Château d'Yquem : tasting of the 2019 vintage

There marketing from the latest vintage Château d'Yquem is a unmissable event for any wine lover. On this occasion, we had the privilege of discovering the 2019 vintage during a tasting animated by the team of this prestigious Cru Classé. 

This year, the teams from Château The Yquem family decided to make a strong statement by highlighting one of the strengths of this very special treasure: its longevity but above all the pleasure that this vintage brings from its earliest youth or after many years of aging.

The key to success Château d'Yquem

Today, Château d'Yquem does not position itself solely as the icon recognized around the world. It's a liberated wine, to be consumed at any time. Versatile, it can be discovered as a meditation wine or of course a fine drinking wineYquem is equally enjoyable as an aperitif in its youth, when the delicate aromas of lemon verbena and exotic fruits are at their peak, only after a few years of aging alongside a wide variety of dishes, such as the duck à l'orange or a vegetable tagine.

Yquem opens itself to the world and creates an event with each new release. Château Yquem of tomorrow wants to open, solar, festive, moving, exciting and above all bu The team's wish is to break with the exhausting rituals of Sauternes at the end of a meal. It is also essential to remember that the great sweet wines can be preserved several days in the refrigeratorallowing us to fully enjoy it.

The 2019 vintage: a great wine today, a sublime nectar tomorrow!

2019 was a vintage of patience and presence for the teams of this unique First Grand Cru Classé SuperiorThe wait was long until the end of September when botrytis finally appeared after a brief period of rain on September 21st and 25th. But the harvest, of exceptional quality, was remarkably quick. The best plots were harvested over just five days, with rain disrupting the festivities from October 14th onwards. A few passes through the vineyards took place between showers, from October 17th to 22nd, to further enhance the complexity of this sublime nectar. A remarkable anecdote about this great château The average age of the grape harvesters is 65 years oldComposed mainly of former employees of château, these grape harvesters are doing a exceptional work and precision.

Watch the presentation video d'Yquem 2019 entitled "A new dawn - Château d'Yquem 2019".

Patience was also required for the fans and aficionados of this balanced delight Since the 2011 vintage, the wines had been released in October, deliberately staggered from the En Primeur week. However, last September, Pierre Lurton, the charismatic president of the Château d'Yquem announced a postponement of its release to March 2022. This change is justified by 3 additional months of barrel aging, a necessity to temper the opulence of this 2019. 

A few international tasters tasted the wine which won over the vast majority of them:

• Neal Martin (Vinous) gives him the score of 98/100.
• Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent) awards it a 97/100.
• Richard Woodward (The Drinks Business) honors him with a 99/100.

Yquem: Luxury and pleasure

Yquem today embodies the essence of luxury. A rare wine, unique, tinged with mystery… A luxury that remains accessibleThis year, the Château of Sauternes Yquem is launching a partnership with leading restaurants around the world called “Lighthouse.” As part of this program, Yquem will be offered by the glass. For approximately 65 euros, the restaurants offer access to the multifaceted emotions of this unique sweet wine.

Château d'Yquem product 60 000 bottles on average per vintage, which is a small volume for a Bordeaux estate. Each vine produces a single glass. Overlooking the Garonne valley From the hills of the Sauternes appellation, the estate comprises around one hundred hectares of vineyards planted on a mosaic of terroirs. The motto “Yquem, or nothing" is a guarantee of quality: better to produce nothing than to deviate from the markers of wine.

It's impossible to talk about the château without highlighting the remarkable work of his close-knit team And passionateSandrine Garbay, the talented cellar master who has been producing this extraordinary wine for 25 years. We have an irreplaceable memory of a masterclass where the passion of Sandrine Garbay it was transmitted right into our glasses. Thomas Robert, the young and dynamic head of culture, Pierre Lurton, the Chairman and CEO and Lorenzo PasquiniThe operations manager oversees the future of this very special property. All the teams at Yquem are also proud that the 2022 vintage marks their first year of certification in organic farming !

Yquem 2019 Tasting: Cavissima Experts' Commentary

During our tasting with the teams from Château, we were able to discuss their new strategyToday, they wish inviting as many epicureans as possible to rediscover Yquememphasizing that it is a wine that one can drink on all occasionsThe wine is accessible earlier, but retains its extraordinary guarding potential. 

Château d'Yquem 2019 is a very fine wine, with lemon dress, to golden reflections And very pleasant Enjoy it now. The high proportion of Sauvignon Blanc (45%) brings a lot of freshness to the wine that surprises us with its aromatic complexitywith verbena notes and more brightnessOn the nose, the main fragrances oscillate between the herbaceous notes of basil and the delicate sweetness of the white peachOn the palate, the citrus fruits carry us: the acidity of the grapefruit, balanced by the notes of orange peeljoined by a basket of exotic fruits. There length refined wine helps us rediscover the floral notes and ends on a a hint of mouthwatering mineralityWith age, we will regain notes of saffron and orange marmalade.

Discover all the wines from Château d'Yquem on our site.