Château d'Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé, Sauternes, 2002
The 2002 is a beautiful wine, all purety and finesse; very long however, and with incredible balance. It has all the fresh and tight character of the 2002s, with the extra dimension of Yquem. The Yquem people say it will be great for mid-term drinking. It is 14° alcohol, has a healthy acidity (4,54 g/l) and residual of 129 g/l.
critic reviews
A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 129.4 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2002 Yquem is medium gold in color. Wow - a wonderfully fragrant and intense nose wafts from the glass with notes of lime blossoms, chamomile tea, lemon verbena, and sea spray, followed by hints of allspice, fresh ginger, and chopped almonds, with a hint of baking bread. The palate is super vibrant, shimmering with energetic citrus and baking spice layers, finishing very long and minerally. It is aging very slowly.
The 2002 Yquem has a very seductive nose, fresh almonds, Gâteau Basque, saffron and candle wax, not the most complex compared to other vintages yet nicely focused. The palate keeps it tight and linear on the entry, plenty of concentration though with a counterbalancing bitter edge that keeps this Yquem on its toes. Probably reaching its peak now after almost 20 years, it will surely give two-three more decades of drinking pleasure.