![2021 Chateau d'Yquem](https://www.jjbuckley.com/permalink/bottle/image/2021-112-750)
The 2021 Chateau d'Yquem is a Sauternes blend from the renowned Bordeaux region of France, crafted by Chateau d'Yquem. This vintage primarily consists of 65% Sémillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine exhibits a pale lemon-gold hue and is noted for its relatively rich style, with 148 grams per liter of residual sugar, making it the sweetest Yquem since 2017.
Neal Martin from Vinous awarded the 2021 Yquem a score of 96, highlighting its “attractive bouquet with scents of dried quince, clementine, linseed, and subtle candle wax.” Martin notes that this Yquem has a “lighter chassis than recent vintages” and emphasizes “poise and purity over horsepower.” He describes the wine as medium-bodied with a viscous entry, opening wonderfully in the glass to reveal frangipane and kaki fruit scents, and a “lighter and more tensile finish” compared to the 2020 or 2019 vintages.
The Wine Independent's reviewer gave this vintage an excellent score of 97. They described the wine's perfume as featuring “orange peel, juicy peaches, grapefruit, and honeycomb,” with additional notes of “jasmine tea, fresh ginger, and lime blossoms” emerging slowly. On the palate, the wine is characterized as “fantastically satiny, with great tension and loads of spicy sparks complementing the citrusy flavors.” The reviewer also noted the impressive production volume of 54,000 bottles.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, with a score of 95, praised the 2021 d'Yquem for its “complex bouquet of rose, exotic fruits, and mandarin orange mingled with spring flowers, rose, and crème brûlée.” The wine is described as “medium to full-bodied, ample and seamless,” with a “deep core and a long finish,” offset by a delicate bitterness that balances the high residual sugar. The integration of new oak barrels is noted as being “barely noticeable.”
Wine Spectator rated the wine at 94, describing it as “unctuous and flattering,” with a mix of “toasted coconut and macadamia nut notes infusing the mango, peach, and papaya flavors at the core.” They noted the broad, soft, honeyed finish with additional elements of “piecrust and lemon curd,” suggesting a more traditional style with “more oomph than freshness.”
Overall, the 2021 Chateau d'Yquem is a complex and richly styled Sauternes blend, well-received by multiple reviewers, with scores ranging from 94 to 97.