| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Sauternes and Barsac |
| Colour | Sweet White |
| Type | Still |
Served from an ex-chateau bottle. The 2009 Chateau d'Yquem is one showstopper of a wine and perhaps it is only in a vertical that you realize this is up there among the legendary wines of the past - the 2001 included. It has a wonderful nose that expresses the Semillon component majestically: heady aromas of lemon curd, nectarine, jasmine and honeysuckle that all gain momentum in the glass. The oak is supremely well-integrated. The palate is extremely well-balanced with an unctuous entry. You are immediately knocked sideways by the palpable weight and volume in the mouth, which is almost ""bulbous,"" with layer upon layer of heavily botrytized fruit. It builds to a spicy finish with hints of marzipan and pralines in the background that lend it an untrammeled sense of exoticism. The 2009 is utterly fabulous and decadent, a star that will blaze brightly and undimmed for many years. Drink now-2060+. Tasted March 2014.
In comparison to the 2010 vintage, the 2009 d'Yquem is more concentrated with a stunning "rôti," the consequence of noble rot in French. Developing a powerful, complex bouquet with aromas of pineapple, apricot, saffron, flowers, spices and orchard fruits, it’s dense and concentrated, full-bodied and layered with a crystalline texture complicated by notes of white truffles that reveal a racy, endless and a superb finish concluding with a pristine harmony. Readers with bottles in their cellars will have to be patient before opening this masterpiece with 155 grams of residual sugar.
Pale to medium gold colored, the 2009 d'Yquem bursts from the glass with gregarious crème caramel, allspice, dried apricots, mandarin peel and pineapple upside down cake scents plus a fragrant undercurrent of fungi, acacia honey, candied ginger, musk perfume and frangipani. Full-bodied and full-on hedonic in the mouth, the rich, tightly wound layers are still amazingly youthful with bags of citrus sparks and an incredibly long, perfumed finish. Possessing a residual sugar of 157 grams per liter and 13.6% alcohol as well as a laser-focused line of freshness, the rock-solid structure and through-the-roof opulence here is simply mind blowing. Pure perfection. Drink 2022 - 2069.
Lively greenish gold. Very indulgent nose that sends a tingle down the spine. Great tang and life as well as richness. So pure and flirtatious - not one of the sweetest but beautiful balance and refreshment, without being an 'aperitif style Sauternes'. Quite exceptionally persistent. Hints of blossom and real lift. Orange peel and real zest - great energy. Not heavy at all, This takes 2009 Sauternes to a new level. Extremely bright fruit. Long and rich. Not a fat style of Yquem. Date tasted 31st March 2010. Drink 2016-2046.
The greatest sweet wine of Bordeaux and without doubt one of the world's most famous wines. The colour at this stage of its development is a fresh-looking light gold. The 2009 Yquem has a heavenly botrytised nose packed full of pineapple, peaches and cream that soars from the glass. On the palate it is creamy, spicy, powerful and intense yet with amazing freshness and lift. With 155 grams per litre of sugar this is one of the sweetest Yquems ever made yet there is such wonderful acidity that the sugar seems almost reserved. Incredible length. Pierre Lurton is convinced that this is the greatest Yquem of our times. Will it surpass even the outstanding 2001? He thinks so! He says that it has the rhythm of the 1989, the opulence of the 1990, the intensity of the 2003, the character of the 2001 and has a taste reminiscent of the 1893! If there was a prize for the most enthusiastic tasting note by a wine-maker in 2009 then Yquem would win hands down. A new masterpiece says M Lurton, hardly able to contain himself. We can see why.
The nose has that lovely mix of fragrance and richness. Caramelized orange peel is fleshed out by apricot, given a lighter more elegant feel by white peach and tropical fruits. There is underlying power yet freshness, rich fruit yet raciness, seemingly the perfect marriage. It is one of the most complex young samples that I have ever tasted. Drink 2018-2055.
Set to be one of the great vintages of Yquem, this wine is a class act. Grapefruit, barley sugar and subtle bortrytis nose, with oak adding a touch of vanilla. Intense and fresh on the palate with clarity, length and concentration and a citrus fruit tang. Carries its 155 grams of residual sugar lightly. In a great year for Sauternes, this is a stand out wine. 20+ years
Perfection again, with the monumental body and flavour of the vintage: but a magical winemaking touch avoids any heaviness and gives a crystalline Riesling-like purity of taste and texture which is thrilling! For me the most formally perfect Sauternes of the vintage and a glorious affirmation of the property's new style: as rich as ever but with more flexibility to express the best and most original aspects of the vintage.
What a fabulous wine. It's an explosion of fruit, yet it's very refined. I absolutely love the nose on this, with apricot tart, apple crumble, caramel and crème brûlée. Full-bodied, superripe and spicy, with mango, papaya, spices and sweet dried lemons. Incredibly long. It really rocks your socks off. Amazing. This could be even better than 2001.
The 2009 Yquem has an almost ethereal nose, beautifully defined with scents of honey, honeysuckle, pear, fresh apricot and a hint of quince. It blossoms in the glass, gaining intensity and expanding across the ether. The immediate impression is not of a powerful, rich, botrytis-laden Yquem, but one that has semblances with the 2007 in terms of poise and precision, the acidity defining the wine in its youth and around that, subtle notes of honey, fig, pear, apricot and just a hint of ginger adding vibrancy and edginess towards the pure and tensile finish. As expected, there is extraordinary persistency, lingering in the mouth long after the wine has disappeared, yet it will remain long in the memory.
