Ygrec - the dry wine from Yquem

This is Ygrec, the dry white wine from Chateau Yquem. Ygrec (the French calls Y the Greek I) is only AOC Bordeaux because Sauternes is only a sweet wine appellation. First produced in 1959, the wine is the result of a decision to harvest some plots of Sauvignon Blanc early and overripe Semillon later on. This accounts for small quantities and irregular production, with only some 23 vintages since 1959. Whereas Yquem is dominated by botrytised Semillon, Ygrec is a half-half mix of the two grapes. After a light pressing, the juice is fermented and then aged on lees in oak barrels ( of which one third and new and the rest 2 year old barrels. Regular battonage throughout barrel aging adds complexity. Although the wine is classically off-dry, some vintages are fermented out.

BTW, there are other wines with a letter of the alphabet for name in Bordeaux. Some like Ygrec and dry wines from Sauternes estates, such as M de Malle, R de Rieussec and the new S from Suduiraut. All these are whites, but there was also a red wine produced by Chateau Labegorce-Zede (now reabsorbed by Ch Labegorce) Z de Zede. Although Labegorce-Zede is an estate in Margaux, Z de Zede is actually from a plot of land of the Bordeaux Superieur appelation.