Chateau d'Yquem 2015

Of great, almost uncommon fullness, with generous sweetness yet remarkable power and breed, a long finish on notes of dried fruits: built for eternity, even though it will already give pleasure in its youth.

The 2015 Château d'Yquem was scintillating when I tasted it at the property during en primeur last year. A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, it delivers 144 grams per liter of residual sugar. Now that the wine is in bottle, that original “show-stopping” bouquet has become more refined. In fact, you could almost describe it as laid back or genteel until it begins to magically unfold and deliver seductive scents of lemon curd, orange pith, freshly opened tins of apricot, and wild honey. You would call the aromatics more “pretty” than “powerful,” but of course, it is beautifully defined. The palate is very well balanced with that electric line of acidity intact. It is a little spicier than I recall, with a fresh, viscous finish. There is a persistent aftertaste whereby the mouth tingles some 60 seconds after the wine has departed. Maybe I was being optimistic when I suggested that it might rank alongside the regal 2001 and 2009. The 2015 Yquem does not belong in that hallowed company. But it is a prince to that king and that queen. Tasted September 2017.

Fresh-cut orange, peach and nectarine notes lead the way, followed by lightly singed almond and warm piecrust notes. Then another wave of green fig, warmed pear and coconut takes over on the finish. Rich and honeyed in feel, with obvious power, balanced by an energy in the inner core that should help this cruise in the cellar for some time. Best from 2020 through 2050. 8,333 cases made.

Yquem does it again. Elegance and purity of aromas, with perfectly poised apricot fruit. Perfect balance; outstanding even by Yquem’s standards.

This is a very powerful yet at the same time bright and dry d’Yquem. Full-bodied, sweet yet phenolic and layered. Love the combination between tannin and sweetness. The purity and beauty are incredible; it’s the freshness and lightness that make this wine, yet the depth and richness are undeniable.

The 2015 d'Yquem is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Just as alluring from bottle as it was from barrel, the 2015 is a wine that engages all of the senses, from the intellectual to the more hedonistic. Lilting notes of pineapple, mint, orange peel and white flowers grace the palate, but it is the wine's sense of balance and total harmony that impress most. In 2015, Yquem had its earliest start to the harvest since 1893. Even so, the winemaking team did a magnificent job of preserving freshness. The 2015 was fermented in 100% new oak, and residual sugar is 145 grams per liter, but great wine is never about numbers. Above all else, the 2015 Yquem is a wine of energy and class. Don't miss it!

What a beautiful wine from start to finish. The perfume with its pineapple, butter, vanilla, flower, ginger, apricot, and honey nose connects with your senses. The wine is concentrated, lush, opulent, and powerful, with layers of sweet, ripe, and overripe, tropical fruit, vanilla, butterscotch, and honey, delivered in multiple waves of fruit that are braced by more than ample acidity, lingering for a solid 60 seconds. Drink from 2023-2075.

Medium golden yellow, silver reflections. Delicate smokiness, a background of blossom honey, a hint of orange zest, fine lanolin, a pleasant touch of savouriness, underpinned by yellow tropical fruit. Juicy, very elegant and balanced on the palate, substantial and precise, fine botrytis savouriness on the finish, lingers long, accessible, a touch of coconut on the finish, great length, balanced style.

Medium-deep yellow, thus quite intense, with a bright rim. A cocktail of mirabelle plums and apricots, mingled with particularly complex, finely peppery botrytis that shows in the generous nose. On the palate, it is both very fresh and also opulent and incredibly creamy. This nectar is so silky that it’s hard to believe it’s a barrel sample. The finish is focused and endless. The residual sugar is 140 grams. Naturally, every Yquem is unique. If one had to draw comparisons, a blend of the 1990, 2001 and 2009 vintages comes to mind.

THE EARLIEST HARVEST SINCE 1893 The pickers at Yquem headed out for the first time as early as September 3. Since in-house records have been kept for decades, this extremely early start could be compared with historical data. There hadn’t been a harvest this early since 1893! The second picking took place on September 28. On October 8, 9, 10 and 12, around one third of the total crop was harvested. The small remainder was brought into the cellar on October 14, 16, 20 and 21. We were told it was a great and generous harvest. Medium-deep yellow, fairly intense, with a bright rim. A cocktail of mirabelle plums and apricots, mixed with particularly multi-layered, finely peppery botrytis, shows on the rich nose. On the palate, it is very fresh on the one hand, yet opulent and incredibly creamy. This nectar is so silky that it’s hard to believe it’s a barrel sample. The finish is focused and endlessly long. Residual sugar is 140 grams. We were the very first tasters, early in the morning, to be allowed to taste this absolutely brilliant Yquem at Cheval Blanc. The staff had forgotten to set out the spittoons. So I had no choice but to swallow the wine instead of spitting it out—which didn’t hurt particularly. Of course, every Yquem is unique. If comparisons had to be made, a blend of the 1990, 2001 and 2009 vintages would come to mind.

(144 g residual sugar) Velvety, dense, creamy, closed bouquet, dried apricots, mint, subtle grapefruit, quince. Dense, concentrated, finely opulent, creamy palate with powerful, full sweetness, velvety, dense structure, strong, multifaceted aromatics, banana, very well-integrated acidity, very long, dense finish with plenty of lingering flavors. 20/20 2025 - 2060

Sharp-sweet marmalade orange peel flavours. Utterly spellbinding, stretching out through the palate, with mint leaf and white truffle on the finish. The higher Sémillon than in 2019 comes through in the luxurious texture. A wonderful vintage at Yquem, and this is a wine to savour – one that will deliver for decades to come. Pierre Lurton, director.

A blend of 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, with 144 grams per liter of residual sugar and a pH of 3.65, the 2015 Yquem is beautiful and it knows it! Medium straw-gold in color, it is a little closed with subtle savory notions of almond croissant, nutmeg, powdered ginger, and toasted nuts, over a core of peach preserves, quince, musk melon, and grapefruit oil. Opulent, concentrated and so seductive, the palate delivers amazing texture and tension, finishing with a profound sense of extravagance. The alcohol comes in at 13.9%.

Majestic nose, where the élevage is completely absorbed by the richness and complexity of a beautiful botrytis. A singular terroir, enhanced by the exemplary expertise of a fine team, even if the richness of the vintage gives this great cuvée some charming, gentle roundness. However, the mid-palate remains dense, focused on the expression of its soil. A wine that will defy the century.

Straw in color, the nose is intense—apricot, exotic fruits, candied fruit—with a slightly more Sauvignon note than usual, as confirmed by the grape varieties: it was made with 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon instead of 80/20. Far from the powerful style of the past, the wine is relatively fresh, very elegant, long on the palate, not very dense, yet still a bit more powerful than the 2014. Its balance is 13.9% alcohol with 144 g/L of sugar. In terms of acidity, it has a pH of 3.65 with 4 g/L of acidity. The figures show that it is indeed a little richer than 2014 (13.4% + 135 g/L with a pH of 3.60).

Golden yellow. Intense, complex bouquet. Almond paste, pineapple, mandarin zest, saffron, honey. Notes of grilled bacon, smoky nuances. What a symbiosis between freshness, opulence, spices, and fruit. Hazelnuts. Intense, creamy, racy, fruity attack. On the palate, the wine is powerful, rich, with a structure that carries everything across the palate and culminates in a delicate bitterness. Long, persistent, complex character. Enormous. Indulgence, delicacy, grandeur, finesse, smiles, tears of joy! What a subtle storm! With such a wine, one can blow the lock off any rating scale, which I did not hesitate to do in this particular case.

Golden yellow color. Moderately intense nose, delicate, fruity, pure. It is slightly more confit than the 2016. Luscious from the attack, then particularly melting at mid-palate, both rich yet very airy, the wine develops with a noble texture and deep flavors toward a finish with multidimensional nuances. It’s wonderful. Very long length. Blend: 75% Sémillon, 25% Sauvignon.

96–98. Barrel Sample. This wine is ethereal. It certainly offers attractive honey and bitter orange flavors but also a fresh character that gives the wine lift and crispness. It is, of course, going to age magnificently, although it is so delicious and refreshing now.