Château d'Yquem Half 2004

Tasting Profile: The bouquet is amazingly suble, with hints of dried fruit (dried apricot, prune, stewed fruit, and marmalade), spice (cinnamom, saffron, and liquorice), and even flowers (linden blossom, etc). The first impression of Chateau d'Yquem on the palate is always very silky, and often sumptuous. It then fills out, "coating the palate". This fine wine has a strong, but never overbearing character, with great elegance and poise. It always mantains a balance between sugar and acidity (sweetness and freshness). A touch of bitterness can also contribute to the overall harmony.

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

Serving Tips: Serve chilled 7°C with grilled peach and whipped ricotta or with roasted bananas and vanilla ice cream. A well-known and extremely luxurious combination is, of course, with foie gras.

Winemaking: The beginning of the growing season was cool and bud break was late (early April). However, a warm, dry month of June was propitious to perfect flowering, indicating a sizeable crop. After three weeks of beautiful weather, we picked Sauvignon Blanc grapes in prime condition on the 8th and 9th of September. These were equally divided between the gravel plateaux and the clay slopes. Finished the harvest on the 22nd of September with a few perfectly ripe Sémillon grapes. The 2004 is more typical of dry white Bordeaux than its predecessors, and shines thanks to its aromatic purity (due to a majority of Sauvignon Blanc).