Yquem 2013 375ml

98 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Lightly toasted marshmallow and macadamia nut aromas lead the way, followed by incredibly juicy mirabelle plum, green fig, and glazed pear and peach flavors. As big as this is, there are still plenty of honeysuckle, quinine and chamomile notes kicking the finish into yet another gear. This has purity and length to burn, with decades more to go. Best from 2020 through 2050. 6,665 cases made.

98 POINTS

James Suckling

Bright aromas of sliced mangoes, papaya, botrytis, and lemon follow through to a full body. Medium sweet with a phenolic palate that gives the wine structure and beauty. Electric acidity and freshness combined with impressive energy and length. A strict selection was made. 40% of the production was destined to the grand vin. About 80,000 bottles made. This is 70% semillion and 30% sauvignon blanc. Better in 2018.

96 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

Firstly, you notice the color, which is a touch deeper than recent vintages at this stage. The bouquet is quite honeyed and rich for Yquem at this early juncture, with subtle scents of peach skin, white flowers, and a puff of chalk and frangipane. The palate is viscous on the entry, all about the texture at first, coating the mouth with luscious botrytized fruit. There are touches of Seville orange marmalade, fresh apricot, a hint of spice and passion fruit. This is imbued with impressive depth and weight, perhaps an Yquem that is determined to make an impression after last year-s absence. It might not possess the finesse of a top flight Yquem, but it has immense power and persistency. A majority of the 2013 Chateau d-Yquem was picked between September 25 and October 2, augmented by a second trie on October 11 after rains had provoked botrytis and then a third trie from October 21 and 24, before a final pass through the vineyard at the end of the month. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay told me that all the lots were used, but only 40% of the crop made it into the final blend, which equates to around 70,000 and 80,000 bottles. During assemblage of different lots, the blend ended up 30% Sauvignon Blanc, a little higher than usual, and 70% Semillon, while the residual sugar comes in at 140gm/L, which is a little higher than average. The reason is that the fermentation stopped naturally at this level, therefore the alcohol is a tad lower than average at 13.1 degrees.

95 POINTS

Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

Interestingly, d’Yquem is one of the biggest estates by land in the whole of Bordeaux. That being said, the volume produced is strikingly low. There was no d’Yquem wine made in 2012, due to the low quality. It’s happened before, well, only ten times in documented memory, but this is the first instance in this century. Grey rot was the issue. An exceptional vintage for sweet wines with a quick four week harvest. Price is near-estimated for 750ml bottle on arrival. Beautifully fresh and clean scented perfume. High tone creme brulee/caramel scents with fresh cut stone fruit, green apple, candied mixed peel, lush honey notes and some hay, honeycomb and straw savoury notes. Slick, rich, luscious in the palate. Such depth of flavour. Feels infinite, almost overwhelming, gummy stickiness through palate and finishes with lingering, tongue coating sweetness. Incredible, for texture more than anything. Very young incarnation; feels like it needs a lot more time, hence a later drinker window start.

94 POINTS

Ian D'Agata - Vinous

(70% semillon and 30% sauvignon blanc; 13.1% alcohol and 140 g/l residual sugar; total acidity of almost 6 g/l): Luminous medium yellow-gold. Almost Germanic in its perfumed, bright aromas of tangerine, grapefruit, peach, lemon, lichee and ginger. Lush but very fresh, with bracing limey acidity giving sharp definition to the complex flavors of honey, ginger, green fig, yellow melon and peach. The brisk, harmonious acidity really cleanses the palate and makes this one of the most immediately appealing (almost too easy to drink!) Yquems in memory. The finish is extremely long and vibrant. This is a much less massive, opulent Yquem than usual but is extremely graceful and refined. The product of four different tries, performed from September 25 to October 24, but only 40% of the total volume made it into Yquem. As much as I liked this wine, I think it's a little too dominated by the sauvignon blanc (only the 2004, at 35% of the total, had more sauvignon blanc among Yquem's most recent vintages). Winemaker Sandrine Garbay told me using more sauvignon was unavoidable in 2013 because the last semillons harvested in the third and fourth tries were opulent but simple, and a little bitter, so she included less of the variety than usual.

92 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2013 Yquem is a wine that I tasted from barrel but for some inexplicable reason, never in bottle. It was picked over four tries from 25 September to 24 October. There is 140g/L residual sugar. As it was a relatively late vintage, they elected to use more Sauvignon Blanc (30%) to engender freshness. I feel this does not possess the dimension of the 2011 on the nose, clean and crisp, certainly well defined, yet maybe just denied amplitude by the growing season. The palate is well balanced and pure, very harmonious with fine weight. Here, there is more complexity than intimated by the nose, lightly spiced with Seville orange and marmalade towards the finish. Fine. Tasted at the château.

Julia Harding MW - JancisRobinson.com

Tasted blind. Woody/oaky aroma entwined with orange and apricot. On the palate it is pure in lemon oil and richly creamy in texture. Caressingly rich. And just a hint of almonds. Spicy, long finish. Very intense. Classy – the universal verdict when we discussed it later. Delicious. Score: 17.5/20

Jeannie Cho Lee MW - Decanter

Excellent intensity and density for this vintage, with ripe pineapple and mango flavours. High residual sugar at 140 grams per litre balanced by fresh, crisp acidity.