critic reviews
The 2020 Y de Yquem has a pretty nose with yellow fruit, Satsuma and traces of dried honey, opening nicely in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a viscous entry and lower acidity than its peers but clean fruit. It concludes with a welcome stem-ginger and lemongrass-tinged finish. Very fine. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
“There was just a touch of botrytis on the Sémillon this year,” commented Pierre Lurton on the 2020 Y. This off-dry style has 7 grams per liter of residual sugar and a racy pH of 3.2. The blend this year is 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon. It needs a swirl or two to release notes of preserved limes, white peaches, fresh grapefruit, and orange blossom with underlying suggestions of honeysuckle, wet pebbles, and beeswax. The medium to full-bodied is fabulously intense with a satiny texture and loads of tightly wound nuances contributing to the exciting tension, finishing very long and with a swish of opulence.