A pure, racy, floral style, with bright white peach, heather and honeysuckle notes driving along. The core of fresh orchard fruit is unctuous, the finish long and lacy, with marvelous cut and finesse. This shows the balance and elegance of a cooler year with a longer harvest period. -- Non-blind Yquem vertical (July 2014). Best from 2015 through 2045. 8,334 cases made.

Deep yellow with a golden tinge. Intense aromas of very ripe tropical fruit, beeswax, honey and raisin are lifted by a strong mineral edge. Very fresh, rich and sweet on entry, then extremely light on its feet, with refined flavors of ripe citrus, mango, papaya, honey and saffron complicated by tangy botrytis. A very bright and focused Yquem, with lively acidity and a long, smooth, floral finish. Boasts impeccable balance and lovely precision. This terrific Yquem is very stylish but less massively opulent than vintages like 1989 and 1983.

The purity of Botrytis in this wine is so impressive, with dried fruits like apple and mango. Then a spicy character. Full-bodied and very sweet, yet incredibly fresh and lively. Such class and elegance. A perfectly manicured wine. Everything in the right place. It shows a delicacy and intensity that are spellbinding. Drink in 2018.

Served from an ex-chateau bottle. Consistent notes compared to the sample tasted blind at Southwold, the 2010 Chateau d’Yquem does not quite live up to the billing it showed out of barrel. Certainly, it does not possess the concentration of the 2011, nor its elegance or symmetry. However, there is fine minerality on the nose and great transparency. The palate is fresh and harmonious, with a fine bead of citrus fruit and a penetrating, spicy finish offering white peach and honeysuckle notes, yet it does not display anything close to the peacock’s tail of the magnificent 2009. Still, this is a fine Yquem. Drink 2017–2040+. Tasted March 2014.