabbage, brings out their salinity instead.

“These wines are very powerful in terms of being aromatic,” he says. “So when you have a really fine game, like pigeon, it works brilliantly.”

Yquem’s more recent shift to reduced barrel aging (from three years to two) has led to bottles more easily enjoyable in youth, and Pierre is currently serving the 2022 vintage.

“It is great to give the opportunity to people to have a glass of Yquem,” he says. “It’s more like having, you know, affordable luxury.”

Pierre Vila Palleja with Château d'Yquem 2022, pictured in Paris, February 2025.

Ginger-glazed pork at Victoria’s Royal Mail Hotel

Australia’s Royal Mail Hotel, in Dunkeld, also serves the 2022 vintage – with a suggested pairing of poached oyster, ginger glazed pork cheek, parsley root and fig.

This allows the team to showcase the traditional pairing of Sauternes with seafood, and oysters especially, “but of course adding creativity with the addition of ginger-glazed pork cheek,” says Leonardo Lupattelli, Director of Food and Beverage at the hotel’s restaurant, Wickens.

“Thanks to the intensity and power of the 2022 vintage, the wine really lifts and highlights the exotic flavours present in the dish – of saffron and ginger. The figs play with the beautiful honey flavours of the wine. Furthermore, the wine offers an incredible freshness in the aftertaste, adding brightness to the palate. Great synergy.”

The hotel ensures that there are two vintages of Château d’Yquem available all year round, finding that “the luxury connotations aligned with Yquem support our version of regional luxury.”

Château d'Yquem, Sauternes, France. Photo courtesy of Château d'Yquem.

Cigars on the rooftop at The Chicago Club

Founded in 1869, The Chicago Club is the oldest club in the city and one of the oldest in the United States. Housed in an impressive eight-story building on Michigan Avenue, its members (by invitation only) comprise top executives and entrepreneurs from the business world, many of whom also devote themselves to philanthropic causes.

“We always make d’Yquem available by the glass here at the club,” says Beverage Manager Timothy Canezaro. “Just last night, we celebrated a member’s birthday with glasses for the table. Other times we mark wedding anniversaries. Sometimes we pour glasses for the various boards of businesses when they are celebrating big deals or accomplishments. Sometimes, we take ordinary moments and make them special purely by the pouring of such a special and historical wine.”

Timothy is highly versed in the estate’s history and production, and a willing ambassador for it. Every Yquem Day (the global release date of any new vintage of Yquem), he walks around the club pouring samples for his guests along with dishes specially created for the occasion. He also takes meetings every 15 minutes with members keen for “a more detailed introduction” to the new vintage.

“Pairing at the beginning of a meal or with the pasta course is one approach we take to getting Americans to think about enjoying this wine,” Timothy says. “Other times, we utilise our pastry chef to come up with a dessert to pair – most recently a honey sponge citrus cake with toasted ice cream. Other times, an evening cigar with a glass of d’Yquem on the rooftop is appreciated, or even a glass with a good book in our Library.”

Botrytised grapes at Château d'Yquem. Image courtesy of Château d'Yquem.

Big bottles at Arakel, Geneva

A sommelier with over 20 years’ experience in Michelin-starred restaurants, Julien Samson has “always been fascinated by Yquem.” The Director of Operations at Arakel, in Geneva, is enthusiastic about being “part of this mission to demystify Château d’Yquem” since it fits in seamlessly with the restaurant’s own philosophy.

“It’s a place where everyone should feel welcome,” he explains of the one Michelin star restaurant. “We fully embody every product we serve, to create an immersive experience where no detail is left to chance.”

From the off, he chose to serve Yquem 2018 in magnum format.

“I wanted to break the traditional codes and offer Yquem at the beginning of the meal – young vintages, with passion, and a genuine desire to share what I love about this wine.”

With an existing collection of older vintages, Julien credits the Lighthouse project with enabling him to “start offering Yquem by the glass in a meaningful and consistent way.” Guests are informed about their Yquem options “during the aperitif ritual” at the beginning of the meal, both via their sommelier and a dedicated Lighthouse insert in the menu listing the restaurant’s vintage collection, which includes the full range, both sweet and dry.

“At first, guests are often surprised to see Yquem served by the glass and without Coravin,” says Samson. “But they quickly embrace the idea – they’re open, curious, and genuinely interested in discovering the vintage of the moment.” As a result, Yquem is now one of Arakel’s best sellers.

And how does he explain Yquem to guests?

“I present it as the greatest sweet wine in the world. But beyond the prestige, I explain that it’s the result of incredibly precise work, combined with nature’s gift: the specific weather conditions that allow Botrytis to develop. That’s part of the magic of Yquem.”

One of the pairings Julien is particularly proud of is Yquem with caviar and a tangy cream. “I’ve also paired it with a wild sea bass carpaccio, with yuzu and citron (cédrat), a fresh dish with texture and a playful balance; with acidity, bitterness to contrast with the wine’s energy.”

And his own listing for Yquem – as “a sommelier’s crush” – is perhaps the best possible description of this enduringly famous wine.

Bottle shot of the new, 2023 vintage of "Y" by Château d'Yquem. — Y de Château d'Yquem 2023. Photo courtesy of Château d'Yquem.

A new Y vintage

It seems there is a world of terroir to discover within the Yquem collection. And its Lighthouses are doing it, one glass at a time.

Yet the somewhat magical terroir of Yquem doesn’t just find expression in its sweet wines, but in the dry “Y” – each year, single bunches of the best Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes designated for Château d’Yquem are pulled aside at the beginning of the harvest, and this special selection forms the basis of Y.

“Y represents the Other,” explains the team at the estate, “that wonderful alterity born from the same soil and driven by the same high standards yet using different harvest and production methods to those of Château d’Yquem. Since 1959, Y has been a rare, indigenous beauty which carves its own path in the landscape of fine white whites, boasting superb depth and freshness.”

The 2023 vintage completes a trilogy with the 2021 and 2022 that has pushed the team to continue producing their dry white wine with balance and freshness despite climatic challenges. After upping the Sémillon percentage to match the Sauvignon 50:50 for the first time, this 2023 has an “intriguing mix of fruity and vegetal aromas” according to Cellar Master Toni El Khawand.

“It reminds me of a citrus leaf, sage or verbena, for both the greenness of the leaf and its underlying aromatic power. Next comes this subtle fruit character, like a crisp pear or white peach, followed by floral aromas such as peony and wild rose. There’s a lingering scent of lily-of-the-valley and finally a delicate, chalk-like aroma, which all together makes for a very elegant wine.”