Chateau d’Yquem holds just under 300 acres of vineyard land on gravelly, well-drained soil, but only uses about 250 to make wine in any given year. The remainder is due to a program of continual replanting which ensures that producing vines are always in their prime. And the vineyard is planted only to Semillion (75%) and Sauvignon Blanc (25%), eschewing Muscadelle which is commonly used in the area but makes less distinguished wine.

Within an hour of harvest, the grapes of Chateau d’Yquem are in the winery and being pressed. Unlike most white wines, quality actually improves with multiple pressings as that extracts more sugar and flavor intensity. Chateau d’Yquem three or four times, with the initial effort yielding about 75% of the total volume.

Chateau d’Yquem does all its fermentation in new French oak barrels. This is unsual for Sauternes, but results in the most flavorful and pristine wine. Although there is variation from one vintage to the next, the typical Chateau d’Yquem wine finishes fermentation at 13.5% alcohol with 150 grams/liter of sugar.

All the barrels age for six to eight months after fermentation. At that point, under-performing barrels are set aside. The remaining barrels go to the aging cellar for 20 months, where they are topped up twice weekly to maintain freshness. For pure flavors and clarity, the wines are also racked 15 times and then fined before the final, blind tasting which determines the blend that will go into bottle.

Although not always very outgoing when young, Chateau d’Yquem is marked by fruit (apricot, mandarin, and occasionally tropical fruit) and oak (vanilla and toasty aromas). Older vintages, on the other hand, have an extraordinarily complex fragrance as soon as the bottle is opened, with hints of dried fruit (dried apricot, prune, stewed fruit, and marmalade), spice (cinnamon, saffron, and liquorice), and even flowers (lime blossom, etc.). The first impression of Chateau d'Yquem on the palate is always very silky, and often sumptuous. It then fills out, "coating the palate". This fine wine has a strong, but never overbearing character, with great elegance and poise. It always maintains a balance between sugar and acidity (sweetness and freshness). A touch of bitterness can also contribute to the overall harmony.

Château d’Yquem 2023 is the latest release from Sauternes’ sole Premier Cru Supérieur, and it arrives with a rare level of critical consensus. Several leading reviewers call it a benchmark wine, including three perfect scores: Jane Anson (100), James Suckling (100), and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (100). It was harvested from September 14 to October 11, 2023, and the finished wine is a 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc blend with about 153–154 g/L residual sugar and pH 3.85.

The style is unambiguously rich, but the reviews repeatedly underline balance and freshness. Wine Advocate notes that, with “153 grams per liter of residual sugar—placing it among the 10 most concentrated vintages in the château’s history,” the wine still shows “perfectly judged control,” with “lively acidity and a crystalline texture” and an “endless, refined and ethereal finish” (Wine Advocate). Anson also emphasizes tension, describing “power, freshness, depth,” and a wine that is “opulent but slices closed on the finish,” adding that “the botrytis came early and quickly in 2023” (Jane Anson).

Aromatically, critics converge around citrus confit, tropical fruit, spice, and saffron. Jeff Leve highlights “flowers, candied lemon peels, pineapple, white peach… vanilla, saffron, and anise,” calling it “lively, bright, energetic,” with “explosive, racy acidity” (Jeff Leve). Suckling frames it as seamless, citing “intense orange peel, honey, butterscotch, saffron, smoke and peat,” and a palate that is “full-bodied but weightless and silky” (James Suckling).

Vinous adds technical and stylistic context, noting maturation in “100% new oak” (mostly French, some Austrian) and characterizing the 2023 as “less exuberant… than the 2022,” but “sublime,” with an “umami sensation” and lingering “vanilla and flecks of white chocolate” (Neal Martin, Vinous). Leve suggests formidable longevity—“Drink from 2030–2100”—underscoring this wine’s place among the estate’s most ageworthy recent releases (Jeff Leve).