Château d'Yquem stands alone at the pinnacle of sweet wine production: no other producer marries such an iconic name with the utmost quality and distinct personality. The estate invariably produces one of the wines of the vintage, with no expense spared and an incredible depth of expertise in both the vineyard and the cellar. We now have the release of the 2023 vintage.
2021, 2022 and 2023 represent a rare trio of great vintages at Yquem. Neal Martin writes: “If the 2021 Yquem is defined by its racy acidity, the 2022 by its richness and power, then the defining feature of the newly released 2023 Yquem is its elegance.” Our pick of the three vintages is firmly 2023, which is arguably one of the finest Yquems in recent history.
Critical acclaim for the wine is unanimously strong. Yohan Castaing of the Wine Advocate awards the wine a full 100 points: “the 2023 d'Yquem ranks among the finest wines bottled here under Lorenzo Pasquini’s direction”, the first 100 point score from the Wine Advocate since the 2009 and 2001. Jane Anson and James Suckling are also at 100, with Neal Martin at 99 points: “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.”
Stocks are limited, and will be shipping to the UK in June.
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.
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. 2026 - 2076
Bright golden colour in the glass, this year's Yquem has a powerful ginger and saffron nose, showing off layered botrytis with intense, honeyed stone fruit. It is a classic style, enticing, pure and balanced. The palate is rich with the same honeyed fruit but it is loaded with botrytic spice. Marmalade, white pepper, cep and cinnamon all come through. Despite all this everything is harmonious - high acidity cleanses and lifts, integrating all the elements of barrel spice. The finish is lip-smacking and moreish despite the sheer weight and sweetness on show. This is already an absolutely delicious wine, but it will improve in bottle for decades. This is a complete Yquem, one of the best in recent history.
Perfect aromas carry through to every milliliter of this wine, showing intense orange peel, honey, butterscotch, saffron, smoke and peat, with hints of coffee and dried apples. Full-bodied but weightless and silky, with an excellent balance of fruit, sweetness and spices. Some peanut brittle, dried oranges and lemons at the end. I can’t get over how wonderful this is now, but it can age forever. 154 g/L residual sugar. Drink or hold.
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 but slices closed on the finish. The botrytis came early and quickly in 2023. Francis Mayeur in final vintage as consultant, after many years as inhouse winemaking team, Lorenzo Pasquini director. 154g/l residual sugar, 3.85ph, harvest September 14 to October 11.
