Château d'Yquem 2019

A special wine right from the start, this glistens with pure papaya, mango, white peach and mirabelle plum, joined by elderflower honey, toasted macadamia nut and orange blossom notes. Ends with a remarkably long finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2050. 4,583 cases made.

The 2019 vintage of Château d'Yquem has the highest proportion (45%) of Sauvignon Blanc in any modern Yquem. The Sauvignon Blanc adds to the freshness, acting as a great balance to the succulent, sweet and voluptuous palate. Intense peach and apricot, combined with lemon and orange zest, make this highly appealing to drink right away – an ideal vintage with which to start Yquem’s ‘lighthouse’ project. However, it would be a shame not to give this 10+ years’ maturation to see how it develops. Very well, I suspect. The growing season was both warm and wet, with mildew a big threat. After a mostly dry September, 40 mm of rain came at the end of the month, leading to a very short harvest window. All of the Yquem grapes were picked in two tries within a one-week period. Residual sugar: 138 g/L.

A juicy Yquem with tarte Tatin, salted caramel and dried oranges on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied and medium-sweet, with a creamy, rounded texture. Bright and vivid. Lovely texture. Long. Evolves to caramel and burnt vanilla sugar. 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon. 138 g/L residual sugar. Drink or hold.

Light, yellow, gold in color, the wine pops on the nose with its showy display of flowers, honeysuckle, candied apricots, orange rind, pineapple, mango, lemongrass, vanilla, and spice. Perched at the intersection of richness, sweetness, and acidity, the wine is opulent, fresh, sweet, rich, and—most importantly—lifted, so everything feels upbeat and racy on the backend. Because the wine has so much lift and energy, it will be easy to pair with a diverse array of cuisines. You can enjoy this young, with little if any age, for its sweetness and exuberance. Or age it for secondary characteristics and nuances. Produced from a blend of 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 has the highest percentage of Sauvignon Blanc ever used in d'Yquem. You find more Sauvignon Blanc this year due to the shortened picking window. But as you can see from my notes, or from tasting the wine, it really works here! Drink from 2025–2075.

Medium golden yellow, silver reflections. Fine blossom honey, a hint of bourbon vanilla, ripe yellow tropical fruit, candied orange zest, delicate ripe mango, mace and orange blossom in the background. Juicy, the residual sweetness of 138 g/l is evident in this opulent but not lush style, well-integrated oak, salty minerality, still somewhat underdeveloped, a hint of apricot on the finish, good length, very harmonious and already easy to drink, endowed with certain ageing potential. (Tasted by Peter Moser in early 2022).

Silky, rich depths, clear even on the nose, with tingling mineral lime and citrus flavors, white pepper, basil, apricot. 138 g/l residual sugar, 10 hl/ha yield. A higher percentage of Sauvignon Blanc than in a typical year, showing in sculpted gunsmoke and white truffle on the opening beats. Organic conversion began in August 2019, with certification expected in 2022. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay.

The 2019 d'Yquem is composed of 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc. Pale lemon-straw in color, it bursts from the glass with showy notes of apricot preserves, key lime pie, and cedar chest, leading to hints of candied ginger, pear drops, and honey toast. The palate is super-charged, full-on rich, and decadent, with soft acidity and epic length.

With 45%, Yquem 2019 shows the highest share of Sauvignon Blanc in the estate’s history! In the context of Sauternes, September’s hot, dry weather did allow a fine increase in berry concentration, but it wasn’t until early October that the rains conducive to the development of botrytis arrived, and its spread was very slow. In the end, the harvest window was very short, running from October 7 (a few Sauvignon plots) to October 13. Ageing took place in 100% new barrels for 21 months. The wine shows 138 g of residual sugar and a total acidity of 4.5. Lovely complexity on the bouquet, which reveals itself gradually. It displays hints of basil, mint, Ricola sweets and white pepper. With aeration, aromas of orange blossom and pineapple emerge. The wine has body and density, with a pleasant, refreshing liveliness despite lower-than-usual acidity. This is an Yquem that can already be enjoyed in its youth, which in no way compromises its ability to age.

Pale yellow color. Intense, delicate, subtle, complex, deep and noble nose. This splendid aromatic atmosphere remains difficult to describe. The palate opens onto a world of airy subtleties. Highly complex, silky, crystalline, the wine melts on the palate before offering, in the finish—oh surprise—the roasted nobility of candied grapes. Impossible to spit out. Blend: 45% Sauvignon and 55% Sémillon. Residual sugar: 138 g/L. pH: 3.90. This wine comes from a small yield of 10 hl/ha. Selection: 50% of the harvest. This is the second vintage after 2013 to contain so much Sauvignon in the blend.

A blend of 55% Sémillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc (the highest percentage of Sauvignon Blanc ever), the 2019 d'Yquem features a Sauvignon Blanc-driven bouquet with aromas of menthol, artichoke, iodine, asparagus and orchard fruits. Balanced and delicately moderated on the palate, it’s energetic and tense, culminating in an ethereal, fruity finish. Residual sugar: 138 grams per liter.