2002 Chateau d'Yquem Collection - 1945-2018

Pale to medium gold colored, the 2002 d'Yquem strides confidently out of the glass with forthright notions of spiced pears, baked pineapple, apricot preserves and orange blossoms with touches of graham crackers, praline, ginger nut and lemon curd. The palate lends an understated earthy/savory character with seamless freshness and a satiny texture paving the long, perfumed finish. Open-knit, expressive and yet still packing some primary fruit flavors, this vintage has entered its drinking window for those who love Yquem while it still possesses bags of vivacity. Five to seven more years in bottle should begin to yield more of the toffee, toasted nuts and savory elements for those who love that more evolved phase. The alcohol this vintage is 14%, while the residual sugar is 129.4 grams per liter, and the total acidity is 4.5 grams per liter of H2SO4.

Young Sauternes often reminds me of pear juice and this wine, tasted from a half bottle just couriered from Bordeaux, was like nothing more than the healthiest, cleanest pear juice. Pale gold with a slightly greener tinge than most young Yquem. Very fresh, long and deep-flavoured this wine has that ingredient X that Yquem always seems to manage, but this is certainly not one of the sweetest or most intense Yquems. It is certainly greater than any other 2002 sweet white bordeaux I remember tasting, with the strongly possible exception of Climens, but is almost spookily open for a recently-bottled Yquem. There’s the merest hint of astringency on the finish still but this wine could be enjoyed in its relatively simple youth. (JR)