Chateau d'Yquem 2021

Deep golden yellow, amber highlights; nuts, dried apricot, figs, stony, also floral notes, exotic fruits; rich yet fresh, sensational acidity, dense, with great elegance, the proportions of sugar, acidity and alcohol, feather-light, simply sublime; endlessly long, delicate bitter orange on the finish.

The 2021 d'Yquem exhibits a complex bouquet of rose, exotic fruits and mandarin orange mingled with spring flowers, rose and crème brûlée, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, ample and seamless palate that's suave and layered, with a deep core and a long finish defined by a delicate bitterness that offsets the 148 grams per liter of residual sugar. This blend of 65% Sémillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc was matured, as usual, in all new barrels, but the new oak is perfectly integrated and barely noticeable.

Unctuous and flattering, with a mix of toasted coconut and macadamia nut notes infusing the mango, peach and papaya flavors at the core. The broad, soft, honeyed finish fills in with piecrust and lemon curd notes. A bit throwback in style, with more oomph than freshness. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2040. 4,416 cases made.

Dreamy, subtle aromas of dried fruit such as apricots and mangoes, but also fresh lemons and pears. Then there are caramel and tarte Tatin undertones with some bananas, pineapple, tangerines and other tropical fruit. Full-bodied, yet it remains vivid and compact, giving it a lightness even though it is really structured. The tannins are throughout the palate but blend in perfectly, giving it a solid presence, like a diamond. It’s tight at the end, but you know that it will linger for ages, with a lightly chewy and intellectual finish. Touches of sweetness, cloves and bitterness to make it interesting. Dynamic. About 54,000 bottles made. Relatively small harvest. 148 g/L residual sugar.

Released 21 March 2024. One of the ‘good if not great vintages’, according to winemaker Lorenzo Pasquini. The 2021 growing season was very tough for viticulture, with frost, hail and mildew. Volume was low (they made 50,000 bottles). However, there was no rain in summer, with low temperatures and cloud cover which helped retain acidity (a main characteristic of the vintage). Noble rot was homogeneous throughout September, with a long dry spell allowing for unrushed parcel selection. ‘Delicacy and power’, says Pasquini. Aged in 100% new French oak for 24 months. RS 148 g/l. Beautiful primary fruit boasting tropical complexity: mango, pineapple. Saltiness, according to the winemaker – and there is definitely savoury contrast in there. The marvel of this wine is its completeness – the stitching is so fine between the sugar, acidity, rich fruit and length. Opens up in the glass, with white chocolate, caramel, clotted cream, mixed peel, five-spice. As prestigious as ever, and so gratifying to drink right now. (RH)

The 2021 Yquem was tasted in Amsterdam, the first wine poured at a lunch, thereby allowing me a longer period to examine it. Slightly burnished in hue, it has a very attractive bouquet with scents of dried quince, clementine, linseed and subtle candle wax, perhaps more discrete than usual, but certainly fresh and vibrant. The palate is medium-bodied and viscous on the entry, a Yquem with perhaps a lighter chassis than recent vintages, prioritizing poise and purity over horsepower—exactly the right approach in such a challenging season. It opens wonderfully in the glass, gaining more frangipane and kaki fruit scents, though it seems to have a lighter and more tensile finish than the 2020 or 2019. As such, I suspect that it will be comparatively approachable and, of course, delicious. Readers should note that I will probably re-taste the 2021 in Bordeaux during primeur.

The complex aromatic profile explodes from the glass with pineapple, papaya, apricot, Meyer lemon, tangerine peels, caramel, honey, vanilla, saffron, cashews, and candied grapefruit. On the palate, it sits perfectly between hedonism and vibrancy. Clearly, there is ample sweetness, but the racy acidity provides remarkable lift, energy, and length. The fruit shows great purity in its tangerine, orange, mango, papaya, banana, and pineapple notes, all slathered in honey. This is one of those Yquem that can be enjoyed either as a sweet wine or, thanks to its vibrancy, with a diverse array of savory and spicy dishes. Produced from a blend of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc, 148 grams per liter, 14% ABV, 3.79 pH. Yields were only 8 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place over an extended period, September 12 to October 27, with 4 passes in total. As you can see, the harvest was quite long, but picking the heart of the vintage took place from mid- to late October. Drink from 2027 to 2075.

Medium golden yellow, silver reflections. On the nose, orange blossom, candied mandarin zest, fine yellow tropical fruit, hints of coconut and lanolin, a touch of mango and barely noticeable wood. Juicy and elegant with a very pure texture, ripe yellow fruit, sweet pineapple and peach, well-integrated acidity and a powerful, long, mineral finish with a hint of ginger. Stylistically has less volume but more delicacy to offer. Already shows some development, definite long ageing potential. (10/1/2024, cellar, drink + 50)

Full, radiant gold. Very intense, complex, and floral nose with aromas of pear, pineapple, apricot, mandarin, vanilla, saffron, honey, and candied orange. While these notes also echo on the palate, it captivates with an extraordinary balance between energy, freshness, density, sweetness, and creaminess, and shows, with salty bitterness and minerality on the finish, sublime finesse and excellent potential.

The 2021 d'Yquem is composed of 65% Sémillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. It has 148 grams per liter of residual sugar, making for a relatively rich style and the sweetest Yquem since 2017. Pale lemon-gold colored, perfumed notes of orange peel, juicy peaches, grapefruit, and honeycomb slowly emerge from the glass, followed by suggestions of jasmine tea, fresh ginger, and lime blossoms. The palate is fantastically satiny, with great tension and loads of spicy sparks complementing the citrusy flavors, finishing with epic length and a zesty lift. 54,000 bottles were made. The alcohol is 13.9%, and the pH is 3.79.

Benefiting from the site’s windy climate, the Yquem vines were largely spared from frost. Beyond the frost episode, the season was complicated; Lorenzo Pasquini, Yquem’s director, explains it this way: every problem one can encounter in viticulture occurred… yet the growing year ended with 17 days of fine weather, without excessive temperatures. Aged 100% in new oak. The bouquet immediately shows a highly distinctive character, typical of Yquem, with intensity and, above all, myriad details. Delicate nuances of coconut, nougat, crème brûlée, orange peel, verbena, and finally a rooty touch. With aeration, the nose keeps unfurling new facets (mangoes, apricot, and peppermint). The attack, dense and creamy, heralds a powerful, fresh, harmonious wine, ideally supported by its structure. The symbiosis between sweetness and salinity is perfect. The aromatic nuances reappear at mid-palate and on the finish. The aromatic profile is championed by freshness and acidity, while sweetness is just one element among others. The wine’s progression across the palate speaks to its complexity; Yquem reveals itself step by step, while communicating its grandeur and depth. The wine is rich, broad, silky, and persistent. It shows beautiful bitters on the finish that bolster not only intensity but persistence. The finish seems endless. Inviting and compelling, Yquem 2021 promises immediate youthful pleasure from now, and also in 100 years (probably)—though in the latter case, it will be future generations who enjoy it!