Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Name dropper? Moi? Well, an occasion like this is something I don’t enjoy every other evening, so I simply thought I would share the experience.

The Académie du Vin de Bordeaux invited me to dinner at Château d’Yquem last night. I have visited the château on a fair number of occasions, but certainly never enjoyed a meal there, so I was really looking forward to this.

The château has three dining rooms and there were about 60 of us in the largest one.

The meal started out with 2014 Y on the terrace. This wine has changed completely from when it was first introduced in 1959. For many years, the grapes were picked after the ones used to make Sauternes. Now they’re picked before. The 2014 (60% Sémillion, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, and no Muscadelle) was an ideal aperitif. Whereas Y used to be on the thick side and pretty much like a dry, or mostly dry Sauternes, the new generation Y is crisp, elegant, and seemingly on the light side. This 2014 is so enjoyable now that I wonder how it will change over time or if it actually needs to age. The oak is definitely unobtrusive.
By the way, 2016 Y has already been picked and pressed. This year has been really odd weatherwise, with a rotten spring and early summer, but a long-lasting heat wave in September, with temperatures a full 10°C above the seasonal average on certain days. Problems with scorching have been encountered in the red wine vineyards…

The first course (thon mi-cuit, gelée de gazpacho, avocate guacamole au citron vert, sorbet tomate-basilic) was accompanied by white 2012 Ch. Fieuzal. I’ve had a few premoxed bottles from this estate in the past, but when white Fieuzal shows well, it shows very well. It is one of those rare estates in Bordeaux where the white wine has better press than the red, and sells for much more. In any event, in all honesty, the Pessac-Léognac was better in my opinion than the dry Sauternes. It displayed great balance and a wonderful flinty aftertaste. The marked acidity seemed to fit in beautifully with the overall structure, and the oak influence was positive.

The second course (pigeon au foie gras, polenta au chorizo et piquillos, gaufrette safran, mousseline de cerfeuil) was served with two red wines, both of which I quite enjoyed. Incidentally, both were made by women who were present at the meal and who commented each other’s wines for everyone’s benefit.
Château Dassault is a Saint Emilion grand cru classé owned by one of the richest men in France (aerospace, etc.). The 2008 had a sweet, plummy bouquet with good oak and a very rich flavour with a velvety texture. I would only fault the overly obvious presence of alcohol on the finish. This was a strong wine that can use a little more time to show its best.
Château Phélan Ségur in Saint-Estèphe has long been a much-respected cru bourgeois (previously an “exceptionnel”, although this distinction has disappeared). The 2005 was classic claret with a lovely Médoc nose featuring graphite and violet overtones. The texture was silky and the aftertaste was long and assertive. I expected this 2005 to be more forward than it was. It wasn’t terribly closed-in, but clearly has good mid-term ageing potential.

1955 Yquem was served with dessert (crémeux de citron, pamplemousse marine au miel et citron vert, sorbet agrumes). The color is hard to describe, and people at my table agreed that the wine looked a little older than its years, with a mahogany and golden hue as well as a faint pinkish tinge. Although unspectacular, the nose was engaging with hints of mandarine orange, orange peel, and spice. However, the wine well and truly strutted its stuff on the palate, which was gorgeous. The texture was caressing, silky, and phenomenally sensual. There were flavors of crème brûlée and caramel as well as a host of citrus and tropical fruits (mango). I also found the unmistakable vanilla component that is a hallmark of Yquem to me - and which I do not attribute to oak. This vintage of Yquem showed good acidity and will of course live for decades to come, but it is as good as it ever will be in my opinion.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Friday evening.

Best regards,
Alex R.

Wow, what a great event!

I tasted the 1955 d'Yquem last year at the Grand Tasting (Francois was there also), it is a marvelous wine. Quite memorable.

"not a bad way to spend a Friday evening."

The understatement of the year.

I'm jalous!

But I really thought they would make a menu to serve the main wine more than once.

I remember in 2004, when Marie-Claude and me were at your place, and you left us alone one evening because you've been invited for dinner at... Cheval Blanc! Completely understandable. But as a great host you are, before you left you told us "I have put two whites in the fridge and two reds on the counter for you, so help yourself".

Being in Bordeaux has some advantages, as I can read.

Nic

By the way, same text wth photos can be found here: www.bordeauxwineblog.com

AR

Alex

What are your thoughts on 'Y'?

Why the style has changed, your experiences with it, and how it compares with other dry white Bordeaux?

I have rarely encountered it, but when I have I was very impressed by it.

Thanks

Ian

That sounds awesome. I've always been strangely fond of Phelan Segur's color schema, and once had a flat painted to match. (I literally showed the bottle to the designers, and said 'this shade creme for the walls, and this shade claret for the trim')

I never thought much of Y, Ian; how about you?

Thank for sharing, Alex! Indeed, not a bad way to spend a Friday evening!

Concerning 'Y', a little anecdote springs to mind: In the late eighties, a supermarket with an excellent wine department in Saarbrücken offered a twelve bottle case of 1985 'Y' for 111,- DM per bottle. For comparison, La Cases cost 69,-DM, Latour 89,-DM, and Lafite 99,-DM at that time.
Beside the fact that scarcely anybody knew Ygrec, probably not even the staff of the supermarket, nobody was interested due to the high price, and a few months later, the case was still untouched. For whatever reason, one day, the staff reduced the price to 19,-Mark per bottle. When I entered the wine department, fortunately, only two bottles had already been sold. The remaining bottles immediately found their way into my cellar and provided great pleasure over the following years...

stefan wrote:I never thought much of Y, Ian; how about you?

I probably haven't had it as much as you Bill, or Alex, but I really liked it the few times I tried it. Unlike Yquem I am not sure it represents great value for money, however.

I see that 2011 d'Yquem we had at the estate goes for like $400 per bottle.
Boy I remember tasting it and immediately thinking wow, this is really something, and that my impression wasn't just being influenced by the fact that we were there at the property.

Ian,

I'm fortunate enough to have a good backlog of experience with Yquem, but the same is not true for Y.

I have, even so, tasted enough vintages of the latter to know that the style is radically different these days.
I think it is probably preferable (less heavy, more lively), but I am left wondering about value for money.

Does Y belong on the same podium with Domaine de Chevalier, for instance?

Alex R.

Thanks Alex. My impression based on recent vintages is that these are very classy wines, probably better that SHL and DDC but who knows?

Alex,

How can you really compare Y to Domaine de Chevalier?? I'm shocked to read "...on the same podium with D.d.Chevalier". Two different styles, Y has touch of sweetness and little acidity, Domaine de Chevalier is much more refined, stylish and sophisticated with much acidity, more concentration and depth. For me, there is at least a niveau to separate these two wines.

I taste Y every year during primeur.

Comte Flaneur,

"Probably better than ..DDC" ??

Boy, I wish I was an "A list" type like Alex.

Had them both and my vote goes to Domaine de Chevalier.

Chris Bublitz

Another DDC voter here, but I haven't had recent vintages of Y. It always seemed a bit ponderous.

Oh, yeah - thanks for the great report, Alex!

What Tom said and what Tom said.

Izak,

Y is a dry white Bordeaux.

You may say that it is not dry, but that is all part of the change I was speaking of.

I have had semi-sweet Y nn the past, yes. But modern vintages - such as the 2014 - are definitely more dry than semi-sweet.
Don't know the exact level of sugar (grams/litre), but I'd be interested to find out for the 2014.

Alex

Alex,

I know perfectly that Y is dry white Bordeaux! It is in line of R (Rieussec dry). With touch of sweetness.

As I stated before Y isn't imho comparable with D.D.Ch, La Mission and Haut Brion, I even value Pavillon Blanc de Margaux, Pape Clement and Smith Haut Lafitte higher than Y.

Hi again Izak,

I misinterpreted you previous comment.
I thought you meant that Y could not be considered in the same category as, let's say, DDC, because it was a different sort of wine.
But, apparently, that's not what you meant at all. What you seem to be saying is that Y cannot hold a candle to the likes of DDC, so we are on the same wavelength .

All the best,
Alex

Great report as always Alex. Thank you.