- CRITICAL REVIEWS
- WINEMAKER NOTES
Vinous
2019 Chateau d'Yquem, Sauternes, France
Our 2019 in a few words
“Yquem 2019 is a perfect balance between freshness and concentration.
The high proportion of Sauvignon Blanc brings a floral element and a distinctivenote of lemon verbena.
This vintage is extremely seductive in its vibrant youth and will travel gracefully through time.”
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Although February and March 2019 were fine and dry, the beginning of the growing season was dominated by very cool temperatures.
Fortunately, flowering occurred over the course of six days in early June, during a spell of warm, dry weather. Late June saw the onset of very warm weather conditions which lasted virtually without interruption until the 15th of August (with 50 days of temperatures at least 3.6°C above the seasonal average). This heatwave provoked vigorous growth, allowing the vines to compensate for their fairly slow start to the growing season.
In the meantime, a drought began to take shape. Sauternes saw only 2.5 mm of rainfall until the 26th of July, when the region received an extraordinary 112 mm of rain, which fully replenished the soils’ water reserves. The rain lasted for several hours, and a further 40 mm fell between the end of July and the 12th of August, soaking deep into the sandy-gravel terroirs. With the threat of a drought now lifted, ripening progressed rapidly as the warm temperatures continued and the
weather turned dry again.
HARVEST
Between the 26th of August and the 5th of September, the fine weather conditions allowed us to pick the grapes destined for “Y” with a perfect balance of richness and freshness. This relatively early harvest proved to be crucial to ensuring the quality of Y 2019, as subsequent warm weather
caused the acidity in the grapes to dissipate. The heat returned in earnest, and between the 13th of September and the 5th of November the Sauternes region experienced 55 days of temperatures at least 3°C above the seasonal average. No more rain fell until the 20th of September, and as yet there was no sign of Botrytis cinerea. Fortunately for us, between the 21st and the 25th of September, the temperatures remained warm while 38 mm of rain fell, triggering the splendid development of noble rot throughout the entire vineyard.
A wonderful high -pressure system arrived in the first week of October, bringing with it warm, dry and windy conditions, which helped the grapes in the great clay terroirs gain in concentration. The Sauvignon Blanc was tested on the 7th of October, and on the 10th harvesting finally began for Yquem 2019.
Over the course of five days, one of which was a Sunday, the expertise of our pickers enabled us to capture the essence of a very fine vintage combining ample fruit, freshness and concentration. The extraordinary window of opportunity provided by the weather then suddenly closed. On the 14th of October, we received 40 mm of rainfall. Our perfect knowledge of the different plots in the vineyards allowed us to focus our efforts exclusively on the best terroirs. The more fragile terroirs were picked, and the grapes had already begun to spoil. The more fragile terroirs were harvested between showers on the 17th, 18th, 21st and 22nd of October.
OVERVIEW
After a cool and rainy spring, warm conditions prevailed all the way through to November 2019. In Sauternes in particular, the downpour in late July removed the risk of drought and ensured that the development of the harvest was defined by the unique properties of the soils. The extremely tight window of favourable picking conditions, lasting just five days, obliged us to focus exclusively on the healthiest plots, with not a moment to spare for superfluous passes. Thanks to the wide variety of our soils, the experience and availability of our teams and our perfect knowledge of the terroir, offer a success as rare as it is remarkable.
Alcohol content: 14.4 % Vol – Residual sugar: 138g/L – Total acidity: 5,5 g:/L H2T – pH: 3.90s.