Château d'Yquem 2000

With only the first two picking rounds in the final blend, Yquem shows a balance of 128 g of sugar for 14.2° of alcohol. This results in a smooth, rich wine with great intensity of flavour and aroma. Very candied fruit with a finely honeyed finish, it is already a pleasure to drink. But as always, its ageing potential is unlimited.

Served from an ex-chateau bottle. The millennial 2000 Chateau d’Yquem is a valiant effort in one of the most challenging Sauternes vintages in recent memory. The 2000 is quite deep in color. The nose is crisp and well-defined but not the most complex, as you would expect from a truly challenging growing season in Sauternes. It is pleasant in its own way with delicate scents of tangerine, yellow flowers and Mirabelle. The palate is well-balanced with marmalade tinged opening. I like the acidity here, an Yquem with good race, although it does feel a little tapered toward the finish. Drink now-2025. Tasted March 2014.

Forward and flattering, with unctuous marmalade, blood orange, apricot chutney and ginger notes. Juicy and engaging, but without the finely beaded acidity to stretch out fully. -- Non-blind Yquem vertical (July 2014). Drink now through 2035.

Things were more difficult in Sauternes than in the rest of Bordeaux in the 2000 vintage, with a brilliant first picking in early October that showed all the promise of the vintage, but with the later crop ruined by heavy rain. In the end Yquem made 20% of its usual yield, but the success of the earlier growing season comes through with luxuriously concentrated apricot and marmalade flavours, laced with bitter orange, lime zest, butterscotch, saffron and white truffles. 128g/l of residual sugar, with total acidity of 4.5. The team behind this wine included current winemaking director Sandrine Garbay, who had begun two years earlier in 1998, with the château already partly owned by Bernard Arnault of LVMH (he bought his first shares in 1996) but still headed up by director Alexandre de Lur Saluces, whose family had been at Yquem since 1875.

A rich Yquem, with coffee, dried orange skin, and dried apples. Full and sweet, with a round body and very yummy. A touch of bitterness on the palate. 128 grams of RS.

14.2% 128 g/l RS, TA 4.5. Dry weather in August created a bit of stress. Harvest 18 Sep – 10 Oct. 25,000 bottles only compared with the 130,000 average. Butterscotch gold. Some obvious acidity on the nose and quite intense without great richness on the palate. A rather burnt caramel note on the finish. (JR)

The 2000 Yquem is crisp and aromatically well-defined, though it does not show the complexity one might expect given a truly challenging growing season in Sauternes. It is pleasant, with innocuous, delicate notes of tangerine and mirabelle plum. The palate is clean and balanced, opening with a hint of marmalade, followed by racy acidity and a tapered finish. Tasted at the château.

Medium yellow. Fruity bouquet with peach, apricot and honey. Fresh, medium-intensity attack on the palate. The body struggles a little against what is otherwise quite racy structure. It lacks a bit of density and depth, but the sweetness stands out more clearly in return. Given the rather lively acidity, one can assume good ageing potential; however, it lacks the body and power required for that.

04: Bright, medium yellow; excellent brilliance. Sweet, expansive bouquet; vanilla and therefore a slight oak dominance at the moment, light caramel, botrytis still muted and a touch of extra sweetness. On the palate, fresh; starfruit note and a slightly peppery acidity that almost feels a bit piquant, lots of krachmandeln and coconut on the finish, with a mineral edge and a chalky echo on the back end. Normally you always wait ten years for a Yquem to open up—but this one can deliver pleasure a bit earlier. (17/20). 16: The color is extremely orange. The only similar color I had seen before was with the 1955 Yquem. Meaning the wine is visually maturing faster than the vintages immediately after and before it. Nose: intense, sweet, yet somehow dry at the same time; little sign of botrytis, lots of dried apricot skins and pale malt, with a nuance of saffron on the second sniff. On the palate it shows little acidity, so it feels full-bodied; concentrated extract; on the finish you find kumquats and English bitter orange marmalade.

The 2000 d'Yquem is pale to medium gold-amber in color. Notes of dried orange peel, fallen leaves, lemon iced tea, and dried apricot slowly drift from the glass, leading to a waft of saffron. The palate seems relatively dry at this stage, with savory and lemon tea nuances and beautifully balanced acidity, finishing on a citrus peel note. The crop was very small this year, with 80% of the crop lost to rain at harvest. The blend is 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc with 128 g/l residual sugar, and 33,000 bottles were made.

A great toasted bouquet with very refined, well-integrated oak, though with slightly less nuance and freshness than the 2001; a rich, well-balanced palate, sumptuous concentration, and a very bright future ahead. The extremely rigorous selection specific to this estate has once again placed it at the top of its appellation.

Dark, coppery colour. A refined, fruity and subtle nose. The palate is melting and airy, then juicy after the mid-palate. It finishes with a sapid, nicely present texture, bright fruit and a touch of honey. A pleasant surprise for this little-regarded vintage.