“It is through fire that pure gold is revealed. It is through trials that a man of heart is revealed.Sénèque
Lorenzo Pasquini, an Italian oenologist, joined Château d’Yquem as estate manager in 2020 after ten years of experience across three continents. Looking back, he now admits that nothing can truly prepare one for winemaking in Sauternes. “Here, it’s as if we have two vintages in one every year,” he explains. “We face the same challenges as all winemakers to grow the best possible grapes, but once they are ripe, the second half begins – waiting for botrytis, or noble rot – and it can end in disaster.”
At Château d’Yquem, it is often this “second vintage” that puts the team’s character to the test. While great wines can be made without botrytis, that’s not the case at Yquem. Deeply tied to the estate’s identity is the acceptance of enormous risk – the possibility of losing an entire vintage in pursuit of an ideal: a wine made exclusively from grapes perfectly concentrated by noble rot.
“The beauty of this wine comes at a price – great uncertainty and great loss,” says Pasquini. “But if you can accept it, what you may harvest is simply sublime.” Over its 400-year history, Château d’Yquem’s reputation has been built both on the wines it produced and those it chose not to – ten vintages since 1910 alone.
For Toni El Khawand, Yquem’s cellar master, this philosophy of excellence at all costs has indeed meant sacrifices, but it has also allowed the estate to produce wines of remarkable consistency. “To me, once we decide to bottle an Yquem, it is inevitably a great vintage,” he says. “And yet, every vintage has its own personality, because it reflects the unique circumstances that shaped the ripening of the grapes and the development of noble rot.”
It is this imprint that makes the difference between great vintages and legendary ones. Some years, the conditions are so extraordinary that they give rise to stories that endure: a passing comet, a world war, torrential rains, or scorching sun. That is why, predicts Lorenzo Pasquini, “A hundred years from now, they’ll still be telling the story of the 2022 vintage – while drinking it.”
““They’ll still be telling the story of the 2022 vintage a century from now – while drinking it.”
A year marked by heat and drought, fires and fear—but also by solidarity and courage in the face of new challenges, and, ultimately, by nature’s incredible generosity. For many at Château d’Yquem, only a superlative can sum up 2022 in a single word: “intense” for Toni El Khawand; “extreme” for vineyard manager Thomas Robert; and “extraordinary” for Lorenzo Pasquini, who uses the term to describe both the climatic conditions and the relentless stress of a growing season worthy of a slow-burning thriller.
That tension was further heightened by an unspoken fear shared by every member of the Yquem team: the superstition surrounding vintages ending in the number 2—a fear born of heartbreak handed down through generations. In 2012, 1992, 1972, and 1952, not a single drop of wine was produced at the estate.
“There’s a feeling here that the number 2 is cursed at Yquem,” explains Pasquini. “So beginning a vintage with not just one but three 2s naturally brought some apprehension… And what followed was a true rollercoaster, a year that gave us every reason to worry.”
Was another heartbreak year inevitable?
Château d’Yquem 2022
“The summers of the past burn in the bottles of Yquem.” Never has a vintage so beautifully reflected the poetic vision of François Mauriac. For 2022 was one of those years: searing heat and prolonged drought, a string of extreme weather events that stirred deep concern within the team. Yet, more than anything, it gave rise to a Château d’Yquem that is powerful, sun-drenched, and exuberant.
Relentless for both people and nature, the weeks of summer 2022 triggered a ripening of the grapes as rapid as it was promising. Day by day, the outlines of a future masterpiece were being written in the vines. All that remained was the arrival of the miracle-working rain.
It wasn’t until the morning of October 15th that Botrytis cinerea finally spread—quickly and generously. A renewed wave of warmth, accompanied by a constant southeast wind, signaled the start of a glorious harvest.
Thus, the legend of Château d’Yquem 2022 was forged in a fever turned into fire, an anxiety transformed into triumph. It bears the promise of a wine with exceptional ageing potential—like every vintage marked by the great suns.
A product of an extraordinary sun-filled vintage, Château d’Yquem 2022 asserts itself with remarkable structure and power. From the very first moments of tasting, it stands out for the intensity of its roasted notes—like a seal firmly imprinted by the exceptional noble rot. These aromas evoke candied pear and lemon, along with orange marmalade.
From this rich fruit base rise delicate floral scents of linden blossom and frangipani, enhanced by the soft freshness of blooming lily of the valley. The nose, with its almond-like gourmandise, already hints at great richness on the palate.
With its lively opening and candied fruit aromas, Château d’Yquem 2022 clearly calls to mind apricot jam. Dense and unctuous, it coats the palate with layers of beeswax, caramel, and quince paste. Its powdery texture evolves into a saline finish, lifted by fine bitters that underscore the expression of bitter candied orange—so characteristic of Yquem’s identity.
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