Y de Château d’Yquem 2017
". . . a very good vintage for dry whites . . . . As Bill Blatch explained in detail in his report on the vines, 2017 was a precocious vintage, with ‘a swift and efficient flowering,’ at least for the vines unaffected by frost. The ISVV Bordeaux report notes that ‘The picking of grapes to make dry white wines began in Sauternes in the third week of August, a record early harvest at certain estates. The harvest was also one of the earliest of the past decade in the Graves and Pessac-Léognan. Picking started with Sauvignon Blanc under sunny skies in late August and ended in mid-September with the latest-ripening Sémillon’ . . . . So the only generalisation I dare to make is that it's a very good vintage for dry whites, the Bordeaux wines that get far less attention than they deserve considering their reasonable pricing and food-friendliness."
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com
Y de Château d’Yquem 2016
“Rather rich, with coconut, green fig, creamed pear, yellow apple and jasmine notes all melded together, picking up light acacia and elderflower accents on the finish. Very, very showy, with the underlying cut to pull it off. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.”
96 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
Y de Château d’Yquem 2010
“This is gorgeous, with a light toasty coconut and brioche frame to the lush, creamed Cavaillon melon, makrut lime, chartreuse, clementine and macadamia nut notes which all glide seamlessly through the long finish, which has a porcelain-like feel.”
94 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
Château d’Yquem 2016
“What a sexy and moreish wine that makes you want to drink the whole bottle. Flavors and aromas of cooked apples, grilled pineapple, pie crust, apricots, dried mushrooms and flan. Full-bodied, yet tight and reserved. Very long and powerful. Lasts for minutes. Another great wine.”
98-99 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
Château d’Yquem 2013
“Bright aromas of sliced mangoes, papaya, botrytis, and lemon follow through to a full body. Medium sweet with a phenolic palate that gives the wine structure and beauty. Electric acidity and freshness combined with impressive energy and length. A strict selection was made. 40% of the production was destined to the grand vin.”
98 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
Château d’Yquem 2010
“The 2010 Château d’Yquem is an utterly stunning young wine and a very worthy follow-up to the magical wine produced at this estate in 2009. The bouquet is deep, complex and flat out brilliant, as it soars from the glass in a celestial mélange of pineapple, tangerines, a touch of passion fruit, honeycomb, beautifully complex and chalky soil tones, spring flowers and a very gentle touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, suave and utterly seamless, with great mid-palate depth, bright acids and surreal length and grip on the dancing and very intensely flavored finish . . . . in terms of sheer quality, it seems likely to be every bit as profound [as the 2009].”
98+ John Gilman, View From the Cellar
Château d’Yquem 2007
“Tasted single blind against its peers. Under blind conditions, the Yquem 2007 shines like a diamond. Nevertheless, it is initially rather taciturn on the nose, eventually opening up beautifully with touches of lemon curd, Mirabelle, and clear honey. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine definition and there seems to be a great deal of energy and vigor dispensed for your pleasure. There is such race and nervosity, and then that finish just purrs with harmony and focus. This Yquem feels just so alive and vivacious, yet there is an effortless quality here that is unmatched by its peers.
98 Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
Château d’Yquem 2005
“Golden color with a green hue. Intense nose, yet subtle and finely vanilla. Superb entry on the palate, then the wine amply develops: melting, powerful, and rich in the middle of the palate before ending in a great finish – savory, fresh, vanilla, and very long. It's very, very good.”
98 Jean-Marc Quarin, Quarin.com
Château d’Yquem 1983
“Super-intense and full-throttled, elegant and stylish. Dark amber in color and rich in complexity, this '83 coats your mouth with butterscotch, dried apricot, fig and spice flavors. Made to age for decades.”
98 Wine Spectator
Château d’Yquem 1981
“The dark horse of the Yquem tasting at CECWINE in November 2004. A slight deeper colour compared to the ‘79 and ‘80. Rich honey and peach with superb definition and focus. The palate has great balance and verve with exquisite freshness and joie-de-vivre. Apricot and orange. There is a lot of finesse and grace here. It is its harmony and texture, rather than its concentration that elevates it above the others.”
94-96 Neal Martin, Wine Journal
Château d’Yquem 1962
“Moderate Clear lucid gold with green tints. The nose is very elegant and well defined, touches of wet wool, honey, wood resin and barley sugar (à la Barsac) . . . . a lovely creamy, harmonious texture with perfect acidity and balance. Citrus peel, fresh ginger, dried apricot, ginger and orange sorbet with noticeable residual sugar on the finish.”
91 Neal Martin, Wine Journal
