The Timeless Pleasure of Château d'Yquem
Experience the indescribable pleasure that awaits when tasting Château d'Yquem. This extraordinary wine captivates with its intricate balance and complex flavours that evolve and harmonize over time. Like the lingering silence after a Mozart masterpiece, Château d'Yquem remains on the palate, bestowing a unique and prolonged pleasure. In the poetic words of Frédéric Dard, it spreads out like a peacock's tail, leaving an enduring impression.
It has a captivating bouquet but it entrances with its pure, wild honey notes mixed with almond and white chocolate scents, bestowed with beguiling delineation and focus. The palate is very poised with the acidity nigh on perfect. Occasionally a Yquem only reveals its components parts at this early juncture, which necessitates conjecture. However, the 2014 has a sense of harmony and completeness already, as if the élevage is merely there to usher it on to its finished state. There is undeniably great depth here, perhaps less conspicuous than 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.
The harvest began very early, on the 5th of September, and lasted 9 weeks. This made it possible to reflect all the diversity of a year in which both flowering and véraison were very spread out. Picking began especially early at Yquem in 2014. Some 25% of the crop was brought in before the 15th of September, providing a rare and precious background of acidity.