Château d'Yquem 2011

Complexity, abundance and freshness of the great vintages, with a noticeable fire as well: one of the most opulent and rich Yquem, though not one of the most elegant; we preferred the 2010 here.

The 2011 d'Yquem seems to be a close cousin of the 2001 and possibly the 1988. Light gold in color, restrained yet pure and noble, it offers an intense bouquet of honeysuckle, caramelized apricot, and white peach with a subtle hint of toasty oak. It builds slowly but beautifully into a full-bodied wine with a long finish. This vintage is about restraint and perfect balance despite the 144 grams of residual sugar. Some vintages are more exuberant or flamboyant, but 2011 is racy and compelling. Of course, these wines can be enjoyed young, but expect the 2011 to age for 50–75+ years in a good cellar.

A lovely, creamy, tropical style, with mango, papaya and guava notes lending a caressing feel, while singed almond and warm piecrust accents blossom through the lush finish. Just when you think that's all there is, toasted coconut, fig, orange blossom and persimmon details kick in, lending length and dimension. The finish is ridiculously long. Best from 2020 through 2060.

Extremely early season, similar to 1947, three weeks earlier than average. Right from the start, you feel this wine is completely in control, playing with its balance of succulent exotic fruits, smoked saffron, wheatgrass and truffle, with a lime slice of acidity through the core. I get a physical sensation of things closing in through the palate; it's intense and concentrated, with lots of life ahead again. The season overall saw almost six weeks without rain, with a small amount at the end of August that kicked off the botrytis and ushered in the start of harvest (that carried through until October 5). 114g/l sugar.

Crazy minerality to this, with lots of dried mango, pineapple and papaya on the nose. Botrytis-spice and nutmeg undertones. Full body, very sweet, with superb depth of fruit and richness. It goes on for minutes. Turns dense and concentrated on the palate. Speechless. Better in 2019.

Very tangy aroma: almond, spiced apricot, really zesty on the nose. The palate too has depth and spice and plenty of botrytis character. Rich but fresh. Great length. Power packed and so rich. (JH)

The 2011 Yquem was picked over four tries from 6 September, the earliest for 125 years, until 5 October. Slightly paler in color compared to the 2001 alongside, it has a well-defined and slightly Germanic bouquet with that petrol note still present, allied with peach and apricot, honeysuckle and desiccated orange peel. The palate is fresh and vibrant with crisp acidity, a slight waxy texture, mango and quince laced with a touch of lemongrass toward the refined and quite approachable finish. What a pretty Yquem the 2011 is turning into.

One sniff is all it takes before you're immersed in its web of overripe apricots, pineapple, exotic spices, flowers, white peach, roasted nuts, and honey. But, of course, the real excitement here is on the palate, with its wall of perfectly ripe, sweet, very sweet, and incredibly sweet, tropical fruits, mango, pineapple, vanilla, and lemon crème all coated with honey. Even with all this unctuosity, with all of its racy acidity, the wine is as vibrant as it is sweet. With all of its layers of sweetness, it is never tiring to taste; instead, it is an upbeat, thrill ride that can age for at least 50 or more years. Drink from 2023–2080.

Medium greenish yellow in colour with golden reflections. On the nose, fine nuances of lanolin, pineapple and fresh peach, light caramel, a touch of juicy apricot and a hint of fine oak. The full-bodied palate is elegant, with perfectly integrated fruit expression redolent of ripe yellow tropical fruit, mineral, underpinned by fine acidity, perfectly balanced, youthful, long, with enormous ageing potential. A prime example of the new, even more precise style at Yquem, which dispenses with every little beauty spot.

The 2011 Château d’Yquem is a more restrained, elegant style of Yquem with beautiful, nuanced notes of caramelized citrus, apricot, white flowers, and a lovely mineral character that emerges more on the palate. Beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied, with good acidity and plenty of complex, sweet, honeyed fruit, it’s all about complexity, nuance, and elegance. Feel free to drink this beauty any time over the coming 40–50 years.

80% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc. A large harvest with 120,000 bottles. 144 grams of residual sugar. Medium yellow, lime-green nuances, brilliantly bright. Full sweetness, with white pepper powder at the core, mandarin peel, fresh chamomile, beautifully nuanced botrytis, grapefruit. On the palate, creamy and juicy with full length and beautiful acidity that gives the body freshness; everything stays in the yellow-fruit spectrum with no tropical overtones, lots of mirabelle plums, apricots, a touch of carambola, and also the first fine notes of quince. A refreshing, almost slightly light Yquem.

80% Sémillon, 20% Sémillon. Large harvest of 120,000 bottles. 144 grams of residual sugar. Medium yellow with linden-green nuances, brilliantly luminous. Full sweetness with a core of white pepper powder, mandarin peel, fresh chamomile, gorgeous, nuanced botrytis; among the citrus notes one is inclined to think of grapefruit. On the palate, creamy, juicy, with full length; beautiful acidity that lends freshness to the body; everything stays in the yellow-fruit register without any tropical overtones: lots of mirabelle plums and apricots, a touch of starfruit, and the first fine quince notes. A refreshing Yquem that almost feels a bit light. It might be a good idea to bottle this dreamy extract in perfume vials, then one could dust the tongue with it when craving this elixir. Morning, noon, and night—and now and then in between. (19/20). 13: At a dinner at Yquem the wine was served as an aperitif. At the time it was on the market, but not a single bottle had yet left the château. A finely fruity, subtle Yquem with boundless fun potential—provided the size is right.

(80% Sémillion, 20% Sauvignon Blanc) Fresh, dense, mineral, fragrant bouquet; grapefruit, apricots, Alka-Seltzer, honey, almond biscuits. Velvety, opulent, dense, multilayered, elegant palate with a rich, generous structure, powerful fruit, good acidity, intense aromatics, exotic fruits, velvety sweetness, and a very long, ample, fresh finish with good retro-olfactory echoes. 19/20 2024 - 2050

A blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, with 141 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2011 Yquem is pale to medium straw-gold in color. It needs a little coaxing to bring out notes of lemon tart, lime blossoms, chalk dust, and jasmine, leading to hints of shaved ginger and yuzu zest. The palate shimmers with intense citrus and mineral layers, framed by a racy backbone and a gorgeous satiny texture, finishing on a lingering ginger tea note.

Great depth, with just a touch more complexity and finesse than in 2014, a sumptuous follow-through on the palate, yet with greater purity and freshness than the wines of the previous two decades. Magnificent.

A great vintage of the calibre of 2001 but more refined, with lovely length, plenty of freshness, and a superb finish.

An elegant, spicy bouquet offering power, freshness, and lovely finesse in its complexity. It reveals notes of quince and baked apple, with lighter hints of pineapple, joined by touches of vibrant yellow stone fruits, delicate hints of yellow flowers, acacia blossom, honey, as well as a discreet touch of pastry, saffron, and a subtle, almost crystallized orange note in the background. The palate is beautifully delicate, gourmand, airy, balanced, precise and measured, harmonious, with a very appealing spherical character (in the background), delicacy, silkiness, fine freshness, and a touch of richness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of quince and candied pear, with lighter nuances of pineapple in syrup, combined with floral tones, acacia, small yellow fruits, and candied orange peel, as well as hints of pastry and candied/in-syrup kumquat, and a very discreet touch of browned butter, dried almond, saffron, and fine spices. A very subtle hint of pleasant bitterness on the finish (which elongates the finish). A very discreet, almost tactile tannic feel on the finish/persistence.

Green-yellow color. Intense nose, fruity, fine and subtle. On the palate, the classy texture and the roasted note are captivating, all with great tactile precision. A powerful and noble ensemble.

95-97. Barrel sample. Rich, with intense flavors of botrytis, lemon and Seville orange peel. This wine has both freshness and sweetness, with a light touch.