YQUEM 2014

A stunner, sporting tropical mango and papaya notes that glide along beautifully, while heather honey, pineapple chutney and toasted coconut flavors fill in through the finish. Delivers an amazing mouthfeel that is both creamy and intense, with a pretty inner floral brightness that contrasts with the fruit. Best from 2020 through 2045. 6,665 cases made.

The 2014 Yquem is exceptionally beautiful for so many reasons, not the least of which is a striking juxtaposition of bright, floral/citrus notes of the early picks, before botrytis had set in, with richer, more tropical-inflected nuances that resulted from the later picks, where rot had developed. In other words, the 2014 is a wine of sublime contrasts, which is one of the qualities that often define the truly great wines. Lemon peel, coconut, jasmine, peach jam and brioche are some of the aromas and flavors that are present today, but above all else it is the wine's textural finesse that elevates the 2014 into the stratosphere. The precise, understated finish is striking. There isn't much else to say except that the 2014 Yquem is a real stunner.

Very subtle Yquem on the nose with dried pineapple, lemons, green apples and hints of botrytis. The palate grabs you by the arms and shows you superb concentration of spices, dried fruit, phenolics and incredible energy. Nothing is like this from Sauternes this vintage! Drink whenever you like. Spellbinding.

The Château Yquem 2014 was picked over 9 weeks this year, with one-quarter of the grapes picked prior to 15 September. It delivers 134 grams per liter residual sugar and 7.3 grams per liter tartaric acid, with a pH of 3.60. It has a captivating bouquet (I know... I know... what else were you expecting). But it entrances with its pure, wild-honey notes mixed with almond and white-chocolate scents, endowed with beguiling delineation and focus. The palate is very poised, with the acidity near perfect. Occasionally an Yquem only reveals its component parts at this early juncture, necessitating conjecture. However, the 2014 already has a sense of harmony and completeness, as if the élevage were merely there to usher it to its finished state. There is undeniably great depth here, perhaps less conspicuous than in other vintages because of that silver thread of acidity: notes of lemon sherbet, orange zest, shaved ginger and again, a few “flakes” of white chocolate. It is extremely long, with tenderness rather than power on the finish. It’s not quite up there in the rarefied heights of, say, 2001 or 2009, but it is what we call in the trade “the business.”