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Homme de caractère, il se pose en garant de la philosophie d’Yquem, s’oppose à la chaptalisation pour son vin et défend les domaines familiaux, même aux pires moments de la crise des années 30. Président de l’Union des crus classés de la Gironde durant quarante ans, il participe à la détermination de l’AOC Sauternes.
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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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