Yquem - Sauternes 2014

Vinous

95,5

byNeal Martinthe4/2/2024

The 2014 Yquem has a potent nose with yellow plum, tangerine, peach and honey, exuberant and with plenty of botrytis. There is a real presence in this wine. The palate is well balanced with an unctuous entry and a keen thread of acidity, effervescent with blood orange, white peaches and pineapple toward the finish. Very persistent in the mouth, this is clearly an excellent Sauternes that constantly improves in the glass. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

Wine Advocate

93

byYohan Castaingthe10/31/2023

The 2014 d'Yquem is showing very well today, offering a fruity, fresh bouquet that reveals an abundance of peaches, apricots and honey, overlaid by nuances of curry, fennel and spices. Precise and delicate, it’s perfectly balanced and moderately weighted, with bright acids and a racy "liqueur" note, concluding in a tense, fresh, penetrating finish. Residual sugar: 146 grams per liter.

Vinous

97

byNeal Martinthe3/28/2018

The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Jamessuckling.com

98

byJames Sucklingthe2/16/2017

Very subtle Yquem on the nose with dried pineapple, lemons, green apples and hints of botrytis. The palate grabs you by the arms and shows you superb concentration of spices, dried fruit, phenolics and incredible energy. Nothing is like this from Sauternes this vintage! Drink whenever you like. Spellbinding.

Vinous

95

byAntonio Gallonithe2/6/2017

The 2014 d'Yquem is a wine of restraint above all else. Candied lemon, orange peel, apricot jam, graphite and almond are some of the many threads in a rich fabric that envelops all the senses. A wine of contrasts, the 2014 is at times delicate, while in other moments it is more powerful. Although striking, the 2014 falls just short of being profound. In exchange, readers will find an Yquem that will give up its charms on the earlier side.

Wine Spectator

98

byJames Molesworththe12/21/2016

A stunner, sporting tropical mango and papaya notes that glide along beautifully, while heather honey, pineapple chutney and toasted coconut flavors fill in through the finish. Delivers an amazing mouthfeel that is both creamy and intense, presenting a pretty inner floral brightness that contrasts with the fruit. Best from 2020 through 2045. From France.—J.M.

Vinous

94-97

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2015

The 2014 d'Yquem is exceptionally beautiful for so many reasons, not the least of which is a striking juxtaposition of bright, floral/citrus notes of the early picks, before botrytis had set in, with richer, more tropical-inflected nuances that resulted from the later picks, where rot had developed. In other words, the 2014 is a wine of sublime contrasts, which is one of the qualities that often define the truly great wines. Lemon peal, coconut, jasmine, peach jam and brioche are some of the aromas and flavors that are present today, but above all else it is the wine's textural finesse that elevates the 2014 into the stratosphere. The precise, understated finish is striking. There isn't much else to say except that the 2014 Yquem is a real stunner.

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-96

byJeff Levethe5/5/2015

Very much on the honeyed, citrus side of the style range. Lots of sweet, ripe, very ripe and over ripe yellow fruits, ranging from pineapple and grapefruits to candied lemons. There is a lot of sweetness to the wine, paired with bracing acidity at 4.9 grams per liter, coupled with 135 grams of residual sugar, for those of you that like the numbers. This could be a thinking man's Yquem.

Wine Advocate

96-98

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2015

The Château Yquem 2014 was picked over 9 weeks this year, with one-quarter of the grapes picked prior to 15 September. It delivers 134 grams per liter residual sugar and 7.3 grams per liter tartaric acid, with a pH 3.60. It has a captivating bouquet (I know...I know...what else were you expecting) But it entrances with its pure, wild honey notes mixed with almond and white chocolate scents, bestowed with beguiling delineation and focus. The palate is very poised with the acidity nigh on perfect. Occasionally an Yquem only reveals its components parts at this early juncture, necessitates conjecture. However the 2014 has a sense of harmony and completeness already, as if the élevage is merely there to usher it on to its finished state. There is undeniably great depth here, perhaps less conspicuous than other vintages because of that silver thread of acidity: notes of lemon sherbet, orange zest, shaved ginger and again, a few "flakes' of white chocolate. It is extremely long with tenderness rather than power on the finish. It's not quite up there in the rarefied heights of say, the 2001 or 2009, but it is what we call in the trade, "the business."

Asian Palate

96

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2015

Great purity and balance with lifted, sweet floral notes, caramelized orange peel and dried apricots. A lovely wine with balance and fresh, firm acidity in this vintage with 135 g/L of sugar. Purity and precision are the hallmarks of this wine.

Jancis Robinson

19

byJancis Robinsonthe4/15/2015

Everything was very early, although they are always a week earlier at Yquem. Harvest started on 8 October with grapes slightly dried as well as botrytised. These grapes gave great freshness. They picked up until 28 October thanks to at least three botrytis infections. 15% passerillé grapes. TA 4.9 g/l (= 7.5 g/l expressed as tartaric) – a record. RS 135 g/l. Bright gold with a green note. Intense freshness on the nose. Fabulous nose of richness and freshness. The residual sugar is not high but the balance is great. Lime and pears and great richness and almost like a fruit juice, it’s so refreshing yet dense and sweet.   13.35%Drink 2020-2050

Jamessuckling.com

97-98

byJames Sucklingthe4/10/2015

A crazy combination of botrytis, dried fruits and freshness. It's not the sweetness Yquem but it has an extraordinary depth of fruit and freshness. It goes on for minutes. Spicy and intense. A stunning young wine. A brightness and fabulous depth of fruit.

timatkin.com

97

byTim Atkin MWthe4/7/2015

René Gabriel

19

byRené Gabrielthe4/1/2015

Wie immer auf Cheval Blanc verkostet. 135 Gramm Restzucker. Mitteldunkles Gelb. Er zeigt ein sehr frisches Bouquet mit viel zitronigem Schimmer und noch mehr gelben Früchten wie Mirabellen und gekochtem, weissem Pfirsich, weil der Druck nicht übermässig ist, kommt die intensive Botrytis sehr gut zum Tragen. Im Gaumen sublim, frisch und extrem elegant. Seine mögliche Überlegenheit zu anderen Crus ist in den Finessen zu suchen. So ist denn dieser geniale Yquem auch nicht so schwerfällig wie in anderen ganz grossen Jahren, sondern zeigt gar eine schier tänzerische Variante auf. Er wird früh gefallen und mit einem sehr langen Finale aufwarten. Dafür sorgt seine perfekte Balance. 19/20 2025 – 2080

Wine Enthusiast

98

byRoger Vossthe4/1/2015

97–99. Barrel Sample. Apricot tones with lively acidity give this rich wine a vein of freshness. Pear and white peach notes offer weight, while a lime backbone brings levity. There is a richness from the botrytis that is lifted by this wines delicious freshness.   — R.V. (4/3/2015)

Wine Spectator

96-99

byJames Molesworththe3/27/2015

This is beguiling, with acacia, jasmine and honeysuckle notes leading the way, followed by refined peach, tangerine and yellow apple fruit flavors. Very long, with a lemon chiffon note lingering delicately. Tasted non-blind.—J.M.