Yquem Hardcover – September 23, 2008

I had read about Y'quem in another story about wine and wanted to know more. After looking online, I wanted a good historical, and preferably tabletop book, about the vineyard. This is it. Beautiful pictures, wonderful description of the history and making of this impressive and unique wine.

Is Yquem the best wine in the world? This book will convince you that it is. Explores the hundred of years of viticulture and wine making that have led to a unique appelation for this Sauternes. Much detail on history, soil, chemistry, grapes, cuisine,

This book has been heavily edited from Olney's original version. This is a pretty travel brochure or advertisement. Look for an early edition for some of the great, great Olney writing.

Good Information on a classic

"Luscious wine was the term commonly used in the last century to describe a naturally vinified wine which retained a high degree of unfermented grape sugars. It is a pity it has fallen out of use, for its present substitutes, 'sweet wine' or 'dessert wine', carry too many unfortunate associations to be acceptable definitions of Sauternes."Having said that, Richard Olney gives us this wonderful book to provide a far better than acceptable definition of the greatest of "luscious wines," Sauternes; and the greatest of Sauternes, Chateau d'Yquem. As in all of his books, Olney's prose is elegant and his observations sharp and spot on. For example, he recounts how the great 1967 Yquem was widely overlooked and very inexpensive on release because of diminished interest in the '67 vintage's red Bordeaux, which were abundant and mostly light, structured for early drinking and cheaply bought. Of course, the '67 Yquem is now highly prized and priced accordingly -- particularly because many thought nothing of drinking it when it was young and easily had. I know I drank far more than my fair share of it when it was in its first decade, even as a college student with little money to spend.The book provides a nice overview of the estate's history, viticultural practices and winemaking techniques. This being Olney's book, it also includes his tasting notes and menus pairing Yquem with glorious dishes. To cap it off, this is a beautifully illustrated book.The original U.S. edition was from David R. Godine in 1986. My review is based on my copy of that original edition, which was out of print for a long time, difficult to find and quite expensive after it became a "no longer available" item in the publisher's catalog. This Flammarion reissue brings the book back into general circulation. That is a godsend for lovers of Sauternes and Olney's writing. The new edition includes updated information and tasting notes to bring Olney's original into the 21st century.It's a classic book and for lovers of food, wine and stylish writing, well worth owning.

Front cover shows a Chateau Yquem 1975 bottle. Layout is so great you know you are going to enter a whole world in itself when reading this book. Pictures are beautiful even if they should not be considered as the best part of this book. Topic itself is so important that you would expect nobody else than Olnney to master it. He does it with dexterity. This book was written long before the internal war between owners of the castle. Lur Saluces family suffered during the selling process of this estate. Have you ever tasted Chateau Yquem wine? It's a divine pleasure you can experiment buying a recent bottle from the cooperative shop inside Yquem village. Price will start around 150 dollars a bottle. I remember my grand-mother forcing us (we were 7 years old)to drink 1949 Chateau Yquem wine on Christmas dinners. "You will never forget it" she said. None of my cousins neither myself did forget 1949 Chateau Yquem or our wise grand-mother.

Many of the 'updates' here are by editors/writers of much lesser gifts than Olney. In some cases his poetic prose has been tampered with. A shame indeed. Look for the original, pristine edition of 1985.

Ce beau livre, magnifiquement illustré, rend hommage à l'un des plus grands vins du monde : le fabuleux Château d'Yquem ... Les très grands vins comme Yquem sont à mon sens des chefs d'oeuvre comparables aux cathédrales et les grands vignerons, sachant sublimer les grands terroirs, des artistes du niveau de ceux qui conçurent et bâtirent Chartres, Reims ou Notre Dame de Paris ... En feuilletant cet ouvrage, on accède au raffinement ultime, à ce que la main de l'homme, s'adossant au génie d'un terroir et d'un cépage, est capable de produire lorsqu'elle est touchée par la grâce : Romanée-Conti, Latour, Haut-Brion, Montrachet, Margaux et ici Yquem ...

Super,but a knowledge of the French language is neccessary.

Probably the world's justly famous top Sauterne dessert wine. This book tells us how it became world famous.

Article conforme à la description. Livraison avant la date annoncée. Petit mot gentil et courtois pour me remercier de mon achat

il ne s'agissait pas de la nouvelle édition comme convenu mais celle de 1985! .