Chateau d’Yquem visit

Wrapping up my Bordeaux trip with a visit to the iconic Yquem. On this trip, my wife and I toured Pichon Baron, Troplong Mondot, and Smith Haut Lafite. Yquem was our favorite visit, though I loved Troplong Mondot as well.

The grounds are gorgeous and serene with a manicured flower garden out front. The modern interior was really nice too, sleek and classy but blends in nicely. After a nice walk around the property and the cellars, the tour guide took us to the charming tasting room where she asked us to pick out a record from the collection to play during our tasting. We chose Tracy Chapman’s self-titled album.

This was our first time trying Yquem. The 2016 was very youthful and floral on the nose, I smelled a lot of guava and white flowers. On the palate it had ripping acidity to balance the honeyed fruit.

I only paid for a single vintage tasting but our guide was kind enough to throw in a special surprise on the house – a glass of 2005. This was really special to taste side by side the 2016. On the nose more orange marmalade, candied lemon peel, butterscotch. On the palate, it was a super intense concentration with a texture silkier than any wine I’ve tried. Truly nectar of the gods. The acid was still high enough to balance, but the wine was much more decadent whereas the 2016 felt very fresh and lively. The 2005 Yquem is simply one of the top 5 wines I’ve ever tasted. Overall such a great experience!