For the first time ever, Chateau d'Yquem is bottling its wine in nebuchadnezzars.
The massive 15-litre bottles - in a limited series of 120 bottles of the 2005 vintage – will cost €12,850 each.
'We are bottling the 2005 in nebuchadnezzars for the first time to celebrate an exceptional vintage,' spokeswoman Valerie Lailheugue told decanter.com.
One hundred of the nebuchadnezzars have been allocated to two wine merchants, 50 to Bordeaux Wine Investments and 50 to its American counterpart Bordeaux Wine Locators. The other 20 bottles will be kept for the chateau collection. They will be delivered in 2009.
The largest bottles of Yquem currently in existence are the 6-litre imperials of the 1982 vintage. In the UK one imperial of Yquem 1985 currently retails for about €2,200.
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Ridiculous bottlings....
Should we be excited or in fact rather depressed that the new owners of Chateau d'Yquem have seen fit to make their 2005 elixir available in the 15 litre nebuchadnezzars bottling? Sadly, the chances these days that any bottle of Chateau d'Yquem will actually be drunk seem to be receding as it become ever more the sole preserve of investors. But the chances surely recede further as we move from half bottle to bottle, bottle to magnum and so on all the way up to Nebuchadnezzar. And is it not all the more depressing that of all vintages it should be the truly extraordinary 2005 that is the first be paid this dubious accolade by the Chateau's new owners? For if there is surely one vintage in recent years which can match the exceptional 2001 it is 2005. So why waste 1800 litres of it by putting it in a bottle size that will never be drunk by anyone?
Professor Colin Hay, Macclesfield, UK
What a fuss over fermented grape juice! One can only hope for a 'correction' in the wine investment market so that wine drinkers can drink wine and rich businessmen can invest in something else. I am not bitter of course! Talking about bitter I think I'll drink beer tonight, before the investment market discovers 'limited edition bottling'.
Dr Jon van der Walt, London
Going from handbags to trunks! LVMH is certainly inspiring Yquem!
Nils Stormby, MD, PhD, Hon. Consul General of Japan, Membre d´Honneur de l´Academie du Vin " Bordeaux
I can empathise with much of what Professor Colin Hay has said. However, since the wine has already been allocated to clients, both wine investment companies, the use of the rather large nebuchadnezzar (15litres) was probably at their behest, based on their market research and their requirements. This, therefore, can probably be regarded as a special order, a custom bottling, rather than a d'Yquem-inspired departure from tradition.
Wine investment is a fact of life, and the larger bottlings have a following. The economics have been well stated in the Decanter article, which notes that a 1985 imperial (6 litres) currently retails at €2,200 whilst the 2005 nebuchadnezzars are to be sold at €12,850 per bottle - difficult for any producer to ignore no matter how well established.
Only 120 nebuchadnezzars are being produced for the 2005 vintage, the equivalent of 2400 regular 75cl bottles. I think this equates to about 3.5% of Chateau d'Yquems' average annual production - unlikely to threaten supplies of 75cl bottles for those with sufficiently deep pockets. But that's another subject....
Michael Currivan, East Sussex, UK
Nebuchadnezzar...What's next, a 1000 litre vat?
After a while people will drink wine because it's there...it will not be an enjoyment any longer, but a fastidious process whereby one will drink just for the sake of it. Too bad, one of the greatest wine in the world has now become a victim of obsessive marketing executives on its way of descension.
Anon
I have cash waiting for Yquem 'bottled' in a 55 gallon drum contained in a Jeff Koons commissioned 'artwork'. I think you'd still have some Yquem left over in one nebuchadnezzar if each member of the House of Commons toasted the House of Lords wishing them well in their new political careers.
Chick Wells, Atlanta, GA, USA
I can only assume it will age beautifully but it would be a brave man to open a bottle and finish it in one session.
David Gibbons, Sydney, Australia
When I gather a thousand of my closest friends together for my 60th birthday in 2021 I'll wish I had a bottle handy.
H Bernstein
Super sized bottles, exclusive collections, investing, preserving and never to be opened wines ….. doesn't that defeat the purpose of wine making ? Why bother making a great wine if no one is ever going to drink it ?
Yeyati Nafrey
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Ridiculous bottlings....
