2004 Yquem
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Tasting notes
The 2004 Yquem is almost identical to the bottle that I tasted at the château four years ago. It has a generous bouquet; the oak a tad more subsumed since my last encounter, with generous lemon curd, dried honey, mango and Mirabelle aromas billowing from the glass. It is a well balanced and quite weighty Yquem with slightly lower acidity than its peers; viscous in texture with a tropical tinged finish that I maintain just lacks the tension and energy of a Yquem from the top-drawer.
Critic scores
Average Score
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Wine Spectator
More reviews and scores
Served from an ex-chateau bottle. This replicated the performance in the Southwold blind tasting. The 2004 Chateau d’Yquem’s bouquet is generous but not as complex as either the 2005 or indeed the 2006. The oak a little pronounced considering the age in bottle, but it does not leap at you shouting “I’m Yquem!” The palate has a viscous tangerine and orange peel opening with fine acidity. There is good weight in the mouth, with touches of spice and cardamom. It finishes just a little abruptly for a Yquem, a pretty note without requisite sustain. Drink now-2035. Tasted March 2014.
Rich and tense and bottomed out. Thick and dense. (JR)
About the producer
The undisputed finest sweet wine in the world, Château d'Yquem is the only Premier Cru Supérieur estate in Sauternes, classified in 1855. With a long history stretching back to the Middle Ages, the château is entwined with that of the Lur-Saluces family – who remain involved today.