d'Yquem 2015

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Following a very long harvest stretching nearly two months, the 2015 Château d'Yquem came in at 13.9% alcohol and 144 grams per liter of residual sugar, sporting a pH of 3.65 and six grams per liter of tartaric acid. None of these numbers, however, even remotely begin to tell you how profound this wine is. The nose opens with electric notes of ripe pineapples, green mango, orange blossoms and lemon tart with hints of fungi, lime zest, crushed rocks and jasmine. The freshness on the palate is just astonishing, permeating and lifting layer upon layer of tropical fruits and earthy notions, all encased in a sumptuous texture and culminating in a very, very long, mineral-tinged finish. Truly, this is a legendary vintage for d'Yquem. I've been conservative with my drinking window here, and I would not be at all surprised if our descendants are drinking this vintage well into the next century.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2015 Château d'Yquem was scintillating when I tasted it at the property during en primeur last year. A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, it delivers 144 grams per liter of residual sugar. Now that the wine is in bottle, that original “show-stopping” bouquet has become more refined. In fact, you could almost describe it as laid back or genteel until it begins to magically unfold and deliver seductive scents of lemon curd, orange pith, freshly opened tins of apricot and wild honey. You would call the aromatics more “pretty” than “powerful,” but of course, it is beautifully defined. The palate is very well balanced with that electric line of acidity intact. It is a little spicier than I recall, with a fresh viscous finish. There is a persistent aftertaste whereby the mouth tingles some 60 seconds after the wine has departed. Maybe I was being optimistic when I suggested that it might rank alongside the regal 2001 and 2009. The 2015 Yquem does not belong in that hallowed company. But it is a prince to that king and that queen. Tasted September 2017.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2015 Château d'Yquem is a blend of 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc that was picked on the gravelly soils as early as 3 and 4 September until 21 October, four tries through the vineyard. It delivers 144 grams per liter of residual sugar, with six-grams of tartaric acid, a pH 3.65 and 13.9% alcohol. It has a show-stopping bouquet that is beautifully defined and very complex and exuberant, infused with greater mineralité than recent vintages - intense but not as flamboyant as say the 2009 Yquem at this stage. The palate boasts absolutely stunning balance. This is a Yquem without a hair out of place: fantastically pure, botrytised fruit caressing the mouth. That is as per normal. What distinguishes this Yquem is the sense of electricity that is imbued by that razor-sharp acidity. There is just unbelievably tension here and to be frank, there is little point in me continuing to write this note, because it is simply an astonishing Yquem that will rank alongside the 2001 and 2009.

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc with 144 grams of residual sugar, the 2015 d'Yquem offers up a multifaceted, entrancing bouquet with aromas of jasmine, lime leaves, grilled bread, saffron, ripe orchard fruits, lemon oil and spices. Crystalline and pure, it’s full-bodied, seamless and layered, with excellent concentration on the mid-palate (thanks to clay soils), concluding with an energetic yet saline finish brought by calcareous soils. This is an opulent but charming vintage for Château d'Yquem, and it could reach the optimum score with a minimum of 20 years of aging. Harvest began on September 3rd and finished on October 21st.

vinous98

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2015 d'Yquem is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Just as alluring from bottle as it was from barrel, the 2015 is a wine that engages all of the senses, from the intellectual to the more hedonistic. Lilting notes of pineapple, mint, orange peel and white flowers grace the palate, but it is the wine's sense of balance and total harmony that impress most. In 2015, Yquem had its earliest start to the harvest since 1893. Even so, the winemaking team did a magnificent job of preserving freshness. The 2015 was fermented in 100% new oak, and residual sugar is 145 grams per liter, but great wine is never about numbers. Above all else, the 2015 Yquem is a wine of energy and class. Don't miss it!

vinous98

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

Stunning and utterly captivating, the 2015 d'Yquem is shaping up to be one of the truly epic wines of the vintage. All the elements are impeccably balanced, starting with the most captivating, alluring bouquet imaginable. The 2015 floats on the palate with grace and total finesse. What I like most about the 2015 is its airy, nuanced personality. Sweet floral notes, lemon confit, chamomile and acacia are some of the nuances that linger in this hauntingly beautiful d'Yquem. The 2015 was fermented in 100% new oak and residual sugar is 145 grams per liter, but none of that really matters. Readers who can find the 2015 should not hesitate, as it is truly magnificent!

vinous94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2015 Yquem has always been a vintage that I have approached with caution. It was a very early harvest that began on 3 September and finished on 21 October after temperatures fell during the picking. As usual, I have reservations about the nose that, for me, lacks the cohesion and complexity of the 2014. Acacia honey, white flowers and quince, just a hint of toffee apple, beautiful but not quite as compelling as the previous vintage. The palate is well balanced, viscous and is bestowed impressive weight. It does not quite have the tension and nerve of 2014, but has wonderful purity. Superb, though not hors-classe. Tasted at the château.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2015 d'Yquem feels a little disjointed on the nose at first, but it coalesces nicely to reveal smoke, dried honey, saffron and orange rind aromas. The palate is well balanced with a viscous opening, the acidity nicely judged with lime, orange rind and quince toward the finish that shuts down quickly. Some readers may be surprised by my score, but Yquem often closes down and consequently suffers in blind tastings like this. It will surely come back but it will need cellaring to show its rip-roaring best. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.