Romain-Bertrand de Lur-Saluces, Françoise-Joséphine's grandson, took his role as manager of Yquem very much to heart, rather than simply taking possession of the family estate, which had become mythical by this time. In 1855, in posthumous recognition of the tremendous accomplishments of "the lady of Yquem", the estate was designated the one and only premier cru supérieur in the famous classification made at the request of Emperor Napoléon III.
Yquem went through a long period of prosperity in the latter half of the 19th century. People all over Europe went to great lengths to search out the wine. Great Duke Constantine, brother of the Tsar of Russia, made the headlines by paying 20,000 gold francs for a barrel of Château d’Yquem – an unheard of price at the time. Japan, which opened up to foreign trade during the Meiji dynasty, also discovered the pleasures of Yquem. After Romain-Bertrand's death, his son, Marquis Amédée de Lur-Saluces, took over, followed by his younger brother, Eugène. This phase of Yquem's history ended with two dramatic events: the phylloxéra crisis and the First World War. In 1914, Yquem played a role in the war. The château was transformed into a military hospital while Marquis Bertrand de Lur-Saluces, son of Eugène, became an officer in the trenches, in keeping with the family tradition. At the end of the war, at age 30, he took over managing the estate and continued in this capacity for a momentous half-century. Bertrand was a man of character and a staunch guardian of the Yquem philosophy. He was opposed to chaptalisation and courageously defended the family estates, even during the dire recession of the 1930s. President of the Union des Crus Classés de la Gironde for forty years, he was instrumental in determining many legal aspects of the Sauternes appellation. He was also one of the leading proponents of château bottling to guarantee authenticity. An enlisted officer in the Second World War, Bertrand de Lur-Saluces was captured and held prisoner for two years. However, he was fortunate enough to return to his beloved estate as soon as he was freed. He did much to develop Château d'Yquem, particularly as regards its international impact, until his death in 1968.
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My First comment tasting this wine is "wow!" It's delicious; our flagship wine at Paradigm and it delivers. Dense, deep, ripe aromas of black berry and black cherry-like fruit layered with caramel and toastiness from a nice mix of French Oak barrels. Flavors coat the palate with matching notes in a classic Cabernet Sauvignon presentation. One of our best Cabs to date!
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot , 1% Petit Verdot
Review:
"Owned and managed by the Harris family, Paradigm winery produced its first vintage in 1991 in Oakville with winemaker Heidi Barrett. A self-contained winery estate with 50 acres of vineyards, Paradigm maintains a hands-on approach to all winemaking and vineyard operations. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon consists of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and is aged in both new and used French oak for 20 months, then aged a further 20 months in bottle before release. The total production for this vintage was 5,544 bottles." Blind tasted by Dave Allen, Stephen Brook, Terry Kandylis (at Decanter Magazine's December 2019 Californian Cabernet 2015 Panel Tasting, London, 17 Sep 2019)
- Decanter 95 Points
Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz-Cabernet is made from 55% Shiraz, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep purple. Boysenberry and mulberry aromas with a hint of cedar and pepper. Similar berry fruits show through on the opulent, textured palate with a lingering finish.
Fermentation took place over 10 – 12 days in a combination of open and static fermenters. The temperature was closely monitored to ensure the wine retains its natural fruit expression. New and older French and American oak was used for the maturation of selected wine parcels over a period of 13 months. These parcels were put together from our family estate to best demonstrate the depth and character of our fruit, balanced by integrated oak.
Review:
It's gorgeously ripe and perfumed on the nose showing blackberry, sweet cherry, vanilla and hazelnut characters with a touch of pepper spice. The palate displays lovely weight and plump mouthfeel, leading to a lengthy supple finish. Brightly expressed and immediately appealing. At its best: now to 2027.
-Wine Orbit 93 Points