2017 Chateau Yquem 15000mL

99 POINTS

James Suckling

This is a great Yquem, delivering thrilling purity and intensity. The nose offers intense aromas of fresh and dried apricot and peach pastry, as well as freshly baked creme brulee, candied and fresh orange and kumquat. Some marmalade, too. Smooth, glossy texture with flavors of grilled orange, dried apricot and an exceptionally long finish with a powerful, driving push to the end. A flicker of toasty-oak influence arrives late, but this wine has completely consumed the oak. The 2017 Yquem is a very powerful wine from a very rich and exceptional vintage. The acidity has a big hand in balancing the richness. Pithy finish. The phenolics deliver some great depth. Rain at the beginning of September prompted an extensive infection of noble rot. The harvest lasted from September 26 to October 13. Great quality and one of the best since the legendary 2001.

98 POINTS

Peter Moser - Falstaff

Very fine, nuanced botrytis on the nose with notes of nuts, nectarine and terroir. Noble. A lot of finesse on the palate, silky and tender, but with immense firmness, sublimely textured, pronounced sweetness supported by delicate acidity and penetrating minerality, all closely intertwined with the minerality underscoring things right through the finish. Very fine with lots of inner tension, delicacy and grip. Immensely precise.

98 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

There was no frost at d’Yquem in 2017, and botrytis was very regular and even this vintage. The nose opens with very pure notes of freshly sliced oranges, yuzu and lemon barley water with hints of white pepper, fresh ginger and lime cordial. The incredibly rich, unctuous sweetness (148 grams per liter of residual sugar is beautifully marbled with bright, vivacious citrus fruit and spice flavors, while lifted by well-knit freshness, and it finishes with epic length and great depth.

98 POINTS

James Suckling

The tannins and phenolic tension are very impressive to this. Dried-lemon undertones and burning botrytis. Full-to medium-bodied, linear and racy. Beautiful fruit and intensity. Such clarity. Extreme but wonderful style. Points: 98-99

97 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2017 Yquem was tasted instead of the 2018 since owners LVMH no longer show the wine en primeur. This vintage has just been released onto the market and so I have included it in this report. The estate suffered no frost damage in 2017 and a warm period between May and July, 3° Celsius above average meant the vines' growth cycle was a month in advance. Then, 65mm of rain between 1 and 16 September was the catalyst for botrytis formation. The fruit was picked in two dry and warm windows between 26 September and 14 October, during which concentration came easily so that the bunches achieved even levels of ripeness. The vineyard team selected the best parcels to pick at 21 degrees potential alcohol and in a draconian measure, the rest was sold, some 50% of the crop. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay described it as "A vintage of puissance and richness." It has a charming and very pure bouquet with dried honey, acacia, apricot blossom and touches of crushed stone that gradually unfurls in the glass. The palate is viscous on the entry, beautifully balanced with impressive weight and substance, though sans the multi-dimensional complexity of the very greatest vintages. Honey, hints of lemongrass, marmalade and quince combine on the extremely harmonious finish that lingers. This is a seriousl(more...)

96 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

To overcome the gap between the dry white harvest (16-25 August, even earlier than in 2003) and the noble rot harvest (20 September to 14 October), the team began by picking their best plots on the cooler clay terroirs to ensure maximum freshness. They have expertly managed to retain a beautiful focus, showing pared back but fleshy white peach and pear notes, saffron, white pepper, subtle gunsmoke and slate, followed by a fantastic kick of ginger through the mid palate and beyond. There was no frost impact here, but they were still very strict in the blending, using just 45% of their 17hl/ha crop. This wine has a fairly high 148g/l of residual sugar, with TA6 and 3.8pH (compared to 3.65pH in 2015). They expect to carry out long oak ageing to add structure and to balance the sugars. Expect 80,000 bottles of Yquem.

96 POINTS

Jacques Perrin - Vinifera

Nez très fin, frais, complexe, tirant sur les agrumes (citron confit, cédrat, bergamote). En bouche, on aime son équilibre tout en harmonie, avec une liqueur souveraine, millimétrique et mesurée, très savoureuse. Ce n’est pas le millésime le plus imposant, mais c’est l’un des plus élégants!

Jacques Dupont - Le Point

Nez fruits blancs, pêche blanche, bouche élégante, fraîche, bouche agrumes, pamplemousse, marmelade d’orange, long et fin, un vin d’une grande pureté. 18/20