Chateau d'Yquem 2019 375mL

99 POINTS

The Drinks Business Magazine

Yquem 2019 (55% Sémillon; 45% Sauvignon Blanc; alcohol 14.5%; pH 3.90; residual sugar 138 g/L). This is uniquely brilliant and brilliantly unique – a singular but utterly sublime Yquem. There are two kind of vintage when it comes to Yquem: those in which it is the very best of a closely bunched group of wondrous Sauternes and Barsac and others in which it is in a league and of a class entirely of its own. 2019, like 2015, belongs to the second category of vintages – premier cru supérieur indeed! An incredibly vibrant and energetic wine. It is also fantastically complex. One starts almost to engage in a game of auto-suggestion – any citrus or umami note you can or could ever imagine is discernible here, you just have to conjure the idea in your head and there it is! Indeed, once one tunes into its wavelength it is almost impossible not to be struck by how clearly present and how well expressed each such element is. I wonder how many other vintages of Yquem one can play this game with. The problem, of course, is that this renders rather redundant the convention of listing even the most obvious elements. But the most striking, to me, it seems are saffron, mimosa and clementine, confit lime and white grapefruit, toasted brioche with melted beurre à la fleur de sel, frangipane, verbena, crushed mint leaf, apricot skin and confit ginger. More important is the overall impression: of total harmony, brightness, lift, levity, translucence and clarity. This is sinuous rather than linear; scintillating and pixilated rather than precisely focused per se and staggeringly complex and dynamic. It is also incredibly accessible, with all of its brilliant complexity of youth so evident. The acidity and the sense of crystalline clarity that it brings is captivating too. Very intellectual, even for Yquem and unlike any other Yquem I have ever tasted, at least in part because of the higher proportion of Sauvignon Blanc in the final blend. Pierre Lurton reminds me of Frédéric Dard’s famous comment: “Yquem est la lumière bu”. Indeed. 99.

98 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

Tasting the 2019, I noticed that it has a slightly paler hue compared to recent vintages (though I never read too much into the colour of young Sauternes.) For certain, it has a highly-aromatic bouquet that is beguiling in purity, enticing aromas of honeysuckle and saffron, soon joined by camomile, white flowers and orange blossom. It has wonderful delineation and gains intensity with aeration. The palate is supremely well-balanced with fine bead of acidity. Very harmonious and armed with just the right amount of viscosity, this Yquem is surprisingly understated at first but gains presence, offering irresistible flavours of layers of honey, lemongrass, lemon thyme and orange pith. Yquem is so tempting in its youth, but I feel that this vintage will repay those with the nous to cellar for at least a decade.

97 POINTS

The Wine Cellar Insider

Clear push and pull between acidity and lusciousness from the first moments. A higher percentage of Sauvignon Blanc than in a typical year, showing in sculpted gunsmoke and white truffle on the opening beats. Fresher flavours continue with lemongrass and lime zest, broadening out into luscious mango, grilled caramel, pineapple and brioche, and a welcome edge of bitterness on the finish with mandarin peel and oyster shell salinity.

97 POINTS

Decanter

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.