The first time I have tasted this vintage, as it was only released earlier this year, and it is a wonderful wine, generous, luscious, but absolutely balanced despite the heat of the vintage, with a twist of grated citrus, pineapple, white tea, bitter almond and candied orange peel. Layers of marmalade, white truffle, salted tarte tartin, a beautiful push and pull of opulence and acidity that is so essential in a vintage as concentrated as this. Will power through the years, no question. 160g/l residual sugar. Lorenzo Pasquini estate director.

A blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2022 Château d’Yquem is one of the most concentrated examples of Yquem in many decades, with a prodigious 160 g/l residual sugar, the highest since the renowned 1945 vintage (which had just 4 g/l more). Also notable is the modest (for a sweet wine, anyway) concentration of sulphites, which comes in at 234 mg/l (or 23.4 g/hl if you’re a winemaker and those are your preferred units). The élevage was 24 months in exclusively new oak barrels, a step back from the 36 months (or more) that used to be the norm here. In the glass the wine displays a luscious orange-gold hue which feels typical of the vintage, an appearance mirrored by many of the other wines of this vintage recently tasted.

A blend of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2022 d'Yquem is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Exhibiting a remarkably delicate, complex and energetic bouquet of rose, confit citrus, exotic fruits and orange marmalade, it's full-bodied, dense and deep with a pristine balance enhanced by a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and beautiful, gastronomic bitterness and dry extracts that segue to a long, ethereal, delicately perfumed and refined finish. Lorenzo Pasquini and his team have perfectly understood the vintage by privileging the third tries, fully exposed to Botrytis cinerea, in the blend, bringing density and precision along with an energetic and splendidly balanced interplay of bitterness and sweetness. Residual sugar levels reach 160 grams per liter, marking it as the second-highest since the iconic 1945 vintage. (YC)