Château d'Yquem 2015 (mag, 1.5 l)

Château d’Yquem 2015 — Sauternes Premier Cru Supérieur

This Château d’Yquem 2015, offered here in magnum 1.5 L, embodies one of the most radiant and complete expressions of modern great Sauternes. The vintage combines richness, purity, tension and exceptional botrytised complexity: ripe pineapple, green mango, orange peel, candied lemon, white flowers, fine honey, saffron, jasmine, crushed stone and a long saline finish.

The only Premier Cru Supérieur in the 1855 classification, Château d’Yquem holds a unique place among the world’s great sweet wines. The 2015 is made from a blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested through successive passes from early September to October 21. In magnum, the wine gains even greater slow evolution, preserved freshness and ageing potential.

Terroir: Yquem’s elevation, gravel soils and noble botrytis

Château d’Yquem overlooks Sauternes from one of the highest points of the appellation. This relief encourages air circulation, gradual berry concentration and the development of Botrytis cinerea in its noble form. Morning mists linked to the Ciron and Garonne rivers allow botrytis to develop, while drier afternoons concentrate the grapes without letting them fall into grey rot.

Yquem’s vineyard combines gravel, clay and limestone-influenced soils, each contributing to the wine’s balance: gravel promotes ripeness and aromatic brilliance, clay brings concentration and mid-palate depth, while the limestone elements reinforce tension, precision and saline sensation. In 2015, this combination gives a sumptuous wine that is never heavy.

Tasting notes

Appearance: luminous gold with golden reflections, still youthful in brightness, with a brilliant depth that should slowly intensify towards pale amber over the decades. In magnum, colour evolution should remain particularly slow and harmonious.

Nose: intense, pure and spectacular, with ripe pineapple, green mango, orange peel, candied lemon, lime, lemon tart, orange blossom, jasmine, honey, saffron, ripe orchard fruits, apricot, peach, fine spices and a touch of crushed stone. Nuances of noble mushroom, wax, lanolin and toast may appear with aeration.

Palate: broad, deep, crystalline and perfectly balanced. The richness of the sugar is immediately lifted by precise acidity and an almost saline energy. Flavours of candied citrus, pineapple, apricot, honey, saffron, yellow fruit and white flowers unfold over a dense yet airy texture. The finish is immense, pure, spicy, mineral and persistent, with a tension that gives the wine its nobility and ageing potential.

Expression of the 2015 vintage

The 2015 vintage at Yquem was marked by a long and meticulous harvest, spread over nearly two months, with four successive passes through the vineyard. This patience made it possible to select botrytised grapes of great purity, combining concentration, aromatic richness and freshness. The result is an Yquem that is both opulent and taut, with a rare sense of balance despite its high level of residual sugar.

Today, Château d’Yquem 2015 can already be tasted for its brilliance, exotic fruit and precision, but its true horizon is very long ageing. In magnum, it should evolve even more slowly towards notes of dried apricot, orange marmalade, saffron, tea, truffled honey, wax, candied fruits, sweet spices and great mineral complexity.