Related article: Food2Wine - an explanation
Light gold colour. Clean but complex nose of tropical fruits, honey, nuts and a tang of botrytis. Very smooth on the palate, unctuous, and long. Plunging depth of flavours but ultimately very well defined. A very fine wine which exemplifies the best of Sauternes. The complexity provided by the botrytis, the balance between acidity and sweetness, provide an excellent potential for food pairings. Although lovely and approachable now this is a potentially stupendous wine ( 96-98/100 ) down the line. Residual sugar: 140g/l. pH: 3,70 The cooler weather in early September helped concentrate aromas and preserved acidity whilst some September rain kicked off the onset of noble rot. Drier, warmer weather later in the month concentrated the sugars and harvest began in the last week of September. Early October saw more rain which helped the spread of botrytis cinerea whilst the good weather lasted until near the end of October when the last plots were picked.Château d'Yquem 2013
FineWineMagazine.com
Score: 93 /100 (tasted: 2015)
Wine summary
Food2Wine matching: (if applicable)
Mildly spiced lobster with vanilla sauce
Not so long ago I heard a young couple at a food market talking about some upcoming festivity.
Young woman: “We could try a Sauternes…”
Her laconic companion: “uhhhhh…?!”
Young woman: “You know… Pudding wine….”
Sadly, this is an all too common miscategorisation which ill serves this delicious wine – here in the company of a ‘starter’. This exciting dish illustrates perfectly the complexity of a wine like Yquem whilst revealing the depths of its character. Chef Trama has created a dish which does this magnificent wine the justice it deserves. Every element of this adventurous recipe not only brings out the best of the wine but reveals characteristics and qualities we never knew it had. The meaty, chewy texture of the lobster, complements the body of the wine, revealing Yquem’s lean, sinewy physique usually hidden beneath a cloak of sucrosity; the unctuous vanilla oil draws out the smooth, velvety, honeyed texture of this vintage whilst harking back to the wine’s barrel aging; the light spices far from overwhelming Yquem hint at a bouquet and flavours locked in the wine from the botrytis and fermentation. Overall, the very complexity of the dish displays the wine’s balance and strength. Last but not least, the chopped vegetables mellowed by warm coconut milk provide further contrasts to the texture and sweet tastes in the wine. Other wines of this stature could be made to work with this recipe altering the spices and textures accordingly. A true food2wine combination which has coupled imagination to a true understanding of how to extol Château d’Yquem.
