Chateau d Yquem Half Bottle 2020

Château d' Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé Supérieur Sauternes, Bordeaux, France, 2020 Half Bottle 

Grapes: A barrel fermented blend of Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc, aged in French oak. Hand picked, fully botrytised fruit. Yield one glass per vine!

Château d'Yquem is considered by many to be Bordeaux’s single greatest wine and it is the only wine in France to hold the Premier Cru Superieur (Great First Growth) designation. The uncompromising pursuit of quality is what sets this sweet white wine apart – a standard meticulously maintained throughout the estate’s history.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"The 2020 d'Yquem presents a fresh bouquet with aromas of white fruits, orchard fruits and mango, complemented by a hint of spring flowers. It’s perfectly balanced and moderately weighted compared to other vintages, making it a tense, penetrating d’Yquem. Despite the challenges of the growing season and a brief harvest (which began on September 30th and concluded on October 12th), d'Yquem's team managed to produce a mere 40,000 bottles, a modest yield in recent years." Drink2023-2040

94/100 points, Yohan Castaing, WINE ADVOCATE, October 2023

"On the fresh, bright vibrant, racy side of the style range with a focus on its complex core of honeysuckle, dried oranges, apricots, lemon curd, saffron, marzipan, pineapple, vanilla, and just the right drizzle of honey to top everything off. It is cut, and defined, with length, purity, lift, and ample acidities giving lift, length, and vibrancy, as well as richness, balance, and complexity. I love this style of d'Yquem because it works as a sweet wine that can be enjoyed either on its own or with a myriad of savory courses. So, if you cannot keep your hands off it, enjoy it on the young side for all its luscious, sweet, ripe, overripe, racy fruits, or age it for decades as it gains secondary nuances."

98/100 points, The Wine Cellar Insider, March 2023