Château d'Yquem 2023

Brilliant golden yellow; what a bouquet—an elegant nose of dried apricots, candied lemons, Williams pears, almonds and cedarwood, joined by orange blossom, sage and rosemary; wonderfully complex. On the palate it is creamy and powerful yet never overdone, with plenty of melt; incredibly fresh and endowed with magnificent acidity, this wine seems to float across the tongue and lingers on an almost endless finish. A delicate d’Yquem, built for a small eternity, which, after 2021 shaped by elegance and 2022 with concentration and power at its core, presents itself as a harmonious symbiosis of those two preceding vintages.

With 153 grams per liter of residual sugar—placing it among the 10 most concentrated vintages in the château’s history—the 2023 d'Yquem ranks among the finest wines bottled here under Lorenzo Pasquini’s direction. It unfurls from the glass with a complex, vibrant and remarkably pure bouquet of pineapple, guava, mango, confit citrus, beeswax and spices. Full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it combines formidable depth with perfectly judged control, built around a fleshy core of fruit, framed by lively acidity and a crystalline texture and culminating in an endless, refined and ethereal finish. Yquem’s natural power is here masterfully harnessed by the vintage’s freshness and tension, revealing an aesthetic of precision and vibrancy encountered only in the estate’s greatest years—made all the more remarkable by the fact that the château now achieves even higher levels of concentration than a decade ago, without any perceptible increase in sweetness on the palate.

Lovely honeysuckle, lemon curd, brioche and creamed pear notes glide along effortlessly in this pure, suave version. A late flash of green almond then percolates through the basically endless finish, offering subtle underlying tension. Both saturated and clearly defined, this is truly gorgeous. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2060. 5,833 cases made.

The 2023 Yquem, a blend of 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, contains 154 grams per litre of residual sugar—less than the 2022. As usual, the 2023 was matured in 100% new oak, mainly French, with a small percentage from Austria. The nose is so seductive that it should come with a warning sticker. Pure and mellow, it offers beguiling scents of wild honey, quince jelly, almond shavings and that signature hint of saffron destined to accentuate with age. It displays wonderful definition, though it does not have the “aromatic drama” of the previous vintage. The palate has exquisite balance and poise that belies the depth of this Yquem, though it is less exuberant, less ostentatious than the 2022. It is really the umami sensation that defines the 2023, how it caresses, almost soothes the grateful taste buds, vanilla and flecks of white chocolate lingering on the aftertaste. This will probably drink a little sooner than the 2022. If the 2023 does have a fault, it’s that it is so flattering in its flush of youth that it will be difficult to resist. Sublime.

The perfume bursts with a bouquet of flowers, candied lemon peels, pineapple, white peach, orange, mango, vanilla, saffron, and anise. It is a lively, bright, energetic vintage for Chateau d'Yquem. Rich, intense, opulent, sweet, and palate-coating, yet all of that is balanced by its explosive, racy acidity that provides lift, energy, and length. The finish begins slowly, building, intensifying, and expanding, hitting all four sides of your palate with its unique spicy character and its counterbalancing blend of perfectly ripe, sweet tropical fruits and refreshing acidity. The harvest is done in four passes, mostly during the second and third. About 60% of the harvest was included in the Grand Vin. In short, 2023 Château d'Yquem ROCKS! Drink from 2030-2100.

Power, freshness, depth—after the extremes of 2021 and 2022, this walks the line between the two. Exceptional. Mandarin, quince, Mirabelle plums, white truffle, fresh fruit and confit fruit; a vibration of slate and steel; opulent, yet the finish tightens and closes in. Botrytis came early and fast in 2023. Francis Mayeur’s final vintage as consultant after many years on the in-house winemaking team; Lorenzo Pasquini is director. 154 g/L residual sugar, pH 3.85, harvest September 14 to October 11.

The purity of the bouquet, coupled with profound subtlety, immediately opens the door to excellence, harmony and detail. Countless nuances crowd in, with none of them seeking to dominate. Consistency does not preclude complexity. Everything is complementary. Dense and creamy on the attack, the wine establishes itself with depth and delicacy. It is caressing, silky and vibrant, faithfully echoing the aromatic profile, ideally underscored by fine bitters. These reinforce the freshness and a welcome tension that frame its generous, creamy, fleshy side. The present salinity energises the entire palate, especially on the finish where it combines with fine bitters, stretching the finale. What length, suppleness, vigour and liveliness, with an extraordinary ability to weave all the elements together. A complete, captivating wine, brilliant, with an interminable finish. Reading my note again, I realise I haven’t mentioned a single aroma… Not because there are few, but because I instinctively chose to speak first about the complementarities—and there are many. Given the many wafting scents, I obviously cannot leave unmentioned the nuances of clementine and pineapple, which open up a multitude of windows, as do the aromas of pear eau-de-vie, a more rooty touch (celery), and notes of rhubarb, kumquat, lemongrass, saffron, nougat, crème brûlée, and so on. And since I have little desire to stop—much like the endless finish—I also pick up floral nuances; aromas of peach, mirabelle plum, papaya, cocoa beans and caramel, punctuated by a hint of coconut. Complexity no longer needs proving, and it is highly likely that these impressions will be joined by others. Reading my note again, I realise I haven’t mentioned a single aroma… Not because there are few, but because I instinctively chose to speak first about the complementarities—and there are many. Warning: read this passage only if you are inclined to read a non-exhaustive succession of Yves Beck’s aromatic impressions! Given the many wafting scents, I obviously cannot leave unmentioned the nuances of clementine and pineapple, which open up a multitude of windows, as do the aromas of pear eau-de-vie, a more rooty touch (celery), and notes of rhubarb, kumquat, lemongrass, saffron, nougat, crème brûlée, and so on. And since I have little desire to stop—much like the endless finish—I also pick up floral nuances; aromas of peach, mirabelle plum, papaya, cocoa beans and caramel, punctuated by a hint of coconut. Complexity no longer needs proving, and it is highly likely that these impressions will be joined by others. There’s enough here to write a book worthy of Jean Lenoir’s Le Nez du Vin!

Logo on the cork: A in a circle (Amorim) Golden-yellow color. A great, complex, deep nose. Notes of ripe white fruits, fresh almonds, and spices. An ultra-refined whole once swirled. Crystal-clear on the attack, very aromatic through the mid-palate, with an indescribable grace; very airy, the wine slowly melts over the palate into a long, noble, highly fragrant finish. A truly great white wine, even though sweet, as it is delicious and possesses an insatiable savoriness. Blend: 70% Sémillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc. Alcohol: 14% - pH: 3.85. Residual sugar: 153 g/L.