I find Sauterne can vary quite a bit depending on storage which impacts its color. This bottle had a tan/brown center and yellow rims which suggests weak storage to me.
It was rich and ripe with solid acidity but it was not particularly integrated and came off a touch hot.
This was certainly disappointing for what it was.
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Stunning. Best of the vertical of 2015, 2005, 2002, 1976, 1967 and 1959. Toffee and caramel dominates. Great viscosity, density and acidity. Seems like this could go another 50 years easily. Bested them all, followed by the 2002 poured from a 5L. Wonderful experience!
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Instead the of orange, tangerine, lemon and mango of younger Château d’Yquem this ancient one resembles toffee, cinnamon and saffron. It’s a beast but fortunately there’s enough tangy acidity to hold it together. Clearly wonderful even though I prefer a bit more brightness in my dessert wine.
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When Chateau d'Yquem is young, the wine has competition from some of the other top producers in the appellation. But as the wine ages, that is when the rubber hits the road, as Yquem clearly pulls ahead of the competition. Here you find a deep golden, mahogany hue with an ethereal perfume consisting of roasted apricots, burnt caramel, butterscotch, marmalade, overripe pineapple, and nuts, topped with honey. There is blistering acidity that provides lift to the layers of honeyed, caramel topped yellow and orange spiced fruits on the palate. The seamless finish starts off strong, picks up steam, and keeps on going. There is no reason that well-stored bottles cannot age another 30-40 years and maybe more!
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This is the finest example of the 59 I have ever tasted. Deep gold in color, the wine explodes with caramel, burnt sugar, toffee, butterscotch, candied orange rind, pineapple and lemon curd nuances. Sweet and fresh, with silky textures and racy acidity, the yellow fruit, honey and caramel finish was endless. If you are young, and you have bottles of the better vintages for d'Yquem, try hanging on to a few for when you and the wine have aged into maturity. It will be worth the extreme wait.
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The P Wine (Bourbon Steak, Aventura, Florida): Like humans, the ‘59 Yquem gains weight almost every year. Unlike us, it can be attractive if it’s balanced such as this one with the correct acidity. Thick as EVOO. Huge gobs of honey, apricot, crème brûlée and dripping with botrytis. Arguably more impressive than delicious but mighty enjoyable for a few small sips.
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Carli60) der mit Abstand beste Sauternes im Flight, köstlich lebhafte Säure mit feiner Altersfirnis, Melone, Honig, feine cremige Textur, geht’s besser? Nein.
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Although this was a very strong showing, I think my last bottle of ‘59 Yquem was fresher. Again this was great with all that toffee, caramel, praline, and other nutty detail, but this example made me want to reach for an ‘01 or something with a bit more verve and brightness. Hitting all the intellectual detailed notes you’d hope for in a wine this age, but I have had older examples which were lighter and sharper. This bottle is approaching that dangerous zone where Sauternes start to behave like ports...
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Much better than previous bottle from same source. Caramelly but lifted by higher tone orange notes and perfect acidity. Quite viscous yet not ridiculously so. Splendid, but is it past its best days?
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DC/Chicago Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Rosewood Hotel Dining Room - Washington DC): Dry apricot and yellow peach with candied lemon peel, creme brulee and very good concentration. Moderately/ interestingly still sweet. Enough acidity to keep this bright and interesting, even if not the most complex great vintage old d'Yquem.
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Annual Chicago winos visit - Champagne, DRC, Yquem, SQN and etc. (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): Medium amber but clear and bright color. Intense complex nose displaying decadent yellow fruit with a hint of red, dry apricot, dry peach, candied orange peel, a hint of currant, tarte tatin, cinnamon, toffee and burnt sugar. Excellent concentration, perfectly precise and weightless, layers upon layers of dry yellow fruit, mouth puckering acidity and a long intense dry apricot and sweet spices driven finish. Although quite mature, no noticeable oxidation. Really intense Yquem.
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Very good, but... one expects certain things of d'Yquem. And all the more so when that d'Yquem is the 1959. This is quite evolved, the nose all about carmelized sugar work. The palate is livelier and quite nice, but there's not as much fruit as you might imagine. Very good, but a bit of a let-down for 59 d'Yquem.
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Dark mahogany colour that seemed to lighten up a bit with more time. The nose is immediately indicative of Sauternes with ripe apricot and dried mango. Lots of fall spice, caramel, overripe banana, toffee pudding, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pecan and pumpkin pie. Showing its age a bit with varnish and old wood tones. The freshness on the nose up front is impressive, as is the richness and depth on the back end. One sip and the finish seems to stay in your mouth for the rest of the evening. Complex and nuanced, but still fruity and lively. Very happy with this. Haven’t had a ‘59 before, but thinking back to May and the flight of ‘37, ‘28, and ‘21 Yquem, which I didn’t review, and this seems more or less in the vicinity. Again, very happy, but I feel that even better bottles are out there...
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From an excellent looking bottle, this wine had a deep honey colored center with light yellow/clear rims. The high intensity nose displayed honey, citrus, caramel, and minerals.
In the mouth, this wine was rich and ripe but gorgeously was balanced. It had great acidity and length.
Unfortunately, this wine got a bit lost with all the huge bottles tonight. However, it was excellent! Having this wine does make me wonder how much the drinking experience has changed over the years. What would the wine have tasted like in 1787 when TJ visited the chateau?
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Annual Chicago winos visit - Pearl Clutcher, coche, drc, rousseau, D'Yquem and etc. (The Grill Room at Rosewood DC): Very dark color in considering the age. Dry apricot and plum dominates, dry orange peel, candied orange zest, dark caramel, a hint of madeira and dark spices. Very precise D’Yquem signature airy palate, dried apricot and dark spice driven palate impression, strong presence of acidity and long finish that ends with dark spices. For my palate, a bit more advanced even considering the age. Incredible generosity and a great treat!
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Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Rosewood Hotel Dining Room - Washington DC): Very late night, very brief note. Very dark color. Spiced and nuanced with dried apricot and banana chips, this somehow almost came across as savory. Very tasty and a wonderful treat, but I didn't quite enjoy it as much as another bottle from five years ago.
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Domaine Fourrier Wine Dinner with Jean-Marie Fourrier (Nomi, Chicago): The amplitude of the nose on this wine was shocking as the bottle was split among 20 or so tasters so the pour was quite small. That pungent nose included baking spices and candied fruit. The palate was still quite sweet for wine of almost 60 years but also included notes of botrytis, burnt sugar, caramel, cinnamon, and baked apples. The wine also had great color as it was orange with just a touch of browning. This was an obviously correct and stunning bottle.
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Not the best bottle I've ever tasted of this often stunning wine. With a color and fill that were too advanced for its age, this amber colored wine offered more secondary notes of caramel, butterscotch, buttered popcorn, cooked apricot, candied orange and brioche than luscious honeyed fruit. The sweetness had declined somewhat and there was more noticeable acidity than fruits and honey. The hands of age were strong on this bottle.
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Tasted blind, this wine had a brown/tan center with yellow rims. The high intensity nose displayed brown sugar, lemons, almond paste, and burnt orange.
I was convinced I was tasting the best bottle of Rieussec I have ever had. The wine was so rich, much more so than any Yquem I have ever had before (including another bottle of the '59). It had kaleidoscopic flavors and monstrous length.
While at its peak, it will last for 2 decades or so. Wildly great!
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From a great looking bottle with a fully branded cork, this wine had a tan/brown center with yellow/tan rims. The high intensity nose showed sautéed oranges, brown sugar, pear, and citrus. It was more dramatic than other, younger vintages I have had. The intense orange notes reminded me of a great vintage of Rieussec.
However, this wine was not like Rieussec in the mouth. It was much more refined and integrated. It had great richness and yet was also incredibly refined and long. The mouthfeel was special.
This was absolutely riveting! Enjoy!
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Deep caramel in color, with a nose of apricot, orange marmalade, toffee, vanilla, bees wax, brown sugar and honey, the wine has exchanged its previous, vibrant, sweet, honeyed yellow fruits for a creme brulee, lemon peel and brown sugar character. Based on this bottle, I'd drink this sooner than later.
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Brownish color, not as heavy as I thot with loads of caramel, vanilla, tropical fruits, and a nice acidity spine, goes very well with white truffle + ice cream.
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B level fill, top shoulder. Amber with green yellow rim. Botrytis, apricots, raisins, nuts, vanilla, very complex. Pure, elegant, fantastic acidity, really refreshing, caramel, so much happening, complex and balanced, and that acidity just plays and plays in the mouth. Fantastic length, minutes on end.
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This bottle performed about as I expected from the very dark color and mid-shoulder level. Very sweet still and held firmly together by bracing acidity. But there was too much burnt caramel and not enough luscious honey tangerine flavor the best bottles of Yquem can have, even at age fifty. I am guessing this bottle was exposed to excessive heat some time in the last half century, although it has been in my possession for at least 15 years. But our host Bob who was celebrating his fiftieth birthday did not seem to mind.
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Consumed with raspberry crepes and homemade vanilla ice cream at the home of Ken Johnson, who provided the bottle. Deep-to-opaque amber, this wine shows an explosive bouquet of caramel, apricot, vanilla and raisins. Full-bodied on the palate, with excellent acidity and a silky mouth texture. The flavors are complex and, in general, mirror the nose. The palate (and aromatic) finish is as long as any wine that I have ever tasted. Indeed, the bouquet in the (dry) glass 30 minutes later was essentially as pronounced as when the glass was full!
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Orange to brown in colour. Notes of sulfur and orange peel emerged from the glass. In the mouth the wine was incredibly fat and oily, with a fantastic sweet, densely packed core of flavour on notes of abricot, mango and other tropical fruits. The wine just kept showing new layers and dimensions, and after a while, it transformed itself into what seemed like liquid brown sugar, then maple syrup, then?.I had the wine in the glass for a good long while, and while retaining its personality, it kept showing new sides of itself. I had to rinse my mouth with water to clear the aftertaste, after having waited a few minutes for it to fade. An almost surreal experience.
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Hugh’s bottle. Not the most luscious but maybe the most youthful example of ‘59 Yquem I have had in a long time. I would have guessed it as the ‘71 blind. More orange peel than tangerine, white sugar rather than honey . Superb refreshing acidity. Impressive all the same.
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A rare ex-Nicolas bottle of Château d’Yquem. Gorgeous old gold, is any Sauternes, or any wine, as beautiful as old Yquem? Classically perfect nose. Gentle for this wine. Superb balance.
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Opened at midnight 12/31/1999, the millennium bottle. Orange amber colour, an explosion of apricot and caramel bouquet. Fat, concentrated, rich, good structure and acidity, incredible length on the palate. A surreal experience.
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As great a Sauternes as anyone could ever hope to drink in the hyper-rich heavyweight style. Beautiful orange gold/copper color. Huge nose of ripe pineapple, tangerine and mango. Extremely viscous and concentrated. Sweet with perfect balancing tart acidity, so not cloying. Endless finish. Quintessential masculine Château d’Yquem. No other Sauternes come close.
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Surely one of the greatest vintages for Château d’Yquem. Beautiful deep gold shot through with orange. Huge impact from tangerine botrytis. Mouth filling is an understatement.
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Jim’s bottle. A Sauternes masterpiece. Gorgeous orange gold color. Superb bouquet - oranges, peaches, tangerine. Not as spicy as some vintages of Yquem, more tropical fruity. Amazing definition and clarity for its size and power. Almost delicate. A prima ballerina of wine. No hint of over-ripe. It doesn’t get any better. Perfection.
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9/23/2023 - Eric wrote:
Jason's birthday and old Bordeaux (Newcastle, WA): Marmalade and creme brulee.
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5/23/2023 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
I find Sauterne can vary quite a bit depending on storage which impacts its color. This bottle had a tan/brown center and yellow rims which suggests weak storage to me.
It was rich and ripe with solid acidity but it was not particularly integrated and came off a touch hot.
This was certainly disappointing for what it was.
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1/3/2023 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Stunning. Best of the vertical of 2015, 2005, 2002, 1976, 1967 and 1959. Toffee and caramel dominates. Great viscosity, density and acidity. Seems like this could go another 50 years easily. Bested them all, followed by the 2002 poured from a 5L. Wonderful experience!
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3/12/2022 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Instead the of orange, tangerine, lemon and mango of younger Château d’Yquem this ancient one resembles toffee, cinnamon and saffron. It’s a beast but fortunately there’s enough tangy acidity to hold it together. Clearly wonderful even though I prefer a bit more brightness in my dessert wine.
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9/30/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
When Chateau d'Yquem is young, the wine has competition from some of the other top producers in the appellation. But as the wine ages, that is when the rubber hits the road, as Yquem clearly pulls ahead of the competition. Here you find a deep golden, mahogany hue with an ethereal perfume consisting of roasted apricots, burnt caramel, butterscotch, marmalade, overripe pineapple, and nuts, topped with honey. There is blistering acidity that provides lift to the layers of honeyed, caramel topped yellow and orange spiced fruits on the palate. The seamless finish starts off strong, picks up steam, and keeps on going. There is no reason that well-stored bottles cannot age another 30-40 years and maybe more!
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7/17/2021 - Boone's Farm Likes this wine: 95 Points
Honeysuckle, apricot,and peach. Strong Bortrytis. About as good as it gets
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2/10/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This is the finest example of the 59 I have ever tasted. Deep gold in color, the wine explodes with caramel, burnt sugar, toffee, butterscotch, candied orange rind, pineapple and lemon curd nuances. Sweet and fresh, with silky textures and racy acidity, the yellow fruit, honey and caramel finish was endless. If you are young, and you have bottles of the better vintages for d'Yquem, try hanging on to a few for when you and the wine have aged into maturity. It will be worth the extreme wait.
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1/4/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
The P Wine (Bourbon Steak, Aventura, Florida): Like humans, the ‘59 Yquem gains weight almost every year. Unlike us, it can be attractive if it’s balanced such as this one with the correct acidity. Thick as EVOO. Huge gobs of honey, apricot, crème brûlée and dripping with botrytis. Arguably more impressive than delicious but mighty enjoyable for a few small sips.
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10/12/2019 - Axelpeter wrote: 100 Points
Carli60) der mit Abstand beste Sauternes im Flight, köstlich lebhafte Säure mit feiner Altersfirnis, Melone, Honig, feine cremige Textur, geht’s besser? Nein.
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9/12/2019 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Although this was a very strong showing, I think my last bottle of ‘59 Yquem was fresher. Again this was great with all that toffee, caramel, praline, and other nutty detail, but this example made me want to reach for an ‘01 or something with a bit more verve and brightness. Hitting all the intellectual detailed notes you’d hope for in a wine this age, but I have had older examples which were lighter and sharper. This bottle is approaching that dangerous zone where Sauternes start to behave like ports...
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6/14/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 100 Points
A 1959 Horizontal Across Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux (Le Cinq Restaurant, George Cinq Four Seasons, Paris): A perfect Yquem. Completely dark. Barely sweet at all. Just perfectly balanced complex nutty flavors with a spine of acidity. Impossible to put down.
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3/30/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Much better than previous bottle from same source. Caramelly but lifted by higher tone orange notes and perfect acidity. Quite viscous yet not ridiculously so. Splendid, but is it past its best days?
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10/8/2018 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Curnonsky dinner. Amber color. Amazing floral notes. Viscous. Some rusticity emerges, not perfectly clean.
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10/6/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
DC/Chicago Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Rosewood Hotel Dining Room - Washington DC): Dry apricot and yellow peach with candied lemon peel, creme brulee and very good concentration. Moderately/ interestingly still sweet. Enough acidity to keep this bright and interesting, even if not the most complex great vintage old d'Yquem.
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10/6/2018 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Annual Chicago winos visit - Champagne, DRC, Yquem, SQN and etc. (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): Medium amber but clear and bright color. Intense complex nose displaying decadent yellow fruit with a hint of red, dry apricot, dry peach, candied orange peel, a hint of currant, tarte tatin, cinnamon, toffee and burnt sugar. Excellent concentration, perfectly precise and weightless, layers upon layers of dry yellow fruit, mouth puckering acidity and a long intense dry apricot and sweet spices driven finish. Although quite mature, no noticeable oxidation. Really intense Yquem.
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6/1/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 94 Points
Very good, but... one expects certain things of d'Yquem. And all the more so when that d'Yquem is the 1959. This is quite evolved, the nose all about carmelized sugar work. The palate is livelier and quite nice, but there's not as much fruit as you might imagine. Very good, but a bit of a let-down for 59 d'Yquem.
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12/25/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Dark mahogany colour that seemed to lighten up a bit with more time. The nose is immediately indicative of Sauternes with ripe apricot and dried mango. Lots of fall spice, caramel, overripe banana, toffee pudding, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pecan and pumpkin pie. Showing its age a bit with varnish and old wood tones. The freshness on the nose up front is impressive, as is the richness and depth on the back end. One sip and the finish seems to stay in your mouth for the rest of the evening. Complex and nuanced, but still fruity and lively. Very happy with this. Haven’t had a ‘59 before, but thinking back to May and the flight of ‘37, ‘28, and ‘21 Yquem, which I didn’t review, and this seems more or less in the vicinity. Again, very happy, but I feel that even better bottles are out there...
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3/11/2017 - fclarity wrote: 97 Points
From an excellent looking bottle, this wine had a deep honey colored center with light yellow/clear rims. The high intensity nose displayed honey, citrus, caramel, and minerals.
In the mouth, this wine was rich and ripe but gorgeously was balanced. It had great acidity and length.
Unfortunately, this wine got a bit lost with all the huge bottles tonight. However, it was excellent! Having this wine does make me wonder how much the drinking experience has changed over the years. What would the wine have tasted like in 1787 when TJ visited the chateau?
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12/5/2016 - Le Gaulois Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tout simplement wow! Une longueur incroyable, du jamais vu!
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9/30/2016 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Annual Chicago winos visit - Pearl Clutcher, coche, drc, rousseau, D'Yquem and etc. (The Grill Room at Rosewood DC): Very dark color in considering the age. Dry apricot and plum dominates, dry orange peel, candied orange zest, dark caramel, a hint of madeira and dark spices. Very precise D’Yquem signature airy palate, dried apricot and dark spice driven palate impression, strong presence of acidity and long finish that ends with dark spices. For my palate, a bit more advanced even considering the age. Incredible generosity and a great treat!
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9/30/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Rosewood Hotel Dining Room - Washington DC): Very late night, very brief note. Very dark color. Spiced and nuanced with dried apricot and banana chips, this somehow almost came across as savory. Very tasty and a wonderful treat, but I didn't quite enjoy it as much as another bottle from five years ago.
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4/1/2016 - EhrlichDY wrote: 97 Points
Domaine Fourrier Wine Dinner with Jean-Marie Fourrier (Nomi, Chicago): The amplitude of the nose on this wine was shocking as the bottle was split among 20 or so tasters so the pour was quite small. That pungent nose included baking spices and candied fruit. The palate was still quite sweet for wine of almost 60 years but also included notes of botrytis, burnt sugar, caramel, cinnamon, and baked apples. The wine also had great color as it was orange with just a touch of browning. This was an obviously correct and stunning bottle.
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10/15/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Not the best bottle I've ever tasted of this often stunning wine. With a color and fill that were too advanced for its age, this amber colored wine offered more secondary notes of caramel, butterscotch, buttered popcorn, cooked apricot, candied orange and brioche than luscious honeyed fruit. The sweetness had declined somewhat and there was more noticeable acidity than fruits and honey. The hands of age were strong on this bottle.
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5/31/2015 - fclarity wrote: 98 Points
Tasted blind, this wine had a brown/tan center with yellow rims. The high intensity nose displayed brown sugar, lemons, almond paste, and burnt orange.
I was convinced I was tasting the best bottle of Rieussec I have ever had. The wine was so rich, much more so than any Yquem I have ever had before (including another bottle of the '59). It had kaleidoscopic flavors and monstrous length.
While at its peak, it will last for 2 decades or so. Wildly great!
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3/8/2014 - fclarity wrote: 96 Points
From a great looking bottle with a fully branded cork, this wine had a tan/brown center with yellow/tan rims. The high intensity nose showed sautéed oranges, brown sugar, pear, and citrus. It was more dramatic than other, younger vintages I have had. The intense orange notes reminded me of a great vintage of Rieussec.
However, this wine was not like Rieussec in the mouth. It was much more refined and integrated. It had great richness and yet was also incredibly refined and long. The mouthfeel was special.
This was absolutely riveting! Enjoy!
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12/17/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
End of the night so don't recall exact notes, still has many years left, great structure and flavor, would love to fast again in 30 years.
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11/24/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Deep caramel in color, with a nose of apricot, orange marmalade, toffee, vanilla, bees wax, brown sugar and honey, the wine has exchanged its previous, vibrant, sweet, honeyed yellow fruits for a creme brulee, lemon peel and brown sugar character. Based on this bottle, I'd drink this sooner than later.
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6/26/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: flawed
Legendary Château D'Yquem Tasting * 1893 - 1983 * (Old Swiss House, Lucerne, Switzerland): Unfortunately this bottle had a slight hint of TCA. Any rating would not do this wine justice. Behind the TCA there were signs of an outstanding d'Yquem
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10/19/2012 - LWI wrote: 97 Points
Mature and Maturing Bordeaux (Oslo): Fill: bottom neck, wonderful amber color. Very long, surprisingly much caramel, orange peel, complex.
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12/12/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
1982 Bordeaux First Growth (and Comparable) Dinner (Carlos - Highwood, IL): Great caramel on nose with some good remaining apricot. Light and charming, with lots of energy. The wine isn't powerful but it's very exciting and vibrant.
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11/13/2010 - Pacalet wrote: 92 Points
Brownish color, not as heavy as I thot with loads of caramel, vanilla, tropical fruits, and a nice acidity spine, goes very well with white truffle + ice cream.
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10/7/2010 - Christer Byklum wrote: 97 Points
B level fill, top shoulder. Amber with green yellow rim. Botrytis, apricots, raisins, nuts, vanilla, very complex. Pure, elegant, fantastic acidity, really refreshing, caramel, so much happening, complex and balanced, and that acidity just plays and plays in the mouth. Fantastic length, minutes on end.
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9/6/2009 - zinfidel wrote: 98 Points
Perfect bottle, no ullage. Dark amber color. Liquid apricots with sweet caramel and tangerine. Incredible. Doesn't get much better than this.
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7/18/2009 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
This bottle performed about as I expected from the very dark color and mid-shoulder level. Very sweet still and held firmly together by bracing acidity. But there was too much burnt caramel and not enough luscious honey tangerine flavor the best bottles of Yquem can have, even at age fifty. I am guessing this bottle was exposed to excessive heat some time in the last half century, although it has been in my possession for at least 15 years. But our host Bob who was celebrating his fiftieth birthday did not seem to mind.
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7/30/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 99 Points
Consumed with raspberry crepes and homemade vanilla ice cream at the home of Ken Johnson, who provided the bottle. Deep-to-opaque amber, this wine shows an explosive bouquet of caramel, apricot, vanilla and raisins. Full-bodied on the palate, with excellent acidity and a silky mouth texture. The flavors are complex and, in general, mirror the nose. The palate (and aromatic) finish is as long as any wine that I have ever tasted. Indeed, the bouquet in the (dry) glass 30 minutes later was essentially as pronounced as when the glass was full!
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5/20/2004 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 98 Points
Orange to brown in colour. Notes of sulfur and orange peel emerged from the glass. In the mouth the wine was incredibly fat and oily, with a fantastic sweet, densely packed core of flavour on notes of abricot, mango and other tropical fruits. The wine just kept showing new layers and dimensions, and after a while, it transformed itself into what seemed like liquid brown sugar, then maple syrup, then?.I had the wine in the glass for a good long while, and while retaining its personality, it kept showing new sides of itself. I had to rinse my mouth with water to clear the aftertaste, after having waited a few minutes for it to fade. An almost surreal experience.
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11/1/2002 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Hugh’s bottle. Not the most luscious but maybe the most youthful example of ‘59 Yquem I have had in a long time. I would have guessed it as the ‘71 blind. More orange peel than tangerine, white sugar rather than honey . Superb refreshing acidity. Impressive all the same.
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1/1/2001 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
A rare ex-Nicolas bottle of Château d’Yquem. Gorgeous old gold, is any Sauternes, or any wine, as beautiful as old Yquem? Classically perfect nose. Gentle for this wine. Superb balance.
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12/31/1999 - chevalblanc1959 wrote: 100 Points
Opened at midnight 12/31/1999, the millennium bottle. Orange amber colour, an explosion of apricot and caramel bouquet. Fat, concentrated, rich, good structure and acidity, incredible length on the palate. A surreal experience.
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9/1/1997 - sdr Likes this wine: 89 Points
Hugh’s bottle. Fine but not great. Not as fat or fleshy as it should be. The acidity sticks out. At Bex, with the Gardiners and Gambales.
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9/1/1996 - sdr Likes this wine: 100 Points
As great a Sauternes as anyone could ever hope to drink in the hyper-rich heavyweight style. Beautiful orange gold/copper color. Huge nose of ripe pineapple, tangerine and mango. Extremely viscous and concentrated. Sweet with perfect balancing tart acidity, so not cloying. Endless finish. Quintessential masculine Château d’Yquem. No other Sauternes come close.
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11/1/1994 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Surely one of the greatest vintages for Château d’Yquem. Beautiful deep gold shot through with orange. Huge impact from tangerine botrytis. Mouth filling is an understatement.
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9/1/1993 - sdr Likes this wine: 100 Points
Jim’s bottle. A Sauternes masterpiece. Gorgeous orange gold color. Superb bouquet - oranges, peaches, tangerine. Not as spicy as some vintages of Yquem, more tropical fruity. Amazing definition and clarity for its size and power. Almost delicate. A prima ballerina of wine. No hint of over-ripe. It doesn’t get any better. Perfection.
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12/12/1992 - tomandlu wrote: 99 Points
Simply magical. Fragrance of tangerines, honey and spice. Drank with Easley Blackwood and Alex Matro.
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