On the highest point in the Sauternes region, the wine chateau d’Yquem towers above the vineyards. The castle dates back to the 15th century and is surrounded by a park-like garden, meadow and pine trees. Few people have visited the Château, and by appointment only, but people can stroll through the restyled gardens and this is definitely well worth the effort.
Timeless
The famous wine domain has high quality standards and therefore asked landscape architectural firm Wirtz International Landscape Architects from Schoten, Belgium, to design its gardens. Responsible for the realisation of the design was the French contracting company Bouyrie de Bie and Nursery Udenhout supplied the trees and other planting material.
Landscape architect Jacques Wirtz designed a beautiful new garden in a Villandresqe style; a typical French garden leaning towards the château and surrounded by two rows of Carpinus betulus and structured by several mixed borders with perennials and old rose varieties. Centrally located is a forged steel gazebo which is covered with climbers and surrounded by a hedgerow of boxwood.
Passion
When designing, Wirtz always focusses on reality. A deeply rooted passion for planting materials is a constant in all his projects. Unexpected plant selections and choices keep on surprising. Each project adapts itself to the terrain characteristics and features of the domain. Nursery Udenhout is passionate about landscaping and can supply a wide assortment of varieties. The nursery was co-responsible for the realisation of the gardens of the Château d’Yquem and delivered amongst others Buxus ‘National’: a relatively unknown, but very innovative variety.
