Château d'Yquem 2020

The 2020 d'Yquem presents a fresh bouquet with aromas of white fruits, orchard fruits and mango, complemented by a hint of spring flowers. It’s perfectly balanced and moderately weighted compared to other vintages, making it a tense, penetrating d’Yquem. Despite the challenges of the growing season and a brief harvest (which began on September 30th and concluded on October 12th), d'Yquem's team managed to produce a mere 40,000 bottles, a modest yield in recent years.

This has a broad and unctuous feel, with nectarine, apricot and mango notes creating an opulent impression, while racy bitter almond, orange blossom and elderberry accents add contrast and range. The lush finish is carried by notes of mango and piecrust. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Best from 2028 through 2040.

Very transparent and elegant with white peaches, lilacs, and light caramel. Medium-bodied, sweet and agile with salted caramel and dried orange character. Spicy botrytis at the end. Give this three or four years to come together.

Tasted blind. Marzipan and apricots, complex and spicy. Deep, intense orange flavours and plenty of freshness to balance the viscous richness. Long bitter-orange aftertaste. Very good, especially in this vintage and this line-up. (JH)

On the fresh, bright, vibrant, racy side of the style range with a focus on its complex core of honeysuckle, dried oranges, apricots, lemon curd, saffron, marzipan, pineapple, vanilla, and just the right drizzle of honey to top everything off. It is cut, and defined, with length, purity, lift, and ample acidities giving lift, length, and vibrancy, as well as richness, balance, and complexity. I love this style of d'Yquem because it works as a sweet wine that can be enjoyed either on its own or with a myriad of savory courses. So, if you cannot keep your hands off it, enjoy it on the young side for all its luscious, sweet, ripe, overripe, racy fruits, or age it for decades as it gains secondary nuances. Drink from 2025-2065.

Bright medium greenish yellow, silver reflections. Attractive ripe yellow tropical fruit, honey and lanolin, some coconut, candied tangerine zest, floral touch, fine caramel in the background. Full-bodied, elegant, ripe pineapple, yellow peach, new wood vivid in the core, fine honey nuances, seems opulent on the finish, marked by some baby fat, powerful finish, certain ageing potential.

The wine reveals a lot of fresh fruit, intensely so. Citrus, orange zest and verbena, for example. The attack is suave and saline, and the wine shows lovely creaminess, counterbalanced by a salinity that reins in the sweetness—not crushing it, but accompanying it all the way to the finish. That’s where the bitterness takes over and stretches the finale alongside the acidic structure. The result is a wine of exceptional precision and great persistence. The advantage for us: we’ll be able to drink it at every stage of its life! The freshness of the bouquet is a key element.

A masterclass in purity and delicacy for this 2020 vintage, which manages to convey the beauty and allure of Yquem in a toned-down, subtle and beguiling way. Aromas of white blossom and honeysuckle, gently caramelised Mirabelle plums and fresh apricots with flecks of clementine and grapefruit pith abound on the nose—richly scented in their individual aspects but delivered quietly, almost sultry and shy. Immediately mouthfilling and unctuous, streamlined and fresh, with a sugary hit arriving first before mouthwatering acidity follows, giving sumptuous succulence and vibrancy. Apricot, peach, fleshy mango and sharp pineapple bring an exotic fruit zing, balanced by a salty, flinty edge that adds fine angles to the expression. Juicy, bright, clean and complete, with hints of cinnamon spice and just-toasted bread providing the frame and structure, reminding you that this is built to last. It’s not as opulent as some vintages, much more understated and relaxed—and, coincidentally, one of the lowest in residual sugar at 135 g/l—but this is a wonderful expression showing control and confidence. It also has superb drinkability even now, with tension, clarity and energy, so don’t be afraid to open and enjoy it in its joyful youth. The 2020 is the smallest production since 2000, with the equivalent of 35,000 bottles made. All stock will be released for sale on 23rd March, with only a small number of bottles kept back for the estate’s library collection. pH 3.79. The vintage was challenging in terms of viticulture, with tropical spring-like weather delivering early budburst and high mildew pressure, especially given it was the estate’s first year of official organic conversion. June was wet and cool, followed by a hot, dry summer. Botrytis arrived in mid-October, but there was only a small window of five days and two separate passes to harvest grapes with perfect noble rot.

The floral wine has great intensity, dominated at this stage by the concentrated botrytis. It is powerful, rich, balancing acidity and sweetness. This of course is a great wine that will age, but it is almost ready now. Drink from 2027 and for many years.