Royal Gold - 2015 Chandâteau d'Yquem
Tasting the new vintage of Château d'Yquem is always a treat. The opportunity now arises during primeurs week at Château Cheval Blanc and it's a fine way to wash all that rough old Cabernet Franc out of one's teeth.
Everyone has a style of Yquem for which they have a fondness. I loved the 2011: pale in colour; fresh and mineral. It had an elegance that some of the bigger and more concentrated examples lack.
What is for certain is that everyone - no matter what style of Sauternes they prefer - was utterly entranced by the 2015 vintage.
I feel duty bound to offer 2015 Château d'Yquem as it is clearly a great example from this great property.
2015 Château d'Yquem, Sauternes
£1,590 in bond per 6/75cl Drink 2028-50
"Pale yellow. Botrytis in evidence and a delicious mixture of citrus fruit including orange and lime and lemon. Some pine resin and lemon custard with a toasty wisp. Delicious citrus fruit flavours on the palate: oranges, with a very nice linear delivery. Gains a fresh minerality half way through and pushes with controlled energy to a very long finish. And that finish is superbly composed with dense sustain. Very, very long wine. Disarming, elegant, subtle." My note
"It has a show-stopping bouquet that is beautifully defined and very complex and exuberant, infused with greater mineralité than recent vintages - intense but not as flamboyant as say the 2009 Yquem at this stage. The palate boasts absolutely stunning balance. This is a Yquem without a hair out of place: fantastically pure, botrytised fruit caressing the mouth. That is as per normal. What distinguishes this Yquem is the sense of electricity that is imbued by that razor-sharp acidity. There is just unbelievably tension here and to be frank, there is little point in me continuing to write this note, because it is simply an astonishing Yquem that will rank alongside the 2001 and 2009." Neal Martin
Email caspar[at]boweswine.co.uk to order the 2015 Château d'Yquem
* Smaller/larger formats are available on request. Please contact Caspar if interested. *
