“…drink sweet wines and wines that foam!”

Book of the Law, I:51 - Chateau d’Yquem

In 2001, NOTOCon III was held in Long Beach, California. I was living in nearby Redondo Beach at the time, so this was essentially my backyard and being a budding culinary historian, thought it would be a brilliant idea to stage a ten-course Victorian feast the kind that Aleister Crowley would have eaten. Thanks to a very supportive and obliging boyfriend at the time — Shawn K. — and very dear friend, Rob C., I had the physical and emotional support to manifest this luncheon; held somewhat separately than the usual conference offerings as it was limited to 40 people. It is sad that in my doddering dotage, I remember so little about the specific event. A blur of frantic food prep as I talked the diners through their courses, and it is even more sad that it was an age before digital photos so I have no idea if any visual remembrances exist of the event from any who attended.

A few things I do remember was that everything had to be cooked beforehand and transported to the hotel where the conference was being held, so instead of a proper British roast of beef with Yorkshire puddings and smashed peas, I opted for a Blanquette de Veau; an elegant veal stew with rich, creamy white gravy and lots of mushrooms. And I remember being crestfallen upon learning that a red tide had struck the Gulf of Mexico, where I had sourced the oysters that were to be part of the first course, so that dish was changed at the last minute (to caviar? Alas, I don’t remember…)

However there must have been a course where I served foie gras (fattened goose or duck liver) for all ten courses were served with appropriate wine pairings and it would have been here that I talked about the classic combination of a decadent pâté paired with a sweet Sauternes, specifically Château d’Yquem. I remember explaining how special and rare and expensive that particular wine is and that someday I would hope to be able to have a bottle to taste. And it was then that two Beloved Friends raised their glass and exclaimed, “We will get you one!” I am sure I blushed and very probably started to cry, being as emotional as I am. And they did get me a bottle of the most incredible and notable sweet wine in history.

First, indulge me while I explain to the uninitiated what a Sauternes is… Made from Sèmillon, muscadelle, and sauvignon blanc grapes, Sauternes is a heady and unctuous sweet wine and comes into creation from a bit of organic alchemy known as Botrytis cinerea, also known as “noble rot.” While many sweet wines — such as late-harvest Rieslings or Eiswein (ice wine) — are made from grapes simply left on the vine until they start to raisin and become sweeter, Botrytis is necrotrophic fungus that grows on the grapes, causing them to both to raisin, but also concentrate their flavors with a more distinct tang that can include essences of apricots, peaches, honey, or even salted caramel or nuts.

As you can see, the grapes are literally rotting on the vine. The resulting wine starts off a golden hue, but as it ages, becomes amber and then a dark caramel color. Note that this magical wine is called Sauternes when it comes from Graves section Bourdeaux, France. When it comes from Hungary, it is known as Tokaji or Tokay. Just like Champagne comes from Champagne, France, but elsewhere it may be known as Prosecco, Lambrusco, or Asti (Italy), Cava (Spain), sparkling wine (U.S., Australia, or New Zealand), or “wines that foam” (wink). A lot of us enjoy blue cheese, but if you are eating Stilton, you know it comes from a village in Cambridgeshire, England.

When it comes to Sauternes producers, Château d’Yquem is the king, the pinnacle, the acme of Botrytis-affected wines. Their history is the stuff of legends, beginning with:

Château d’Yquem was almost English. During the Middle Ages, in fact, the estate belonged to the King of England, who was also Duke of Aquitaine at the time. In 1453, southwest France was once again brought under the dominion of the French crown by Charles VII and has stayed French ever since. A century and a half later, in 1593, a descendent of a local noble family, Jacques Sauvage, was given feudal tenure over Yquem. The Gironde department archives, as well as those of the château, show that special winegrowing practices and late harvesting already existed at this time. A few years later, the Sauvage family built the château and patiently set about constituting the present-day vineyard. (From their website.)

Another reason for the wine’s spectacular reputation is its longevity. I remember a friend who attended Napa’s Robert Mondavi’s 80th birthday party where a 1913 d’Yquem was presented as that was his birth-year. Served very chilled, the wine was described to me as “the most orgasmic slushy” ever tasted. To put in perspective the longevity of Sauternes in general and d’Yquem specifically, this picture is from a 2022 dinner held in New York at $7,500 per head.

The occasion marked Hedonism Wines’ ten year anniversary. The evening began with a 1990 Dom Pérignon (Champagne), served from a magnum, before the selection of rarely-seen-together vintages of Château d’Yquem, including the 100 Parker Point-scoring 2001, 1959, 1905, 1873 and 1811. To put the last one into perspective, it is a vintage which pre-dates Napoleon’s catastrophic invasion of Russia.

Now you have some inkling as to the importance of this special wine, often called liquid gold, legendary, and unforgettable. It is rare and extraordinary. It was in the wine cellar of Thomas Jefferson. It is the only wine Château in the Sauternes region with a Premier Cru Superior status. Because of its incredible balance between sweetness and acidity, it creates a combination that is also responsible for the enormous aging potential of this wine; hence the ability to drink a bottle that may be more than 200 years old. True connoisseurs around the globe have intimate knowledge of the Château’s premier vintages. Yquem's production is all about perfection. Perfection in every step of the process, from the vine to the bottle. The same aspirations of perfection that Crowley worked towards in his magickal endeavors. So it comes as no surprise to me in doing this research to learn that Crowley would adopt the Château’s name as a sobriquet — invoking that elixir of excellence and legendary reputation of perfection — in a note to Gerald Kelly dated April 18, 1900:

Die ☾ [Monday]

Dear Kelly…

There’s a bloody row. I’m in town with the Laura [Grahame] for some time. Make an appointment & keep it you bugger! Am v[ery]. drunk

Y[ou]rs truly Chateau Yqeum

I am truly thankful to Tobias Churton’s Aleister Crowley in Paris for his research and uncovering this previously unpublished note, “sent from the Savoy Hotel, Embankment Gardens, London.” It should then be easier now to acknowledge the intent in The Book of the Law: Be goodly therefore: dress ye all in fine apparel; eat rich foods and drink sweet wines and wines that foam! For the best sweet wine in existence and undoubtedly imbedded in Crowley’s existential reality was d’Yquem.