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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.5 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 81 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by jfjette on 1/14/2024 & rated 90 points: End of keeping time unless bottle was re cork. Nice golden color (870 views) | | | Tasted by Doblk on 12/30/2023 & rated 93 points: Quite dark. Lovely sweet nose, lots of caramel and dried apricot on palate. The sweetness was well offset by the acidity, as it is supposed to be. Hard to argue with a classic. Wonderful for dessert on Christmas. (797 views) | | | Tasted by Dionysos55 on 12/25/2023 & rated 95 points: Magnifique robe or dorée !!!! Bouquet intense de marmelade d'abricot,de vanille,de mangue.C'est sublime....La bouche est d'une élégance folle dans une matière relativement souple (effet millésime).Cela manque un peu de matière mais cela reste néanmoins remarquable car si sucres il y a ils ne sont en aucun cas intrusifs ni dérangeants.On voit que dans des millésimes dits moyens la classe de ce seigneur s'impose naturellement.A boire ne gagnera pas à être attendu davantage. (741 views) | | | Tasted by Head4Heights on 4/9/2023 & rated 98 points: A 45mm natural cork enclosure. No ABV on the label… because that requirement post-dates this vintage. I learned something new. Orange in colour. Nose was med(+) intensity but yielded sandlewood, honey, cinnamon, orange, bitter marmalade, Jasmine, banana, crystalised fruits and probably much more had I not had to share it. Full body. Pronounced intensity. High acidity. A finish that lasted over a minute. Balanced - of course, not super sweet they said. Everything is balanced I said. A real gem at a gemstone price. (1520 views) | | | Tasted by Keith Cooper on 4/9/2023 & rated 95 points: Opened and poured immediately by a good friend to celebrate his birthday. Cork came out cleanly. Bright amber and honey colour. Spicy nose, cinnamon, cloves, honey, orange, complex. Not overly sweet which means I like it all the more. Long finish of oranges. Excellent and a real treat. (1547 views) | | | Tasted by jgh123 on 11/11/2022 & rated 96 points: Had with a lovely foie gras dish. The wine was spectacular. Fully mature but will last for a couple of decades. (1655 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 9/18/2022 & rated 95 points: What can I say. Thank love my wife of 42 years and this was awesome (1916 views) | | | Tasted by TheEngineer on 5/23/2022 & rated 93 points: On opening, there was a bit of concern, like with many older yquems's the initial nose is questionable but it blew off quickly. The color of the '80 was of a slightly aged sauternes, a bit darker and honeyed in color but not yet moving towards a dark honey. nose of honey, floral initially a bit of chamomile tea, on the palate, the same but preceded by an intense orange marmalade, orange peel, orange rind, quite viscous, absolutely delicious, only let own by its length, which was long, but not indefinite as with the 2001's. Some of the baby fat has clearly been lost but his wine is highly structured and will last for a long time yet. Not rush but a perfect time to drink. (2373 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 6/26/2021 & rated 95 points: Early 41st Anniversary including ‘61 Cos d’Estournel (George Trois Winnetka, IL): Drank over two courses, Foie and a dessert. Light amber color, apricot, cream, floral and just right. Drink or hold forever. (3062 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 2/7/2021 & rated 93 points: Darker color, caramel. Spice, good finish. (3155 views) | | | Tasted by ericindc on 12/24/2020 & rated 93 points: Had to open this cause of a couple drips through the cork. The color seemed very slightly darker than the example of Y'quem's website. Cork was a mess, but it was ok and you could see the mild trail of seepage. On smelling and tasting the wine it seemed correct so I suspect the seepage just mildly accelerated the aging.
Quite nice and classic nose, the taste was very apricot and some spicy notes, but less than I thought. It did have the creme brulee and light nuttiness that heralds maturity, with a nice acid backdone. While this was an excellent bottle, it was missing a little intensity that kept it from reaching the best Yquems. For nicely sealed bottles, no rush to drink. This will easily last until 2040 and beyond. (2723 views) | | | Tasted by yodamark on 11/22/2020 & rated 96 points: the final wine of the night before the 1983 Grange chaser. The 80 D'yquem was at first a somewhat worrying and interesting wine. I had many 1980's Sauternes before, Climens, Coutet etc and all yummy, but my first 80 D'yquem. the nose was immediately attacking your nostrils with Chlorine and salt. like the kitchen staff at La luna had decided to bleach the equipment whilst the diners were still in the restaurant. To me it was a little off putting but i knew underneath it would be superb. it tried to trick us with these yucky initial smells as only D'yquem can, in some sort of poor masquerading attempt at being an off bottle and not worth drinking it. But Yodamark and fellow revelers were not fooled. The mistake it made was that the nose had forgotten to tell the palate it was trying to play a big trick on us, as if the palate didnt get the memo. it immediately burst out of the glass with marmalade, honey, apricots, sweet sugar coated walnuts and long acidic but balanced ripe citrus finish. the bouquet then realised the ruse was up and gave in. the palate flavours then jumped ship to the bouquet and the Dyquem had been exposed and lost it battle to not be consumed. simply stunning. Knowing i was drinking again the next night with mate Peter I managed to squirrel a 3rd of a bottle and took it home. Having had too much to drink myself and tired of yelling at Andy Warhol on the next table all night i made the simple mistake of leaving the bottle in the back seat of the Uber with Marky W and Timmy Two Shoes. We ( read "I" ) needed to smash a burger and stopped at Maccas for drive through. When i turned around to give them my credit card I noticed a drinking straw in the Dyquem and both Mark and Tim gurgling on it and giggling like schoolboys sniggering at the first glimpse of a girls panties. i turned back in disgrace and shook my head. I thought well at least i can display the empty bottle with the others i had kept from the night but noooo, out the window it went. i reminded myself that they are family and that sometimes it is difficult to soar with eagles when your family members are Turkeys... cest la vie! (2879 views) | | | Tasted by Keith Cooper on 10/31/2020 & rated 94 points: Tasted at home with friends, dinner featuring wine vintages ending in a zero. Served from a half bottle to accompany pear tart. This was a rare treat for all of us and the half bottle was great to serve 6 around the table. Decanted 30 minutes before serving. Deep amber colour, the nose was brimming with lively orange and honey fruit. The palate was very rich, smooth and not cloying, absolutely delicious. The aromas and taste lasted as long as any of us could keep it in the glass. A tremendous Sauternes, but I do think that it is matched by the likes of Doisy Daene, Rieussec and Suduiraut, and they are all much less expensive to buy. Nevertheless, a real treat. (2474 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 10/12/2020 & rated 94 points: 13x 1980 Birthday Bash: Tasted blind. Yquem is just a sure bet. This vintage doesn’t have the complexity of the best year but it was wonderfully fresh and light with intense saffron/boytritis notes at the core which are to die for. I have a soft spot for these types of vintages as the grande vintages can often be a bit overwhelming with so many different flavors and all the intensity. It is drinking well today, easily on a 94/95 points level but will for sure continue to evolve over one or the other decade.
TN: Saffron, quince, various citrus fruits, hints of nutty aromas on the nose and palate, with especially the beautiful saffron notes taking the centre stage. Nice intensity and very good precision, medium complexity, perfectly fresh with a round acidity, good length. The complete package.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decant needed. (2982 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 9/19/2020 & rated 95 points: "You only turn 40 once tasting" (At home): Ex-Chateau library release (2019), hence impeccable condition. Nice, golden colour. Archetypal nose of quince, apricot, candid fruit and saffron with tons of saffron also on the palate where you'll also find a great, fresh acidic structure and a pleasantly sweet flavours. Not as layered as the best from this estate, but nonetheless great and (still) in a great spot. (2232 views) | | | Tasted by bestdamncab on 10/26/2019 & rated 95 points: Magnum Birthday Party (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Magnum Birthday Party, only wine served in 750ml bottle format today, nose of butterscotch, caramel, and pear juice, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, subtle and elegant, complex, almost perfect finish when paired with the Double Cream Brie, St. Andre, and Bourgogne cheeses, long, flavorful finish. (3147 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 10/21/2019 flawed bottle: Tasting with Olivier Bernstein (Bourbon Steak, Washington D.C.): I brought two halves and my bottle is muted and a bit dirty. (3188 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 10/10/2019 & rated 96 points: Drank over 2 courses or 2 hours. Really clean color bottle, wonderful scent of apricot, balanced palate feel and delicious all the way down even later in the evening. What a treat at 39 years. (2561 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 2/3/2019 & rated 96 points: Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2019 (The Brown Residence): Ripe yet pure and precise yellow fruit, apricot, mango, tangerine, pineapple, a hint of botrytis, ginger candy and honey. Perfectly harmonious palate, very finely layered sweet yellow fruit, silky and weightless, bright acidity and a long decadent yet pure yellow fruit driven finish with ginger candy at the end. Excellent showing. (4157 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 1/27/2019 & rated 97 points: A lazy Sunday lunch - Bordeaux blind, Raveneau, PYCM, Yquem, Dom Rose and etc. (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner, VA): Perfect mature nose displaying bright and decadent yellow fruit, dry peach, mango, apricot preserves, noticeable botrytis, ginger candy, honey, crème brulee and saffron. Beautifully integrated palate, very finely layered slightly dry yellow fruit, silky and weightless, bright acidity and mineral, and a long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with saffron and honey at the end. IMO, the 80 top Sauternes are excellent, showing generous fruit and exceptional balance. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, the 80 is a poor red Bordeaux vintage and the 80 Sauternes often get dismissed. This is an excellent classic Yquem that is drinking beautifully. (3974 views) | | | Tasted by Snowryeder on 4/13/2018 & rated 93 points: Not the best year for d'Yquem but still amazing. So rich and complex. Apricot, peaches and tangerines. Deep caramel color. Still some very good years ahead. (3172 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 2/2/2018 & rated 93 points: Amber color. Lots of nutty flavors, some smoke. A bit monolithic. Decent but not a great Yquem. (3900 views) | | | Tasted by dal1951 on 1/13/2018 & rated 95 points: Needed an hour to open up but when it did, the flavors of orange, Tangerine and pineapple came right to the top. While not the best vintage it still is d'yquem. Plenty of length on this wine as well. (3458 views) | | | Tasted by dal1951 on 1/1/2018 & rated 95 points: Medium golden, with a big, opulent, honeyed, oaky, flowery, tropical fruit bouquet, this wine is rich and concentrated, has very good acidity, a lot of botrytis, and a stunning finish. (2966 views) | | | Tasted by Nutty08 on 8/23/2017 & rated 95 points: Reunion (San Antonio): Color was bordering on amber. Just a hint of heat on the nose, but so captivating. Palate is quite light, such energy and grace here as it transitions seamlessly into a lengthy finish. Certainly not an unctuous, rich, sweet vintage, but lots of complexity and poise to enjoy here. A great finish to a great night of wine and friends. (4082 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, Written in the Stars: Bordeaux 1865-2020 (Dec 2023) (12/1/2023)
(Yquem Yquem Sweet White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Unrivalled/ Unequalled: Yquem 1921–2019 (Apr 2022) (4/1/2022)
(D'yquem Yquem Sweet White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (12/6/2013)
(Château d'Yquem) Medium golden color; very botrytised, tarte tatin, apple pie filling nose; rich, botrytis, confectioner's sugar, baked apple, apricot, baked apricot palate with lowish acidity; long finish 91+ points 91 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (11/8/2007)
(Château d'Yquem) Apricot color; coconut and sherry nose; mature, honeyed, tart lemon, smoky palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château d'Yquem Producer website - Read more about Chateau d’Yquem
Château d’Yquem had been in the hands of Lur Saluces family from 1785 to 1997. After several years of legal controversies, caused by disagreements within Lur Saluces family, mode giant LVMH (Louis Vutton, Moët Hennesy and Château Cheval Blanc) gained majority of shares in d’Yquem in 1997, when Count Alexandre de Lur Saluces sold his shares to LVMH. He did however continue as manager of d’Yquem, according to agreement with the new owner. This changed radically in May 2004, when he retired and was replaced him with Pierre Lurton, already manager at Cheval Blanc. The latest vintages of d'Yquem conform very convincing, that Pierre Lurton has greatly succeeded to maintain d'Yquem's fantastic quality.
This property is beautifully placed at hilltop in Sauternes commune, with its 103 ha big vineyard (clay and gravel on the surface and lime stones in the subsoil), planted with 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The average age of vines is 27 years and the yield does not exceed 10 hl/ha. The wine matures for 3.5 years in new barrels. Neither chaptalisation nor other techniques, which increase sugar content in grape must, are allowed. D’Yquem is one of the very few properties in the district, to use both semi-botrytised and fully botrytised grapes for the wine, in order to have enough acidity to balance sweetness.
D’Yquem is made without any compromises and consideration whatsoever about production costs - pickers are on constant alert for 1.5-2 months, and do many picking rounds in the vineyard. Often, the amount of these rounds is double or triple, compared to how many rounds other classified properties perform in the district. Here, we have the king of Sauternes & Barsac, world’s most expensive and most demanded dessert wine, which has an enormous keeping potential (50 years+). At its best, this wine possesses a purely exceptional botrytis, enormous concentration and such a nuance-richness, which makes you speechless.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanSauternes Le Grand Crus Classés de Sauternes et Barsac 1855 (Crus Classés de Sauternes et Barsac) - Read more about Sauternes, Barsac and its wines
– Read more about the 1855 Sauternes Barsac Classification
Forty kilometres south of Bordeaux, Sauternes is an AOC that includes together 5 communes, including Barsac. For centuries, humans have been patiently learning to master this region's climate, soils and grape varieties. But Mother Nature did a good job laying the foundation. The Sauternes terroir is distinguished by a geological predisposition to gravel and pebbles that cover limestone streaked with veins of clay. In the communes of Fargues and Sauternes, a layer of hardpan (iron-oxide cemented sand) in which vines flourish can be found. The vineyards at the highest elevations and farthest from the river have the best terroirs and produce the majority of the Crus Classés, including the monumental Château Yquem.Sauternes wines are made from Sémillon (80% of vines planted) and Sauvignon (15%) grapes. A bit of Muscadelle occasionally is used to give the wines an untamed touch. Sauternes have an "aged gold" colour that is denser and darker than other dessert wines. When they age, they develop a stunning amber colour. The nose has aromas of flowers and fruit that melt together to create a bouquet of remarkable complexity and balance. The primary aromas include almond, quince, mango, pineapple, stewed peach, dried apricot and passion fruit. There are also floral notes, with touches of linden, acacia, mimosa and honeysuckle. And as is typical with Sémillon, there are also notes of beeswax, almond and hazelnut. In the mouth, Sauternes wines have a powerful style that is viscous but extremely elegant. Its strong sweetness is captivating. Finally, its aromatic finish is something that simply must be experienced.
2013 Vintage Notes:
"the extractive ratios in th[is] year are in the phenomenal range and there's ripeness/botrytis to cover two treks around the globe [...] so appealing is the immediacy of the wines. Many can be enjoyed now for their sheer joy and delicious nature. [Some] should also age" - Jon Rimmerman
2014 Vintage Notes:
"a golden vintage for Sauternes. It may not have the depth or weight of 2010, but it has some of the richness. What has set 2014 apart is the intense lime and lemon flavors that cut into any overblown cloying character and allow both the fruit and the honeyed noble rot to sing." - Wine Enthusiast |
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