For a really warm year, Yquem knocked it out of the park. Maybe could use a touch more acid but it still is a nice balance, better than some second growth Sauternes in cooler years. Amazing complexity and variety of fruit coming out on the palate, and not subtly: orange peel, mango, candied pineapple, ginger among others. Wonderful wine.
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This shows rich orange and yellow fruit on both the nose and palate; orange marmalade, apricot, honey, pineapple, and subtler spicy notes, with fairly strong acidity and a long finish. The heat of the year shows up in richness and intensity, but it's not over the top. This is outstanding.
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Yquem never lets down. While this is a really ripe vintage, I was surprised by the freshness. Aromas of vanilla, orange, dried abricots and lots of caramel (no honey!). Really complex with an amazing finish. Really thick mouthfeel in a good way.
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The complex nose shoots from the glass with buttered apricots, pineapple, ginger, saffron, candied orange, vanilla, and caramel. The palate is equal to the perfume with its rich, creamy, layered, opulent display of apricots, honeyed pineapple, spice, vanilla, and ginger that soothes, coats, and lingers on your palate. While the is incredibly rich, it is not fat, or cloying, but it is intense. This will age for decades. Drink from 2023-2053.
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Commanderie de Bordeaux: Chateau Angelus with Victoire Touton (Maison Margaux, Mpls): Deep gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. Deep and floral, honeysuckle and lillies, orange, apricot, lifted and savory on the nose; beeswax, layered, honey, tropical, unctuous, well spiced, very long, powerful yet retains freshness and finesse. 95+ to 96pts.
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Dinner with the wine group - La Tache Dinner (Cindy's Place): From 375mL. Deeper golden color with hints of orange; aromatic, youthful orange fruits with crystalline purity, some botrytis baking spices, slight honey, mature notes not yet present; palate is full bodied, richly textured but with refreshing acidity, primary orange fruits, fades just a bit through the midpalate, alcohol is medium-high but well integrated; finish is medium-plus length, showing some complexity. 5 years since my last taste of this vintage, and I think this is showing a bit more closed, still with good balance and surprisingly good acidity given the vintage, but less depth of flavor and length and no mature notes yet. Deferring score until this gets a bit more air... 3 hours air: integrated well, substantially more open than when first opened, but nose definitely requires a bit of attention and it’s not as in your face as it used to be, orange marmalade, stone fruit; palate has evolved more than the nose with some burnt caramel, honeyed, lovely balance, showing lovely maturity now; finish is long and balanced. This is definitely better than when I first opened it, but not as striking as 5 years ago. I think this will continue to open with more time, and showing well now at early maturity. An above average vintage of Yquem, and far outperformed for the vintage. I think my other bottles can probably use at least 3-5 more years before I open another. 95-96
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from split (375cc), we ended quite the night of wine with a bang. Per DC panettone on the nose. on the palate as expected completely mouth coating and very long. succulent and sweet dried fruits with acidity to keep it from being tiresome. Not sure the five of use could have got through a 750, this stuff is one of the more concentrated wines out there.
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Classic d'yquem. spot on and drinking in a really good place. always fun to drink. Missing the complexity and finish of the legendary 2001, but still a great wine to drink and always delights
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Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
Four Sauternes at the end of a long tasting. The best, no surprise, was the Yquem (95pts). As usual, Yquem is miles ahead of the other Sauternes in terms of freshness, airiness, perfectly combined with aromatic density and purity. It might not be as airy and sharp as the best vintages but still showed great tonight. The Guiraud (92pts) showed complex and quite fresh just missing a bit of precision and that extra airiness. A rather sweet La Tour Blanche (90pts) and Rieussec (87pts) were both quite dark in color and quite evolved with the Rieussec showing even some signs of oxidation. Overall, all the 2003 showed a bit better than I would have expected.
Decanting: Good from the go. No extensive decanting needed (but it shouldn’t hurt either).
Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note: Only minor saffron spice, but complemented by a myriad of detailed and fine herbal features. White stone fruit with a more fresh type of peach than candid fruit. Fine caramel notes. The palate then more viscous than expected, sweet with honey notes and a tad too much acidity. Somehow this didn’t quite manage to engage me and didn’t convey a sense of harmony.
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Chez Gr, pnp, perfect cork and level - surprisingly (for 03) pale gold, v unctuous; tropical fruit with hints of apricot and marmalade, honeyed, complex, classy and fresh for vintage; full, huge length, persistence and concentration, surprisingly pure and fresh, top quality and barely ready, significant upside, 40+ years. VF (18.5).
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This is a tough vintage, and I applaud how Yquem once again pulls together an elegant specimen in a year where a hot and dry growing season prevented too much botrytis.
Orange marmalade runs through as the central theme on the nose, palate and finish. An assortment of honeyed tropical fruits cycle through the supporting cast as the wine develops with air. Good acidity from the mid-palate through to the finish keep this, like all Yquems, something you can never tire of drinking.
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Aromatic nose of honeysuckle, apricot, orange marmalade, lemon peel, dates, nutmeg and toasted almond. Palate mirrors the nose with a very long, layered finish. Well balanced. Served with chestnut torte and crème fraiche.
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Mouton dinner (La Chaumiere in Georgetown): Expressive nose displaying super concentrated ripe yellow fruit, peach, mango, pineapple, clementine, crème brulee, honey, strong saffron, light caramel, sweet and spicy spices and mineral. There is a strong botrytis note. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of decadent slightly dry yellow fruit, rich and unctuous but also beautiful balance and detail, perfect amount of acidity, medium mineral, and a long ripe yellow fruit driven finish. Perhaps this show better concentration than the 05 but showing less acidity, hence not as fresh and precise.
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Courtesy of a generous friend, the Chateau D’Yquem 2003 has an aromatic, vibrant and rich nose of coconut, pineapple, honey, tropical fruits, some oily notes, and hints of fruitcake. Rich and luscious. The palate is rich and exquisite with notes of honey, coconut, pineapple, brown sugar, some white chocolate and tropical fruits. The texture is rich and a little oily, with good acidity which ensures that the wine is vibrant and not cloying. Delicious. 96/100
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Another "first" achieved this year, my first ever Ch d'Yquem!
Bro TC kindly brought this 375 ml half bottle, all the way from Hong Kong for us, and we enjoyed it as a digestif after our first night's dinner in Bangkok, with DQ, SKT, TC and myself. Even BL and MK who don't normally drink enjoyed this (along with the Cristal 08!), and we kept a large pour for WMK who had it back at the hotel.
I was blown away by this wine's complexity, density as well as sweetness which is super balanced with the acid levels. Divine!
Magnificent nose of tropical fruit and vanilla aromatics, as well as hints of coconut flakes too. On the palate, there is dried apricot, orange zest and marmalade, and some pineapple and caramel with apricots on the finish, which is super long at over 1 minute! Beautiful manuka honey mouth-feel too.
Château d'Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur or "Superior First Growth" wine from the Sauternes, in the Gironde region in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards known as Graves.
From the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Château d'Yquem was the only Sauternes given this rating, which highlighted its superiority and also how it commands higher prices compared to all similar sweet wines.
Weather: June 2003's temperature was the warmest ever recorded at Yquem since they started tracking this from 1896 (Yes they installed a weather station over a century ago!). This notoriously hot vintage produced some very pleasant Bordeaux surprises, Yquem being one of them.
Achieving the necessary sugar levels was obviously not a problem this year. But come September, the wait was on for the botrytis. It was thanks to a little rain from 5th September, and the warm temperatures, the noble rot took off rapidly.
Right after this, rapid and busy harvesting and strict selection took place. In fact, harvest was over in a record nine days, resulting in a super rich and fully "botrytized expression" that beautifully makes this an excellent vintage.
What critics say: Back in early 2020, one of my favourite wine-writers, Jancis Robinson described that this 2003 vintage has developed a mid-amber colour. She talked about vanilla, chocolate, butter and orange zest, and has a clean finish. How could I disagree, I think she described this beautifully.
Especially when she called the evolution of this vintage as "simply stunning", and funnily... She asked if this could actually be bettered? Her answer.. "Hard to imagine how. 20/20 points!".
Voluptuous and luscious, I will never forget my first Ch D'Yquem and grateful we had this in such a nice restaurant with a great bunch of passionate wine lovers. It paired exceptionally well with our Passion Fruit Pavlova, from Chef Josh at Oriental Infusions in Bangkok.
1 Dec 2022 Bangkok (Wongwian Yai BTS station) Thailand
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[First of three bottles] Botrytis, floral notes, honeysuckle, candied apricots, candied orange peel, meringue, apricot jam, slight earthiness. Visible sugar in the glass, slightly cloying sweetness, but still very enjoyable. Long finish, just candied fruit for days. Could use more acidity, but this is great.
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Served two bottles to 14 people at the rehearsal dinner before my daughter's wedding and everyone was immensely impressed. This is one that dances across the palate and the finish stays for a full minute if not longer. There is no other wine like Yquem and as long as you don't directly compare this to the 01, you should find it to be a huge success.
When I have d'Yquem au menu, I give up being rational. Both ways, and I'm usually dithyrambic... partly because uncorking d'Yquem is not daily bread, and partly because there's something indefinable behind this sober and elegant label that is very unfair to other contenders on the Ciron's banks : if you've had a chance to taste such vintages as 1975, 1988, 2001, 2007 and even the more "modest" 1989, you know what I mean. And if you're unfortunate enough to have stored a few cases of 2003, then, you have a problem. At least : I have a problem.
2003 was indeed a challenging year marked by an unprecedented heat wave where inspired winemakers created beauties in Sauternes and Barsac - Coutet 2003 brought me down to my knees! - but the sprinkle of genius did not illuminate Yquem. Not at all. Let me be straightforward : this-is-a-very-disappointing-wine. Period. And if you wish to live the d'Yquem 2003 experience without having to pay the entry fee for the legend, here are 3 alternatives that will save you time and money :
1. Meet my grand mother. Or just pay her a visit when she cares of her oak furniture (that's usually on Tuesday): the intoxicating smell of turpentine backed by a contradictory scent of beeswax will give you a clear idea of the olfactory impressions of this vintage. Absolutely nothing (exotic fruits, white flowers) can survive to such a mess swirl of indelicate fragrances.
2. Fix yourself an Aperol x Spritz, without Proseco. Or sip a shot of Bitter San Pellegrino. The coarseness of bitters, the ubiquitous and unmelted sugars and the dryness on the finish will get you as close as one can get to where d'Yquem 2003 can take you.
3. Let dry an orange peel for a couple weeks : once it has reached the consistence of a candied fruit, chew it. Let it melt in your mouth for a while and blame me for having suggested this rather painful experiment.
Such a disappointment would be excusable if I only had that impression once. But statistics don't lie, and the 3 bottles from 2 different cases I´ve drunk over the past 6 months gave me and my guests the same consistent impression of a perfectly failed wine.
Enormously concentrated wine with apricots, orange peel and botrytis. On the palate the same impressions, a lot of caramel and concentrated sweetness, but also good and fresh acidity. This is a great beauty and probably with a very long life ahead.
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Surprisingly dark (I’ve older ones not as dark) lots of Burnt sugar, caramel, dried apricots and mango, similar palate with nice acidity and a really really long finish. This actually paired well with both a chocolate salted caramel cakes and a passion fruit cheesecake
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Wine Dinner w/new friends in JAX (Rue St Mark): Beautiful as always. This time around the note that jumped out the most to me was vanilla which was a bit of a surprise. This is from a warmer vintage and that comes through - bit less acid than in some and a bit more power. Still always delicious.
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Astonishingly complex and zings and dances on the P. Long. Exotic fruit. Needed some air to get to its very high heights. Not as dense or as lush as the Climens 03 - it is a more nimble wine. Delicious. I agree with the comment below about the ever so slight lack of some acidity in 03 but frankly I like the vintage. At Sir Charles Napier from Coravin.
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A superbly delicious Sauternes. This vintage is coming into its own with fine notes of candied apple, lemon rind, orange rind, vanilla, and tea leaves. This wine has another 15 years to run, too.
This wine just dances on the palate — the finish goes on for minutes and your taste buds adapt along the way: easy finish of golden/baked apple to delicious orange rinds with delicate residual sugar.
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A dinner with friends at 67 Pall Mall: Another bottle generously shared by my friend. Consistent with previous note, possibly showing even better than last time, and lovely with the cheeseboard.
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The 2003 D’Yquem is probably just entering its prime drinking window and was simply beautiful: Toffee, butterscotch, some vanilla, orange peel and almonds. Amazing complexity and depth and literally a finish lasting several minutes. It might profit from a tad more acidity but then again it was a pretty hot year and who am I to judge.
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Consistently, this is a beautiful Sauternes. Fat, but not cloying, the notes of buttered pineapple, apricots, candied orange rind, caramel, butterscotch and flowers come through easily. Rich, concentrated but with energy and lift, this luscious treat continues getting better and better.
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This is still very young but it's really coming along nicely and if you enjoy the earlier stages in life of great Sauternes there's no crime in drinking this at all. Since I last had this 7 years ago, the nose has really started to unfurl with a beautiful, voluminous Seville orange peel, almond, creme pat, shortbread profile accented by a faint floral touch. Very big, but very precise and so long. The acidity is a touch low here which contributes to its opulent feel.
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An extraordinary golden delight. Too many complex flavors to describe; this wine evolved over the course of two hours.
Rich in color and with a notably higher viscosity than a few years ago, this wine is drinking wonderfully. Looking back at my prior notes on this vintage, I can see this is now at a drinking age - though has countless years ahead of it for those more patient.
What d'Yquem knows how to do is unmatched.
Poured from a half bottle.
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Beaucastel reprise (Ben and Estella's place, Parramatta): From half bottle. Orange, caramel, apricot, vanilla, sweet spice, toffee apple. Juicy acid but rich and concentrated, lusciously sweet. Similar flavour profile to the nose, very long. Textured on the mid palate. With time the orange note grows and is joined by some orange peel bitterness. Nice.
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drunk alongside the 2002 and much the better of the two - delicate but complex and long, it maybe could do with a bit more acidity to balance the sweetness - no rush and it may well improve with time
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Old note - Honey, tropical fruit, vanilla. Just unctuous and syrupy heaven. Has shed some baby fat and is prime drinking window but going nowhere fast. 2020-2050+
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Rich, fat, unctuous, sweet and complex, while still an infant, the wine already shows off its creme brulee, molasses, butterscotch, orange rind, melted butter, cinnamon cloves, almonds and overripe apricots, pineapple and vanilla easily. There is a lot of volume here. The wine is hedonistic, palate-coating and frankly irresistible. Drink now, or in 10-20 or 30 years.
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Wow! I have been fortunate enough to have tasted several vintages of Ch. d'Y over the last few years. This was perhaps the most special of all. The balance of acidity and (anything but cloying) sweetness was amazing. Notes of citrus, predominated but not overpowered by orange and orange peel, apricots, and once again the acidity (grapefruit?) along with the mouthfeel and finish made this one special wine! Great now but probably will last for many, many years albeit with a different more reserved complex experience. Fine to drink now if a younger profile is what you are looking for.
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Philly Wine Group Top French Wines Themed Dinner (The Prime Rib, Philadelphia): From 750ml bottle, decanted at 2pm then returned to clean bottle for transport to Philly. It is a medium to dark amber gold color. Nose is white florals, minerals and mixed stone fruit with a noticeable undertone of botrytis right after decanting. The acidity is medium high with a rich chewy, unctuous mouth feel. Palate has a creaminess to it initially that faded by later in the evening. Among the layers of flavor were creamy grilled peach, ripe aporicot, toasted sesame and grilled pineapple along with crushed stones and golden raisin on the finish. So beautifully balanced, incredibly long on the finish and still bright and energetic. It was a good foil to cheesecake and strawberries.
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Lunch with Friends (67 Pall Mall): Brought by a friend to 67 Pall Mall. Wonderful luscious almond paste, apricot, grilled nuts, spice and orange peel. Nothing out of place, not too sweet, rich but not not heavy. Borderline perfection. The others had the Rocquefort icecream + apricot/almond tart, prepared by the chef specifically to pair.
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From a split, decanted. Gorgeous fragrant nose, caramel. Opulent mouth filling unctuous smooth liquid creme brûlée. Outstanding! The finish seems to go on forever!
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The best Sauternes I've had to date. Fantastically complex with a deep finish. With the reputation of château d'Yquem I may have expected more, but you can't really, morally, ask for more.
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Chez Dalluge Celebrates The 25th Anniversary of The French Laundry (Chez Dalluge, MN): Medium deep golden color. PNP from 750ml; drank a glass over 30 minutes. This was drinking great and firing on all cylinders in the prime of its first drinking window. Wonderfully savory carmelizeized sugar creme brulee nose, apricot, orange peel, pineapple, honey, marmalade, vanillin spices. The palate is gorgeous, apricot and orange custard, honeyed, pineapple, and an ethereally spice infused finish. Medium plus bodied and showing the ripeness of the vintage while maintaining the brightness and acidity. Loved it.
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Very solid but I was a little disappointed based on my expectations and reputation of this wine. Could have used more fruit upfront, light on the rot, finish not that long.
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Old Grange and some other goodies (Ristorante Morini): D'Yquem is in a league of its own basically always. And funny how easy it is to pick out. It just jumps out of the glass at you. Light and airy and viscous all at the same time. It's a plethora of all of those stone fruits and white flowers and lovely crispness and softness at the same time. Great way to end the evening.
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I really enjoyed this. The bottle was decanted for about 30 minutes and then served. It then took some swirling to get it to strut its stuff but everything was there. Lots of ripe tropical fruits and plenty of acidity to balance it out.
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Cab Franc hits and misses: Liked this a lot. There's a faint high toned, almost VA-like note on the nose at first but that blows off quickly with air to show lots of intensely ripe pineapple, apricot, and other tropical fruit flavours drizzled with honey and orange marmalade with some light botrytis spice accents. The botrytis here is not as apparent as I've found in other Yquems, and the richness/clarity of the fruit stands out more - it's a very pretty wine, though still feels very young with a lot of time ahead.
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Cabernet Sauvignon Dinner in DC (Eric and Janet's House in DC): Super buttery cream and vanilla with a hint of apricot on the nose. Beatifully sweet (too sweet?). Thick and unctuous, with light savory notes, some spicy bits, vanilla and apricot. Still super young. Its starting to soften, but its not yet getting caramel, burn sugar or toffee notes. Probably on a faster aging track due to the lower acidity. Still always a treat!
Very nice at this stage with fruit desserts with vanilla cream, apples, pears, etc.
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From the glass list at Manhatta (NYC). Lovely way to end thanksgiving lunch! First time with this vintage and while it was quite enjoyable I would say the balance is not as finally honed as it could be if it had a bit more acid. Pretty aromatics of honeysuckle, tastes of summer - apricots, honeysuckle, lemon, caramel. It just wants a touch more acid.
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This has always been a very good vintage, and tonight's bottle was no exception. It's a vintage that expresses the wine well, particularly for first time d'Yquem drinkers
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Stunning. Extremely rich, pure, and smooth. Other wines may have more “character”; this has the finest quality. The flavors are currently tightly packed and focused on puréed apricots, citrus zest, and botrytis. This is wonderful to drink now but it will probably be best 10-15 years from now.
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This is a beautiful wine with a captivating apricot aroma. Upon tasting, the flavor is dominated by concentrated apricot and honey accompanied by a tiny bit of nutty after taste.
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Beautiful nose. Great weight and length. A very good, but not a great Yquem. Could use more acidity and complexity. Still, an absolutely delicious wine.
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Caramel, nuts, honey, orange, minerals dark golden color very smooth and enjoyable. Seems to be pre maturely aging. This will not be a long lived d’Yquem. Drink now.
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You can read my previous detailed note, which states my take on this very well. Except that now I score it even lower. And I suspect that if tasted blind, I might have dipped into the 80s. Doesn’t seem to be worth holding.
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Apricot,lemon and citrus. This is probably drinking at its best right now. The color is showing an advanced stage. I own a few bottles purchased on release. This bottle I purchased on auction. Really good but I put side to side with the bottle I purchased on release and this bottle is noticeably darker in color.
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Hedonistic nose displaying decadent yellow fruit, mango, apricot, pineapple, banana flambe, strong honey and botrytis and crème brulee. The spicy botrytis note is very strong. Exceptional concentration, oily/unctuous yet weightless, very finely layered decadent yellow fruit, bright acidity and an incredibly long botrytis driven finish. This is a great Yquem with a long promising future a head. The Yquem to buy in the current auction market. Drank over four nights.
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Very enjoyable. Rich and unctuous. Sweetness well balanced with acidity. Nice aromas of honey, pineapple and apricot. Quite primary aromas though. Did not get much of the caramel, nut and more complex aromas.
Very pleasurable especially that most of my family had never tasted.
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Opened a full bottle for dessert with a buche de Noél on Christmas Eve, 2017. Had been saving the bottle since 2013, and decided it was time. Beautiful nose, bouquet of burnt caramel with hint of grapefruit and a bit o honey.
Low acidity, alcohol rich, and yes, some apricot and pineapple overtones for sure. Medium-long finish. Bref, a strong candidate for overall awesomeness. I'd say start drinking now, with no regrets. Can't wait to try some more of this bottle tomorrow!
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Long birthday lunch at Noble Rot (Noble Rot, Wellington, NZ): Served blind. A complex bouquet of marmalade on buttered toast, pineapples, lemon Turkish delight, honeysuckle, gentle spices, peaches and vanilla. It did not drink as lower acidity, so I did not pick the d'Yquem as a 2003. Good freshness, although viscous and full. Glycerol and tactile. Barley sugars, honey, tinned apricots and peaches and cream flavours. Even a suggestion of banana custard. The oak is still a little intrusive, but there I'm being picky. Ideally, I'd give it another five years, but I wouldn't expect the 2003 to be an ultra-long lived d'Yquem.
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My first d'Yquem. Had as a dessert glass at a restaurant. I had recently bought a 2015 future so figured I should put my money where my mouth is and try an older vintage to know what I was in for. At first, I did not like it (I have no experience with Sauternes) but it continued to evolve over the 30 minutes or so in the glass. Sweet, lots of honey and a few other notes I couldn't quite put my fingers on. Anyway, by the end, I was wishing for more, and will be excited to try more vintages of this unique wine.
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Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume II (Chicago, IL): From half bottle, served double blind (in a flight of 2003 Sauternes). A huge disappointment at the reveal. This tasted really dirty and a bit oxidized (though it had been bought at release by the owner and stored properly since). I'm really not sure what happened here. This showed none of the fruit and coconut richness I'm accustomed to, nor did the palate really have the heft I'd expect from a 2003/Yquem crossover. I'll probably have to open one of my own bottles to double check my assessment of this wine...
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a bit of a disappointment by the very high standard associated with this Chateau... The warmth and ripeness of the 2003 vintage is showing through providing plenty of volume and body. However, the wine lacks in botrytis expression, in freshness and in balance. Yes, the wine was relatively young ( 14 years), but I simply don't seem where the exquisite aromatics , acidity needed for the balance or the delicate side will come from. Hopefully time will prove me wrong, but that is how it appears now..
Exquisite - the best '03 Yquem I've ever drunk, from perhaps 2 dozen. Served at cellar temperature, on a cold winter's night (for Perth, Western Australia, that is) this extraordinary nectar was: • luscious and concentrated, • syrupy smooth, • with the most beautiful apricotty-honeyed crème brulee flavours, • beautifully balanced with good acidity and what are now well resolved tannins, in a slightly grippy and incredibly long finish of dried apricots and botrytis.
Utterly irresistible; lip-lickingly beautiful – pick your superlatives. …
For those who haven't had the 03 Yquem experience, if you knew you could find a bottle like this, and present it like this (this wine is very susceptible to serving temperature), you'd pay a lot of money to chase up a bottle and savour it with suitable friends. Hallelujah.
Drank at Ocean Prime for $39/glass. Full bodied and rich yet smooth and easy drinking. Long lingering finish with powerful tropical flavors. I drank this over about 30 minutes and my colleagues kept commenting that the smile never left my face...
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Epic 2001 Sauternes Horizontal (San Francisco): Tasted single-blind. Golden-yellow color, among the lightest in the flight; pineapple, tropical fruit, ripe fruit, slight vanilla but better integrated than I remember; palate is medium bodied, nice racy acidity throughout, complex and intense fruit that has an elegant lightness throughout; medium-long finish. 95+. My guess was the 03 Yquem, since it shows that Yquem combination of ripeness and balanced elegance, and I recognize some of the riper fruit from the last time I had this, though it is much better integrated today and seems like it is progressing very nicely (my last taste was ~5 years ago). Youthful today, and this will likely develop well over a few days and in bottle over the next few decades. Wait 5+ years until the next bottle if possible. Day 3: Highly aromatic nose with floral, ripe tropical fruit, similar to when first opened but perhaps a bit more integrated, quite elegant; palate is very youthful, balancing acidity throughout, plenty of primary fruit, still some oak influence, rich flavors but also elegant lightness throughout; long finish. This is superb, even more integrated than when first opened and showing well, though still incredibly primary. This tastes 5-10 years younger than any 2001 sauternes at the tasting (and also 5-10 years younger than any 2003 that I remember). This doesn't show any of the vintage heat and will last a century. 95-97+ now with potential for 99-100 points at peak. Day 4: unchanged. Still very primary and youthful. Maybe even more exciting than yesterday. This is a superb wine. 97+
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I drank this over many nights, and it kept getting better. Very similar tasting notes to my previous bottle; tangerine, honey, orange lychee intermingled with nice acidity. Finish is very long.
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The birthday of a good friend; Mostly beautiful magnums (@ PZ): No formal notes. Just some words. Full bodied and concentrated wine. Beautiful sweetness and botrytis and also beautiful acidity. Orange and tangerine peel. A very great and complex, still youthful wine. Can last for at least two more decades. 96++
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I am doubtlessly influenced by the d'Yquem name, but I find this wine stunningly delicious. The best dessert wines taste better than the best desserts at the best 3* Michelin restaurants, and this wine proves my point. It's as if honey and peach and custard have all melded into one. Hints of orange zest, spice, and botrytis add character. There's no need to think about this wine; it's immediately, obviously great.
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Holiday dinner organized by Ken Brown with many great wines! (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Doubters be damned. 2003. A hot vintage. Thousands in Paris died from the heat. I was in Chateauneuf du Pape in August and the town ran out of fans, so I recall (not quite) sleeping next to a semi open fridge it was so bloody hot. And so it was in Bordeaux. Botrytis? Sure. At Yquem. Some critics moderate their notes owing to the vintage, but they are nuts. This is a full throttle voluptuous yet refined Sauternes that defies the vintage while exhibiting its heat in the best possible way. Truly a fabulous wine. And perhaps my overall favorite of the evening amidst tough competition. Long finish!
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consumed at Hipping Hall, this is now starting to drink properly - sweet, but not unbalanced or cloying - you'd be hard pressed to guess 03 blind, though it is clearly from a warm year. No qualms about keeping these another decade.
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We enjoyed this wine over Thanksgiving weekend. Drank from a half bottle. The wine was very good by most standards...though perhaps just OK for D'Yquem. A bit less refined than usual.
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Un petit peu de sucre pour le dessert d'anniversaire. Accompagne très bien la tarte aux pommes. Fraicheur, équilibre, longueur. Tout y est. Grand vin !
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A helpful comment from Jeff Leve inspired me to have another of these; one of my favourite sweet wines of all time.
Intense and sumptuous, this is a full-on and delicious explosion of rich, ripe apricotty-honeyed flavours that make a mouth filling cocktail that is as smooth as a baby's ... . yet with powerful acid and that classic Yquem attack on the finish.
A stunning and memorable wine that is aging gracefully (and recently more slowly) even from a 375ml bottle. Yquem is never cheap but the 2003 remains a bargain (don't however be tempted by the '99 - I shouldn't really mention them in the same sentence ... The '99 has the least botrytis you will ever see in an Yquem whereas the '03 has perhaps the most you will ever see).
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The initial baby fat from the low acidity is barely noticeable today. The wine is now popping with its perfect combination of freshness and honeyed sweetness. The layers of honey drenched tropical fruits, apricots, white peach, vanilla and a hint of custard taste, smell and feel great. Drink this now for its youthful pleasure or wait decades for an entirely different experience. It's a beauty and for d'Yquem, it's fairly priced, especially when you factor in its high quality and style.
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A superb bottle, not quite ethereal but everything working in harmony. Unctuous and luscious. Ripe apricots, honey, grapefruit and almonds on the nose. Layered and rich with loads of complex flavors balanced by bracing acidity. Very long finish.
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Non-Blind Very Nice Reds (St. Genevieve): Drank a good-sized glass over about 30 minutes, which was fast because it was so darn tasty. So lush, so balanced. As always, elegant and lively. Gorgeous nose and palate. Lingering finish. This is everything I want from a Sauternes - spice, sweetness, acid, fruit. Orange marmalade, nectarine, honey, mango, and wildflowers.
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Awesome Yquem that is drinking well now, but I am sure has years (even decades) of life left in it. I was mostly struck by the incredible balance of this wine! Sweet, but not overly sweet, the acid is just right to match the sweetness of the wine. While the flavors were well integrated, I found myers lemon custard to be the predominant flavor, along with stone fruits, pear and a hint of ginger. The wine was absolutely delicious, and I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed opening a bottle now....of course, I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed in opening a bottle later either :)
Beautiful!! Drank alongside a stunning TBA which just shaded this but it actually highlight the fresh acidity in the wine which holds up the sweet fruit.
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Rich golden-yellow in colour. Ripe apricots, honey, flowers, almonds on the nose. Layered and fine. On the palate rich with great weight and presence but incredibly well balanced for the vintage. Notes of marzipan, walnuts, caramel, spices, honey and wonderfully rich fruit. The acidity is a little low, but there is no impression of heaviness. Delicious and very very long. 95-97
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I liked this more than I expected. Not as sweet or cloying as some vintages of Yquem, this came across dryer and well balanced, and still true to the spirit of Yquem. Interesting :)
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The pairing of the night, this was served with Orange Creme de Catalan - the candied orange of the dessert and the marmalade of the Yquem was a call and response that buckled the knees.
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Classic Sauternes. Has d'Yquem even made anything bad? If so, I've not tasted it!
Great balance of honey suckle, floral elements, acid, and a bit of minerality. Wonderful bouquet. Classic golden color with good viscosity and velvety texture. Had this with a pear cake for dessert following a 1993 Haut-Brion. Great night.
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Exclusive dinner with eight friends and 22 special wines.: Last wine of the evening and it delivered. Beautiful bouquet with apricots and orange peel, honey and botrytis. The same impressions on the palate. Sorry; no more notes, but this is a great wine with a great length. 95+
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My first tasting of Yquem ! Still very young, but it's in perfect balance. It is elegant, somewhat powerful, and just lovely overall. Too soon to drink now. I would wait at least 10 years.
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Deep nose of honey, citrus and passiom fruit. The palate is medium to full with honey and lime. Clean and crisp but missing the complexity of a great yquem
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Impromptu french theme dinner. Enjoyed 2003 Haut-Brion, Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild and d Yquem. All concurred elegance of reds ranked in order provided with Lafite being far superior. All should easily cellar another 10 years before trying next bottle.
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Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux, Sauternes (Groot Constantia): Deep, old gold with light orange and amber hues. The bouquet is slightly aldehydic with developed notes showing burnt sugar, ginger ale, candied orange and some dried mango. Slightly fatigued, however. The entry is exceptionally sweet (RS apparently 147g/l!) with an oily, unctuous texture and concentrated intensity. There is minimal botrytis influence but the mid-palate is smooth and seamless, lacking any harsh edges, resembling more an eiswein with its concentrated sugar profile. Flavours of Creme Brulée, almond paste and raisins. Full-bodied, it finishes long and syrupy (the acid is medium at best), it reminded me of the modern style of De Bortoli's Noble One with its weighty, almost overburdening presence. 2003 was exceptionally warm, especially in June. Didn't excite me.
From 375 ml bottle. Dried apricot and baked apple. Moderate intensity and length, this isn't the most botrytis intensive Yquem, but charming and balanced from start to finish.
Wine dinner at Blacksalt - Prévost, Krug, Pichler, Raveneau, Fevre, Grivot, LLC, Yquem & etc. (Blacksalt, Washington DC): I am a big fan of the 03 D’Yquem. The nose displays intense sweet yellow fruits, apricot, pineapple, mango, sweet spices, ginger and creme brulee. Incredibly concentrated yet precise and airy due to strong presence of acidity, intense jammy yellow fruit driven palate impression and lovely long finish. The overall expression remains very sweet and intense but somehow still retains the precision and airiness. This will always be enjoyable but may take another fifty years to reach the peak. Relatively speaking, great QPR.
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There's plenty happening on the nose with aromas of coconut ice, lavender, honey and apricot jam. It has some serious grunt on the palate with dense, concentrated flavours. It is rich, sweet and honeyed and freshens up nicely on the finish. A really good 2003 and a really good Yquem.
Intense, powerful, rich, concentrated - pick your superlative. Extremely complex slightly pithy dried apricots, old honey, some citrus flowers and musky spices; all in an almost thickly textured, alcoholic warmth. A lip-licking tour de force which could never be mistaken for anything other than Yquem in a hot, full-on botrytis year. So, what's the "but"?
I again note the slightly feisty finish, which I often comment on when I drink this wine, especially if it's not really cold. Yes, it's very, very long - and packed with concentrated, marvellous flavours right to the end - but the finish on this bottle (like some others), tasted a touch assertive - even prickly - and perhaps a touch greenish?? These are obviously oak characters, since the fruit is extremely ripe (14% alcohol).
Drunk well chilled but not cold, I've dropped off a point, with a question whether the oak is a touch assertive even for the glorious, voluptuous fruit. From a 375 ml bottle (I've drunk over 1 dozen, since release), more cellaring time may turn this question mark into a complexity plus but, if it happens, it may take a while. The colour is decidedly golden already so it may look quite dark before it's at its best. Alternatively, drink it a bit more chilled than usual.
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My WOTN at CT SEA dinner at Lark amongst a group of great wines. Had great depth, viscosity, and almost oiliness in its texture, with great balance to the sweetness and acidity. It was open for business.
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Wow – cop that! A powerful, complex, oh so distinctive Yquem nose of honeyed, dried apricots and perfumed, almost musky, oak together with lashings of botrytis, makes a great signpost to a wonderful palate.
* A rich, thick and luscious, indeed voluptuous (14% alc.) palate … * of very intense, complex and “lip-licking” flavours in the dried apricots and honey spectrum, with full-on botrytis … * plus well balanced, powerful acid and typical edgy Yquem oak, which has a beautiful musky dimension which perfectly complements the powerful fruit … * and with a distinctly warm mouth-feel from the hot year (and the oak) ... * the flavours linger for minutes after swallowing.
This is not an apologetic, shy wine. “Decadent” describes it well. I can smell the wine as I write this, with the glass over 60cm away! Some bottles I’ve drunk seemed more silky but the edgy oak of this bottle (especially as it warmed up a touch) was just right for it at the moment. Changes quite a bit with the temperature; which is a fun experiment. Much prefer it to that other hot year (1997) of the era, and I love the way it is developing. A truly glorious wine.
Le nez est totalement différent des autres Sauternes goutés à ce jour. Pas surprenant, nous sommes devant le Roi des Rois! Le nez est donc sur la marmelade, le pain grillé. Les noix de Grenoble et le caramel brulé. Quelle complexité! En bouche on retrouve le nez mais aussi une touche de sirop d’érable et d’agrumes (acidité). Incroyable!
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Half bottle, enjoyed over 2 days. First day was a little shy on the nose but showed quite fresh tropical, pineapple, apricot and honey. Second day was much more open, some of the typical fruit notes from above along with a distinct pastry / brioche nose and a hint of aniseed on the palate.
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Tasted alone and then side by side with the 2005 Climens. At first blush they were very similar but over time and with air there was separation. This wine is darker in color and more viscous. Flavors of dark honey, tropical fruit and a nutty spiciness. Long, long finish. The Climens is lighter in color, weight and on the palate. More candied citrus and less spice. My wife and I loved them both. I gave the d'Yquem a slight edge. She thought it a toss up. Hard to go wrong either way.
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Mike Grammer Comes to Town - KS version (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Lovely yellow fruits, fresh apricot, pineapple, coconut, sweet spices, vanilla and ginger. Although quite sweet and dense, the overall impression is perfectly airy not unlike the Ruinart drank earlier. Really decadent wine. This will last forever. In lieu of the current price, one of the best D’Yquems to buy. Highly recommend.
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Popped and slow oxed for two hours and served with cheese. This is a stunning d'Yquem and one to target as potentially the best value at the moment. Super concentrated yet light and ethereal. Notes of coconut and caramel with balancing acidity. Awesome wine. Drink now or hold for 50 years.
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A glorious wine, having exquisite, intense, rich and luscious Yquem flavours (of honey, apricot, citrus and botrytis to the max.), velvetty smooth texture and an incredibly long and lingering, grippy Yquem finish with a real sense of attitude.
Unfortunately, we were distracted with the earlier wines and conversation and I was a bit casual with the preparation and carelessly presented it too warm. Despite the ice bucket, we never got it perfect and this made it look a bit buxom since 2003 is an opulent year that needs to be presented chilled enough to show the correct balance. My mistake, not an implied criticism of the wine, which is a fabulous creation that often makes me think divine thoughts.
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Almond and fudge on the nose, not orange or citrus. Body good but a little too sweet and a little too acidic compared to 2001. Might still balance out in time, but otherwise excellent.
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'63 Port Dinner (Davy's): Golden hue with a nose of orange, lemon, lime, burnt sugar and honey. Fresh light palate with a length that continues for 2 mins.
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Drop dead gorgeous example of this glorious, made in Heaven, wine. Typically golden colour from this hot, botrytis rich year, this bottle (375ml) was started at cellar temperature and then chilled as I finished it off.
A very intense and powerful palate, so silky that it was almost glass-like, and with the most beautiful flavours; a bit like apricot nectar drizzled in dark honey and with a touch of orange, all saturated in botrytis. A long, long lingering finish which goes on for minutes makes for a luscious, absolutely delicious experience. I feel very privileged to enjoy this head shaking ("how did they do that ...") creation.
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Vertical tasting 2003, 2000 & 1996 in HK Vinexpo. 2003 is golden color; nose of fantastic tropical fruits, pear, pineapple. Very long finish. I am glad I tried it at this tasting. Excellent for now.
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Birthday dinner for..............ME!!!!!!! (Cafe Med): This wine had beautiful acidity and wonderful balance. Nice amount of acidity to help balance out the sweetness. This was not the most concentrated Yquem i have had but it was certainly enjoyable. This has plenty of life in. No hurry on this to drink either. Certainly a nice wine
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I really like our friends in our wine tasting group. Two bottles 375's of this to cap a magnum evening. For the first time I will use a word others use here - this absolutely sang- rich, unctuous, remarkably complex- we had been very fortunate to visit the winery 3 years ago and this brought back those memories as well. Two bottles disappear amongst 12 people in 15 minutes. Amazing wine that deserves every praise
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I drank this wine alongside the same vintage of Chateau Suduiraut which is a wine I love a great deal. The d'Yquem, however, is a wine I love more. The colour is gold, the nose is flowery, honey, on the palate not hugely sweet with caramelised orange and spice and white flowers but, above all else, an elegance which all other Sauternes doesn't manage to achieve. A wonderful wine and I must thank my good friend Andy Chapman for giving me the opportunity to drink it.
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2003 d’Yquem is a fun wine to taste. It's absolutely delicious! It's spicy, thick, sweet, lush, fat and opulet in character with its layers of over ripe, honey drenched, juicy, pineapple, apricot, tropical fruits, vanilla and nut filled character. Not as complex as the best vintages of Chateau d'Yquem, and not quite as fresh, this is still a stunning sweet, white Bordeaux wine. And it sells for a very fair price for d'Yquem these days. Drink it now, or age it for decades.
Wow! I've drunk more than a dozen of these in the last few years and this was close to the best ever. In my January 2013 notes I wondered if the 2003 vintage might mature too fast. Well, no worries with this bottle. Yes, colour is quite golden but palate was beautifully balanced, with more acid than I've noticed in any earlier bottle. In fact, on first opening (when it was slightly warm) it was almost mouth puckering.
This is a decadent and opulent power pack of dried apricots and some raisinny honey within a thickly textured and concentrated tangy, marmaladey orange framework. All of this is then coated within a mouth-filling package of botrytis, slightly grippy oak, some complex cake mix nuances and nice alcoholic warmth.
An emphatic and wonderful wine. Full on Yquem. A remarkable bottle of a stunning wine.
Golden yellowish hue, nose of sweet exotic fruit like pineapple and mango with an amazing complexity. Not acidic given the vintage but not cloying at all. Delicate balance and a superb Yquem. Wow!! Long long long finish. This was still on my palate hours after drinking(or could be my mind playing tricks on me, had a lot to drink that night.)
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Apricots, pineapple, honey....sweet nectar of the gods. This was beautiful complex with such a long finish that lasted for minutes. Great end to a diner with 20 friends old and new at Bitoque. Thanks Mim.
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Nyetimber Vertical + some Unexpected Gems (Park Palace, Grand Park Hotel): I may be in the minority given the rave reviews this wine has received, but while I found it to be a very good, even excellent Sauternes, it was certainly nothing earth-shaking. The nose was classic young d’Yquem – plenty of coconut shavings, a whiff of pineapple tarts, red apple and fragrant peach aromas, sweet flowers, perhaps a sweeter than normal tinge of pineapple juice, and then a twist of burnt rubber. Young, primary, but quite pleasant. The palate carried on from where the nose left off, with sweet coconut on the attack along with dried peach and apricot flavours shading into sweeter dried pineapples on the midpalate. I thought it was just a bit short on acidity for all that sweetness but, even then, it was still decently balanced enough to make a good drink, albeit rather hulking and monolithic, lacking some of the balance and energy of the better vintages. The finish was good, long, with more classic notes of desiccated coconut, caramel and spice. All in all, very yummy, but not what I would call a great d'Yquem. Of course, from a full bottle like we had, this is still barely out of its adolescence and should really be left aside for a decade or longer. It will be interesting to try it then
Casual Dinner with Friends (goosefoot - Chicago IL): Starts with great creme brulee character plus ripe as well as dried apricots. A bit monolithic, perhaps one-dimensional and less nuanced than some vintages of d'Yquem, but good balance and textures, great with dessert.
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Imagine for the moment a silky but powerful blend of: dried apricots in the finest, lightest peach syrup ... with a touch of ultra fine honey ... and hints of caramel and burnt toffee ... blended with a beautiful swathe of marmalade (including a touch of orange peel astringency) ... with subtle acid - all in a long, lingering,"lip licking" finish.
There you have an insight to the 2003 Chateau d'Yquem: a luscious and decadent creation; a masterpiece ...
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Awesome! While d'Yquem is getting crazy expensive this was awesome. We drank from a split paired with foie gras. The wine was excellent and for me provided the same great experience at the 2001 but much simpler if you will. For the price this is worth grabbing. Incredible mouthfeel with a super long finish. Even the sediment looks like liquid gold flakes.
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Wow...this is something very special. Honey, caramel and toffee layered in with peach and apricot into a perfectly balanced glass of liquid gold that lingers for days on the palate. What is most amazing is that this gem has not even begun to show its ultimate expression of brilliance. Can't wait to see this again in 5-10 years.
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Deep gold; surprisingly advanced color. Richly honeyed and fruited nose. Viscous in the mouth. Showing nicely already; not much to add from my note in 2010 - hasn't changed much.
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While d’Yquem is never inexpensive, recent vintages are appallingly expensive. It’s not realistic for buyers to purchase futures, or new releases for more money than previous vintages. 2003 marks the last realistically price year for d’Yquem. This is good news because the wine is fabulous. It gets better each time I taste it. With an ocean of fat, super sweet, incredibly ripe, dense, thick waves of pineapples, apricots, oranges, tangerines, peaches and nectarines all coated with macadamia nut honey, vanilla and nuts, it’s a treat to sniff, swirl and best of all sip. It’s not the 2001, but it’s a beautiful d’Yquem that sells for less than half the price.
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Drank from a half-bottle; No question it was a very nice and elegant sauterne with plenty of honey, white fruits, nuts and flowers; However it lacked the thickness and overwhelmingly long finish that I had been dreaming about -- maybe this was another example of hype, anticipation and imagination creating a better wine than itself. Maybe this wine was still a bit too young (but what should I do when all my other d'Yquem also need to sleep for a few more decades...). Anyway I should not be complaining as the d'Yquem was a fantastic wine to cap a wonderful dinner with fine wines, good food and good company...
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Magnificent wine - voluptuous, opulent, extravagant apricotty-mango-honey palate with lashings of botrytis. Now (in 2013, and from a 375ml bottle) is moving into a less sweet and less "lip licking" phase, and showing a bit more glazed fruits and caramel among the orange rind characters (which were more subdued in this bottle). The finish had softened quite a bit compared to earlier bottles but was still extremely long!
This was just glorious - but I'm a tiny bit concerned about how it may change, because my last 03 Suduiraut (recently tasted) had aged very noticeably. The 03 Yquem has always been in a different league however, and that is even more apparent now. ...
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Very solid Yquem but not in the upper echelon. Candied fruits, nice acidity, apricot, pineapple and a hint of butterscotch. Enjoyable and easy to drink.
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There's just nothing like Yquem, young or old. This showed similarly to the last time I had it. Great caramel, apricot, honey on the nose with a similar palate profile. This time I did not get any anise notions but I did have the impression of orange rind. Great lift and clean finish. Spectacular as usual.
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Tasted this a few times over the past couple of months. Mid yellow honey color. On the nose - apricots, pineapples, florals and definitely a hint of coconuts! Fresh and crisp, already drinking very well now though it should keep for many years to come.
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Alvin’s 60th Birthday Dinner (Le Gavroche): Light gold. Deep nose of botrytis, honey, candied citrus and mango. Clean, viscous and thick on the palate but not overblown or cloying. For an ’03, I thought this had pretty decent acidity and came across with some energy and not overly fat. There were indeed sweet and concentrated flavours, but again, not overly sweet, rich or honeyed. As with most 03s (even though this was better than most), I would like more precision and acidity to match the sweetness with more freshness, but as I hinted at, this is definitely the best 03 I’ve had. This was extremely persistent on the palate and the finish went on and on. Surprisingly drinking well on this night, but undoubtedly has a very long life ahead of it and should improve for decades. Excellent. 91+
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #073; Sauternes (By MM): Beautiful and concentrated bouquet with honey, orange peel, apricots, pear and vanilla. On the palate also a feast with a beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity and even some spiciness. Great concentration, elegance and length. Improved compared to my note from 2008.
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From a half, at dinner with a friend who generously brought this along. Nose has intense coconut and vanilla (oak), some concentrated white stone fruits/peach, apricot; palate shows intense vanilla/coconut as well, oaky, but fantastic fruit as well, moderate degree of sweetness, full bodied, more than enough acidity to keep it light and fresh but not tongue tingling like I remember from my last note; long finish. Today this is very young (painfully young) with the oak covering up what appears to be exceptional concentration and fruit underneath. I remember this improving significantly over the first day, so will reassess tomorrow. I suspect this will need 10-20 years to integrate well but will eventually be stunning. 93++
Day 2: Still pronounced coconut and vanilla but notably more integrated than when first opened, apricot, peach; palate shows substantially more peach, less oak (but still one of the major characteristics), still dense fruit with lighter palate, showing even more acidity today than yesterday (back to the tongue tingling acidity that I remember from the last bottle); finish is dense but light, clean, flavorful, persistent and long. This is excellent, improved from yesterday but still far too young with decades of evolution left. Next bottle not before 15 years of age, hold off longer if possible. Unfortunately I won't get to try this tomorrow, but I expect it would have improved based on my last notes and the trend. 96-97++ today.
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From 375ml. Hasnt't really seemed to have changed. Ripe tropical fruit with the same great vanilla notes. Great length and always fun to drink. Delicious now and I'm really curious to see how this vintage will end up in 20+ years.
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I’ve drunk many bottles of 2003 Yquem, and adore it, but this bottle wasn't right. This may have been a rare example with some TCA (or TBA) taint.
Opened at cellar temperature, it had a slightly musty, baggy whiff and lacked the intense apricotty-honeyed orange marmaladey botrytis characteristics typical in the 03. The palate was similar: subdued fruit with somewhat musty-baggy tones as well as a distinct lingering bitterness (in contrast to the usual assertive – even extractive - but not bitter Yquem finish). I see others have commented about dominant oak (or an angular finish) in some bottles of the 03 (although I haven't seen it before). Breathing did not help, nor chilling, but after I immersed strips of a plastic bag in it for a while the off-putting characters subsided and the apricot arose noticeably. This suggested TCA (or TBA) taint, and that some had bound to the plastic, revealing the fruit.
I resealed half the bottle and am drinking it now, 18 hours later. The problem is slightly worse - right now my mouth almost feels like I've eaten faint chilli. Still impressive but only 60%-70% of what it should have been. I’m so glad I didn’t open it for a special occasion. (Bottle replaced by supplier, without hesitation. Replacement bottle was glorious)
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Day 1 01 - Right after both corks were pulled, the 01 asserted itself. Beautiful aromas wafted from the bottle. In glass the magic began. Toffee, pineapple, pear, beeswax, lemon curd, and honey are all delineated on the nose. The palate takes it to a whole new level. My goodness, what a wine! All of the above flavors with the addition of grapefruit and creme brulee. Overwhelming richness and tongue searing intensity, all with perfect lift from the laser like acidity. On bended knee!!
03 - This is no slouch, and IMHO it is already a great Yquem and will only improve. A little muted next to the 01, but the nose still delivers. Citrus fruits, lanolin, thick beeswax, lemon curd, and prevalent oak. The palate follows a similar flavor profile, with maybe just a bit too much oak. Still incredibly rich and absolutely Yquem. I expected the lower acidity to be exposed, but the finish acquits itself very nicely. Very impressive.
Day 2 - Both benefitted from the additional air, especially the 03. The oak really subsided on the 03. The 01 is just in a different league, speechless. And this is not a knock on the 03, it is a superb wine. But on day 2, the 01 has sealed its legend status. All the flavors on both wines were more pronounced and intense on both wines.
Days 6 & 7 - Skipped 3,4 and 5 to make sure that I had plenty for the last two days (both wines from 375.) Not surprisingly, there was not any profound change in either wine from day 2 to day 6 and 7. A little softer and maybe the addition of quince and apricot to further the complexity. The 03 still had crisp acidity and I did not find it cloying at all. The 01 just had me muttering with amazement.
Conclusion - What a great week! You will see a 3 point differential in my scores, and these are very significant points. The 01 is one of those special wines that seem to appear every 20 to 30 years. The 03 is a great Yquem and deserves the accolades that it receives. On all tasting days I used Jin-na as a test subject. She was served both wines blind and picked the 01 every time. My buying advice is this: if you can afford it, the 01 is worth every penny that you will spend. If your budget is tighter, the 03 will still give you the pleasure of Yquem in a brilliant (if hot) year.
2001 Yquem - 100 Pts
2003 Yquem - 97 Pts
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A nice treat with my foie gras course at La Toque. Very young still but lovely honey and marmalade on the nose. Perfect D'Yquem acidity and richness. Perfect pairing.
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When first tasted on release, the wine was much thicker and seemed in need of higher levels of acidity as the wine felt slightly cloying. Over the past few years, this is starting to mature in a good direction. This will not cause any taster to forget the sublime 2001, but the wine has starting to come together and feel fresher, with better balance in the mouth. Layers of fresh pineapple, apricots, grilled nuts, nectarines and orange peel dipped in honey make up the wines flavor profile. Give this another decade and you should see a lot of improvement, if you can keep your hands off it.
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Tried a glass of this last night at Ocean Prime Steakhouse in Scottsdale. Upon seeing it listed 'by the glass' on the dessert menu, I knew I had to order since I've never tried D'Yquem before. I certainly didn't disappoint. Sweet, but not overly done, with definite hints of coconut and apricot. Well worth the $30 charge for a 2oz pour. I hope to try much more D'Yquem in the future.
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Upon opening, this has to be the spiciest D’Yquem that I have ever had. The nose certainly has the intensity but not necessarily big. Ginger, coconut, light caramel, apricot, a hint of fennel and nutmeg. The palate displays impressive concentration, intense fruit and is thick and unctuous. Airy cotton candy like texture that is the magic of D’Yquem along with the acidity that shows at the end makes the wine fresh and gives the perfect balance.
The second night, the nose is much more expressive, like the perfect pina colada, coconut and pineapple, also ginger and sweet spices. It ends with the perfume that you get in hottest fresh jalapeno. The palate is a typical airy D’Yquem. The finish is very long.
It clearly is a ripe decadent wine but remains fresh. This is a great D’Yquem that will take 30+ years to truly show its greatness. It may not be as precise as the 01 but one day it will be as great.
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I’ve drunk (not just tasted) a dozen or so bottles of the 2003 Yquem within the last 2 years. Because comparisons and different views are interesting, I want to say in response to another Cellartracker taster, that all 03 bottles that I’ve drunk clearly warranted high 90’s. It is better than many, many other vintages that I have recently drunk, including the 89, and of course the 99 and 02 but not, of course, the 2001. BTW, I have drunk each of these within the last 2 months, and all of them before that.
This time we drunk the 03 with a simple mango desert and, again, it was typical Yquem from a warm, opulent year: gloriously rich and textured, with a very intense and complex palate of “lip-licking” beauty. It tasted like dried apricots + mango + honey, with a hint of pineapple, heaps of botrytis and so much more in almost a nectar like base, with a distinctive orange rind twist on a long, long finish.
Nose is penetrating, with similar characteristics to the palate, including a lovely orange blossom character. Again, uniquely Yquem. Glorious!
A magnificent wine, with a bit of attitude on the finish, like many top Yquems. Exquisite now, but will improve for years, and live for decades. Oh my, I love this sooo much.
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Pascal's dinner 8/27/11. Really drinking beautifully now. Surprising. Ripe gorgeous clear. Lovely apricots, honey with a petrolly component. Really in a great place at the moment.
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Light gold and unassuming in color. Big warm layers of honey, peach, and toffee on the nose. Mouthwatering notes of apricot, candied fruits, and nuts, and baked spices on the palate. Balanced with a nice acidity and eternal finish.....Fabulous!
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Outststanding quality, delicate, citrusy aromas with orange peel forward. Lengthy aftertaste. Will evolve over the next 20 years into one of the best years.
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people scoring this in the high 90's either need to get out more, or drink more d'yquem. i recommend the latter. it's a nice wine, but, let's get real, it doesn't have the acid or the botrytis to warrant mega scores. rather shrill and thin in the first couple of hours. i frankly hated it, but opened it to schmooze a guy who may get me on augusta. shockingly, there was about 3 ounces left at the end of the evening, so i private preserved it, and subjected it to less than optimal treatment for a couple of days. eventually, put into my cellar, it languished there until last night, 6-10-11. had the last glass while i watched chelsea lately, and the wine had lost it's tartness, beefed up, and drank well. not worth pontificating on the particulars, d'yquem is pretty recognizable if you've had it enough, but i enjoyed it. nevertheless, it's a pretty average d'yquem, i.e. delightful, but not memorable.
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Dinner at Andrea's (Andrea's Restaurant): Wow, this was good. Nice nose, complex and elegant. Flavors cascading from one to the next. Great balance, not at all heavy and a finish that goes on and on. Very young, will improve for a long time, but drinking well now. Great way to end a meal. Excellent.
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Nose of dried apricot and rum raisin.. Big wine in the mouth. Big in terms of taste, but not particularly viscous....buttery, caramel, dried pineapple wedges, surprising minerality. Completely integrated like dried pineapple slices fried in butter with brown sugar. Bit of an angular finish for a sticky may portend structure not integrated. This is head and shoulders above every 2003 Sauternes I've had.
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first time drinking d'Yquem. A big disappointment indeed. Most probably I am too spoiled from drinking much older Sauternes that were simply up lifting, and at times even transcending. For me this just had way, way too much fat and it literally was sinking in from all the richness it had. I totally understand one could be in awe and enjoy tremendously, but for me it was too sweet, too much of dried apricot, dried raisin, honey, and oily texture and not letting the acid peak out, as a beautiful sunshine through the thick clouds. It was cloudy by sweetness! Hopefully it will be much better, as I have witnessed many times, in about 20 years or more, once the initial sweetness would have integrated to let the oz appear. By then, this will lead us to the clouds...hopefully, I've 6 bottles.
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Nose: Beautiful lifted and complex amalgam of honey, toffee, apricots, pineapple plus overtones of varnished old wood. Powerful and unmistakeably Yquem. "Oh, yes" out loud when first smelt!
Palate: "Oh yes" again! Rich, thickly textured, honeyed apricot nectar with distinct warmth and an emphatic, slightly extracted finish. Has more (lovely lemonny) acid than I saw in several previous bottles, and a hint of volatility. Very, very complex; only Chateau Yquem tastes like this. This is a magnificent, richly flavoured, luscious, intense and heavily botrytised masterpiece. Exquisite.
2003 was obviously a warm, opulent year; here are a couple of comparisons: * Is similar to the great 1976 but a bit richer and more toffee like. * Is distinctly behind the extraordinary 2001 - which has perfect balance. * Is much richer and more complex than the 02. * Is in another league from the many other 2003s that I've tried, including the beautiful Suduiraut.
An amazing wine. Had against sweet wines from around the world and it was the most viscous. Was slightly lower acid than expected, but not fat or flabby at all; Foie gras brought out some amazing flavors in the wine including oak and butterscotch.
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Tasted next to the '03 Suduiraut. Ligher in color, but absolutely bursting with flavors of apricot, lemon, pineapple, candied nuts, and honey. Viscous mouthfeel with a beautiful, never-ending finish.
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Delicious wine. From half bottle. Caramel, apricots, pineapple, and a really interesting anise note. Smells complex and the palate doesnt dissapoint. Hints of smoke here and there, unctuous texture that is enhanced by the notes of honey. Incredible lenght.
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Pale straw yellow. Not nearly as golden as other 03s in my cellar, i.e., Rieussec, Suduiraut and Climens. Pretty nose of pineapple, apricot and crushed stones. Sweet delicious palate of apricot, orange, and caramel. Thick, viscous and powerful. No botrytis that I could detect. Low acid. A very good d'Yquem, but missing the acid to push it into greatness. Regardless of the vintage, always a special treat.
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Sunctuous, splendid wine with aromas of caramel, cocoa butter, ripe apricot, pineapple, very tropical notes along with honey and cedar. Extremely long in the palate, with a very silky texture, crisp acidity and notes of caramel, honey, custard, lemon zest and to add to the complexity hints of smoke. A true pleasure of a wine!
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Light golden color. Nose is just a bit reticent, but has good aromas of tropical fruits, apricot. More and more whiffs of the nose reveals changing aromas... at one point even a hint of barbecued meats! Palate is explosive with waves and waves of peaches, mangos, and other flavors ending in tongue tinging acidity. (Though the 2003 vintage in general was low in acidity, this is most certainly not lacking.) The finish is long with a bit over a minute of residual flavor that is gradually cleansed by the acidity. A lovely wine and a true treat! 99-100
Update on day 2: No change in the wine. Still extraordinarily young. Definitely won't try this again until after age 15 at the earliest to allow time to develop more and become distinctive.
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BdX 01/04 (Oslo): Flowers and spices, fresh; fairly good intensity and freshness, on the moderate side of sweetness, light on its feet, good balance. Lacking power and intensity.
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(Drunk from separate 375ml bottles on consecutive days, after meals – 8 and 9 July 2009)
Exquisitely refined apricot nectar with overtones of honey on the nose and in both the flavour and texture. This delightful apricot theme becomes subdued if the wine is chilled too much but quickly arises again as it warms up.
Incredibly silky palate; as smooth as glass but with a beautiful citrussy edge on the finish that stops it being cloying despite its wonderful intensity and texture. A voluptuous and superbly balanced work of art.
Taste is sheer beauty. Lip-licking sweetness and intensity. Almost indescribably complex. Apricots, honey, cumquat marmalade and so much more. Glorious flavours that linger for minutes and minutes in typical Yquem fashion. Initially seemed far too good to drink with a dessert, and instead deserving of its own time. However, the flavours build so powerfully that, on sharing a second bottle the next day, it was apparent that it benefited from a small serve of subtle lemon tart to cut some of its overwhelming flavour build up.
An almost divine experience.
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From a 375ml. Rich golden robe; great nose of honey, apricots, light fruits, cream, a hint nutty. Just a bit volatile on the nose. Fullish body, appropriate acidity on the palate but just a bit more roughly hewn than I expected. Not as sweet as one might think - the sweetness is very much in proportion to the body and acidity. Excellent balance. Long finish.
4-4.5/5 but I get the feeling that this will improve with more time in bottle.
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Dinner at Home with Friends (My House, Chicago IL): From .375ml Consistent notes as all other bottles over the past year. Tropical fruit, apricots, vanilla nose and palate. Very pretty spice as well. Great showing as always.
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With the color of spun honey, this impressive Yquem offers a rich nose of honey, apricots, spice, orange rind, vanilla, peach and pineapple. Thick, intense, powerful and sweet, this wine really coats your mouth. The long finish is stuffed with ripe, honey drenched tropical fruit. This is a low acid vintage for Yquem, so the it lacks a little bit of lift. But the fruit shows much intensity and purity, it's exciting to drink even at this young age.
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Eleven 1998 St Emilions and a Lone Pomerol. Maybe some Yquem too (Bethesda, MD): An outstanding Sauternes and one of the more enjoyable young Sauternes I've had in recent memory (besting 01 Riessec, Suiduraut, 03/05 Climens and co). It passed the "smell and involuntary smile" test that so many outstanding wines in recent memory have elicited. This hallmark of this wine is not its exotic fruit which is marvellously knit with delicate vanilla creme brulee and coconut shavings. It is its uncanny ability to have such a light and weightless texture but such a powerful, endless and haunting finish. Is this not the true hallmark of greatness? Furthermore, it has tremendous upside to add complexity and depth with bottle age (decades), but is so accessible and delicious right now. WOTN. Thanks so much for furnishing Darryl and Nanci!
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Great nose, rich botrytis tropical fruit and coconut starting to show. Viscous without being cloying. Rich without being too rich. Wonderful mouthfeel and great length. Nice balanced acidity.
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New Year's Eve 2009-2010 (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): Not a bad wine, but a below average Yquem. Honey and nut on the nose with some saline and vanilla. Nice concentration on the palate, but lacked the acidity I prefer and it felt a little lighter on the palate. Very nice finish that keeps going.
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New Years Eve (Collingswood and Philadelphia): really nice. honey and peach dominated, with pure botrytis flavors coming through. this has so much more acidity than any of the other 03s that I have had, which are already a little cloying. This has the same intense sweetness, but has enough acidity to keep it fresh. Incredibly long finish, this has something special.
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From half bottle. Virtually identical notes as the past two I've had. Lots of tropical fruit and vanilla on both the nose and palate. Absolutely beautiful.
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Dinner at Home with Friends (Chicago IL): From half bottle. Golden color. Ripe tropical fruit nose with a healthy dose of vanilla. Very lush palate of pineapple, apricot, and vanilla. Fantastic acidity on the long finish. A great Yquem.
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From 375ml. Pale golden color. Intense aromatics of ripe tropical fruits - some pineapple and guava- with honeysuckle and vanilla. Lush yellow tropical fruits on the palate with fantastic acidity. Very nice weight to the wine. Showing outstanding right now, but obviously very young.
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Outstanding wine, but I feel it's a bit too young. This is different than other Yquems I have enjoyed. The botrytis is less prominent. The wine exhibits strong tropical notes on both the nose and palate. Pineapple, banana, coconut. Floral and honey notes as well. Paired beautifully with both a rich flourless chocolate cake and a creme brulee. Lacks the "edge" of some other top-notch Sauternes, but nevertheless an outstanding experience. Of course you should let it warm a bit in the bottle and glass. Excessive chilling kills this wine.
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Wonderful pineapple, viscous honey, flower and biscuit flavors -- when held up against other Sauternes, this does seem to have an extra dimension of complexity and elegance that its peers (though it may really have none) do not posses. Fantastic conclusion to a great meal.
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diep geel, in de neus allerlei indrukken, vanille, gebrande nootjes, toetjesachtig, sinasappelschil, heel complex, smaak is vol en vloeiend, massief met veel inhoud. vele indrukken, mooie vertoning van klasse, indrukwekkend, bij tarte tatin met een bolletje ijs
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my bottle. consistent with previous tastings. super young (duh!), but i wanted the participants to have a go at this wine which is out of their normal realm. ideally, hold until 2013, and drink over your lifetime. BTW, costco sourced.
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Full-bodied and not overly sweet, this spicey rarefied nectar tastes of vanilla cream and pineapple preserve.Hints of lemon peel flavor run through the delctable finish.
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First d'Yquem I've had, and very proud to open. Color is ridiculous, GOLD. Awesome nose, honey covered lemons wrapped in a shipping crate in the middle of a honeysuckle field. Tastes of lemons and apricots with hints of cantaloupe and very small amounts of floral components. Coats the palate nicely, but could have used an hour or 2 of breathing to really open up. We drank immediately after corking. Looking forward to the next bottle. ;)
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Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting. The best white wine I have ever tasted. Absolutely mind blowing. So much concentration with such length. I was speechless. Lush rich and viscous in the glass. Almost molasses like but lighter in color. Aromas leaping out of the glass. Lemon zest. Insanely bright lemon zest everywhere. Fresh grass, blue cheese and petrol. So much SUN in this wine. It drinks like liquid gold. Such balance. Maple syrup notes on the nose and palate. 75 second finish. I'm sold. I don't see how it can get better than D 'Yquem in terms of Sauternes...possibly dessert wines all together.
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From 375ml. Lots of apricot and pineapple on the nose with beauiful white floral notes. Very intense fruit and ompletely coats the palate. Very long finish with a bit of spice.
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A thick, unctuous wine, giving off incredible scents of botrytis and fruit. I could sit and sniff this for hours. Mostly tropical flavors and some botrytis in the mouth, but not quite enough acidity to balance the extreme sweetness. All in all, a lovely young wine.
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Pale gold; exotic nose, pineapple, flowery, forward; rich, verging on fat, solid on mid palate; extended finish. Not the expected explosiveness. Acidity in the background will keeps this alive for a long while, but this will drink young. It maybe heresy to say, but Rieussec currently superior.
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Private dinner with friends. (@ PVa): Opening this bottle is infanticide. Although beautiful and refined with clear botrytis, elegant sweetness and well hidden acidity, I have the impression it hardly shows anything of its complexity at the moment. Great wine!
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As always, I enjoy the delicate and nuanced aromatics that develop with enough air. It's hard to know where the wine is going, but it seems to lack a bit of lift on the palate.
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The house was kind enough to offer us dessert courses, espresso and the remainder of a bottle of ’03 Yquem while we checked out the wine list for Wednesday. I always enjoy this Yquem and appreciate like the exotic, floral, layered, fresh nose, though the palate lacks the zing I find in my favorite sauternes.
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Powerful nose, with notes of peach, honeysuckle, melon, and spice. In the mouth, nearly overpowering, caramel, honey, toffee, with peach, melon and spice as well. Not cloyingly sweet, with a good "pop" of acidity to clear the palate at the end of the sip and ready your mouth for the next dose. Finish was everlasting; it seemed to set up camp in my mouth and stayed there all evening. Truly wonderful.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I can definitely see the potential peeking through, but I'm not sure yet that it's a four-star wine. It's tight and cerebral at first, showing mostly honey and almonds. By the second night, though, it definitely starts to open up, revealing pineapple, apricot, and melon, along with a bit of the turpentine that I love so much. The balance and finish are there; indeed, the very last taste from the bottle seemed to carry on forever. Still, something that I can't quite identify -- maybe a more razor-like profile -- seems to be missing. Perhaps the dots will be connected with further age. This ain't bad in the meantime.
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Blind Night - Bordeaux (Mark's): Honey, apricot, orange, lemon and vanilla custard. Rich but slightly cloying. More acidity would make this wine extraordinary. A very nice wine.
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Huge nose of exotic fruits, bananna and creme brulee. Oily and thick. Balanced, despite its enormous size. Finish goes on forever. Just sublime stuff. The largest scaled Yquem I've had to date.
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Third Annual White Truffle Dinner (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL): Super ripe fruit on nose but doesn't show lots of botrytis; the opposite is true on the palate, which shows lots of botrytis flavors, but not incredibly sweet. Seems to have slightly less acidity than a typical d'Yquem.
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Lieu-dit-Cru White Truffle Dinner (Primehouse): Yellow color. Huge nose of spiccy caramel salwater taffy with just a hint of botrytis. Huge unctuous sweet botyrtis honey caramel pineapple on the palate. Dense, compact, round, and hedonistic. Not up to the nearly perfect 2001, but a great d'Yquem.
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Regency Club: Exotic trop. frts & petrol fumes; condied apricots, super rich mthfeel; candied bread (fruitckake notes?) Very long candied frtbread finish! So rich and gooey, but so tasty!
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G7 (Sea Saw, Scottsdale): Honey, pears and tropical fruit. Rich and full bodied with a long powerful yet complex finish. Well balanced with nice acidity. Very light on its feet.
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For my palate, this majestic elixir is the best Yquem since 1990, following the flawless 2001 of course. Tasted 3 times with the same results, this rich, unctuous, ripe, intensely concentrated wine explodes from the glass with a cornucopia of honeyed, floral, spice and tropical scents. The wine glides across your palate in continuos waves of sensuous, ripe, sweet fruit. 2003 is like a blend of 88 & 90 to me. Very dense, powerful and concentrated. A little more acidity would have pushed the score higher.
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Winestreet Does 2004 Jadot (Kozlak's, North Oaks, MN): A bonus bottle generously provided by Brad England. Medium gold color. Explosive nose of pineapple, flowers, and coconut. Gorgeous freshness and concentration. Layers and waves of flavor, without a hint of heaviness. Beautifully balanced. Endless finish. A fatter style of Yquem that reminds me of the 1990.
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Winestreet Tastes Jadot: Popped and poured after a brief stint in the freezer. Wow is this impressive stuff. Gorgeous gold color. The nose is exotic and expressive with pineapple and a slight coconut (or as Brad said -- Malibu rum). A person could smell this forever. The taste is equally compelling. Thick and concentrated yet balanced and elegant. Mouth coating flavor. Great acidity -- producing a very lively wine. Amazingly long finish. Excellent stuff.
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Finally...I drink it from half-bottle size. '' Two Layers Wine-Label '' The beautiful light yellow gold colour. Strong scent of passion fruit in the beginning...after one hour it becomes the original aroma of d'Yquem, honey, tea leaf, clean and elegance. Medium to full-bodied, a little bit low in acidity, very sweet but not too much, delicious and young, woody scent at the end. Need more 5 years more aging. Nice and dry aftertaste.
Wine Talk : I promise that I will never drink young d'Yquem again...it's better after aged 10+ years...
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Backstreet - Bordeaux (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Light, golden color. Crisp, clean nose. Peaches and apricots. Hints of being cloying as it enters the mouth, but cleans up beautifully with no lingering oversweetness. Finish is very good, but not great. A clear step up from the '02 but not as exuberant as the '01.
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Is it just me or are they releasing these earlier than ever? Not long ago Yquem used to lag behind the other major growths by two whole vintages. Either way, this is a baby-faced Yquem, the lightest color I've ever seen in a young bottle, the fruit profile fresh and bright with very little sense of honey or botrytis. If it has the customary apricot flavor, it's fresh ones rather than sun-dried apricots, bordering on peachy. Also, while thicker than other 2003 Sauternes, this is not at Yquem's usual distinctive level of viscosity.
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3/21/2024 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
On its shoulder from pure fruit to secondary notes, delicious ripe flavours, on the darker side of spectrum.
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2/21/2024 - SWHighlander Likes this wine: 97 Points
For a really warm year, Yquem knocked it out of the park. Maybe could use a touch more acid but it still is a nice balance, better than some second growth Sauternes in cooler years. Amazing complexity and variety of fruit coming out on the palate, and not subtly: orange peel, mango, candied pineapple, ginger among others. Wonderful wine.
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1/8/2024 - RichardP wrote: 95 Points
This shows rich orange and yellow fruit on both the nose and palate; orange marmalade, apricot, honey, pineapple, and subtler spicy notes, with fairly strong acidity and a long finish. The heat of the year shows up in richness and intensity, but it's not over the top. This is outstanding.
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12/30/2023 - Vinobystino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Yquem never lets down. While this is a really ripe vintage, I was surprised by the freshness. Aromas of vanilla, orange, dried abricots and lots of caramel (no honey!). Really complex with an amazing finish. Really thick mouthfeel in a good way.
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12/1/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
The complex nose shoots from the glass with buttered apricots, pineapple, ginger, saffron, candied orange, vanilla, and caramel. The palate is equal to the perfume with its rich, creamy, layered, opulent display of apricots, honeyed pineapple, spice, vanilla, and ginger that soothes, coats, and lingers on your palate. While the is incredibly rich, it is not fat, or cloying, but it is intense. This will age for decades. Drink from 2023-2053.
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10/27/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux: Chateau Angelus with Victoire Touton (Maison Margaux, Mpls): Deep gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes. Deep and floral, honeysuckle and lillies, orange, apricot, lifted and savory on the nose; beeswax, layered, honey, tropical, unctuous, well spiced, very long, powerful yet retains freshness and finesse. 95+ to 96pts.
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9/24/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with the wine group - La Tache Dinner (Cindy's Place): From 375mL. Deeper golden color with hints of orange; aromatic, youthful orange fruits with crystalline purity, some botrytis baking spices, slight honey, mature notes not yet present; palate is full bodied, richly textured but with refreshing acidity, primary orange fruits, fades just a bit through the midpalate, alcohol is medium-high but well integrated; finish is medium-plus length, showing some complexity. 5 years since my last taste of this vintage, and I think this is showing a bit more closed, still with good balance and surprisingly good acidity given the vintage, but less depth of flavor and length and no mature notes yet. Deferring score until this gets a bit more air...
3 hours air: integrated well, substantially more open than when first opened, but nose definitely requires a bit of attention and it’s not as in your face as it used to be, orange marmalade, stone fruit; palate has evolved more than the nose with some burnt caramel, honeyed, lovely balance, showing lovely maturity now; finish is long and balanced. This is definitely better than when I first opened it, but not as striking as 5 years ago. I think this will continue to open with more time, and showing well now at early maturity. An above average vintage of Yquem, and far outperformed for the vintage. I think my other bottles can probably use at least 3-5 more years before I open another. 95-96
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8/20/2023 - Doblk wrote: 94 Points
What can you say that hasn’t been said?
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8/19/2023 - soyhead wrote:
from split (375cc), we ended quite the night of wine with a bang. Per DC panettone on the nose. on the palate as expected completely mouth coating and very long. succulent and sweet dried fruits with acidity to keep it from being tiresome. Not sure the five of use could have got through a 750, this stuff is one of the more concentrated wines out there.
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7/2/2023 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic d'yquem. spot on and drinking in a really good place. always fun to drink. Missing the complexity and finish of the legendary 2001, but still a great wine to drink and always delights
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5/31/2023 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
not much development since my last bottle - still delicious and could still do with a tad more acidity to balance
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5/7/2023 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
Four Sauternes at the end of a long tasting. The best, no surprise, was the Yquem (95pts). As usual, Yquem is miles ahead of the other Sauternes in terms of freshness, airiness, perfectly combined with aromatic density and purity. It might not be as airy and sharp as the best vintages but still showed great tonight. The Guiraud (92pts) showed complex and quite fresh just missing a bit of precision and that extra airiness. A rather sweet La Tour Blanche (90pts) and Rieussec (87pts) were both quite dark in color and quite evolved with the Rieussec showing even some signs of oxidation. Overall, all the 2003 showed a bit better than I would have expected.
Decanting: Good from the go. No extensive decanting needed (but it shouldn’t hurt either).
Group average: 94.0 pts
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3/20/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note:
Only minor saffron spice, but complemented by a myriad of detailed and fine herbal features. White stone fruit with a more fresh type of peach than candid fruit. Fine caramel notes. The palate then more viscous than expected, sweet with honey notes and a tad too much acidity. Somehow this didn’t quite manage to engage me and didn’t convey a sense of harmony.
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2/25/2023 - liber Likes this wine: 96 Points
Chez Gr, pnp, perfect cork and level - surprisingly (for 03) pale gold, v unctuous; tropical fruit with hints of apricot and marmalade, honeyed, complex, classy and fresh for vintage; full, huge length, persistence and concentration, surprisingly pure and fresh, top quality and barely ready, significant upside, 40+ years. VF (18.5).
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2/15/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:
Hm - full and fleshy, this example getting a little fat and flat.
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2/4/2023 - SH Wu wrote: 93 Points
This is a tough vintage, and I applaud how Yquem once again pulls together an elegant specimen in a year where a hot and dry growing season prevented too much botrytis.
Orange marmalade runs through as the central theme on the nose, palate and finish. An assortment of honeyed tropical fruits cycle through the supporting cast as the wine develops with air. Good acidity from the mid-palate through to the finish keep this, like all Yquems, something you can never tire of drinking.
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1/29/2023 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aromatic nose of honeysuckle, apricot, orange marmalade, lemon peel, dates, nutmeg and toasted almond. Palate mirrors the nose with a very long, layered finish. Well balanced. Served with chestnut torte and crème fraiche.
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1/25/2023 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Mouton dinner (La Chaumiere in Georgetown): Expressive nose displaying super concentrated ripe yellow fruit, peach, mango, pineapple, clementine, crème brulee, honey, strong saffron, light caramel, sweet and spicy spices and mineral. There is a strong botrytis note. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of decadent slightly dry yellow fruit, rich and unctuous but also beautiful balance and detail, perfect amount of acidity, medium mineral, and a long ripe yellow fruit driven finish. Perhaps this show better concentration than the 05 but showing less acidity, hence not as fresh and precise.
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1/1/2023 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intense aromatics of orange marmalade, apricots, honey, rich, lush mouth coating, great acid balance, long, lingering finish
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12/28/2022 - ceadsearc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Courtesy of a generous friend, the Chateau D’Yquem 2003 has an aromatic, vibrant and rich nose of coconut, pineapple, honey, tropical fruits, some oily notes, and hints of fruitcake. Rich and luscious. The palate is rich and exquisite with notes of honey, coconut, pineapple, brown sugar, some white chocolate and tropical fruits. The texture is rich and a little oily, with good acidity which ensures that the wine is vibrant and not cloying. Delicious. 96/100
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12/1/2022 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another "first" achieved this year, my first ever Ch d'Yquem!
Bro TC kindly brought this 375 ml half bottle, all the way from Hong Kong for us, and we enjoyed it as a digestif after our first night's dinner in Bangkok, with DQ, SKT, TC and myself. Even BL and MK who don't normally drink enjoyed this (along with the Cristal 08!), and we kept a large pour for WMK who had it back at the hotel.
I was blown away by this wine's complexity, density as well as sweetness which is super balanced with the acid levels. Divine!
Magnificent nose of tropical fruit and vanilla aromatics, as well as hints of coconut flakes too. On the palate, there is dried apricot, orange zest and marmalade, and some pineapple and caramel with apricots on the finish, which is super long at over 1 minute! Beautiful manuka honey mouth-feel too.
Château d'Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur or "Superior First Growth" wine from the Sauternes, in the Gironde region in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards known as Graves.
From the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Château d'Yquem was the only Sauternes given this rating, which highlighted its superiority and also how it commands higher prices compared to all similar sweet wines.
Weather: June 2003's temperature was the warmest ever recorded at Yquem since they started tracking this from 1896 (Yes they installed a weather station over a century ago!). This notoriously hot vintage produced some very pleasant Bordeaux surprises, Yquem being one of them.
Achieving the necessary sugar levels was obviously not a problem this year. But come September, the wait was on for the botrytis. It was thanks to a little rain from 5th September, and the warm temperatures, the noble rot took off rapidly.
Right after this, rapid and busy harvesting and strict selection took place. In fact, harvest was over in a record nine days, resulting in a super rich and fully "botrytized expression" that beautifully makes this an excellent vintage.
What critics say: Back in early 2020, one of my favourite wine-writers, Jancis Robinson described that this 2003 vintage has developed a mid-amber colour. She talked about vanilla, chocolate, butter and orange zest, and has a clean finish. How could I disagree, I think she described this beautifully.
Especially when she called the evolution of this vintage as "simply stunning", and funnily... She asked if this could actually be bettered? Her answer.. "Hard to imagine how. 20/20 points!".
Voluptuous and luscious, I will never forget my first Ch D'Yquem and grateful we had this in such a nice restaurant with a great bunch of passionate wine lovers. It paired exceptionally well with our Passion Fruit Pavlova, from Chef Josh at Oriental Infusions in Bangkok.
1 Dec 2022
Bangkok (Wongwian Yai BTS station)
Thailand
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7/21/2022 - Michael Hung Likes this wine: 94 Points
[First of three bottles]
Botrytis, floral notes, honeysuckle, candied apricots, candied orange peel, meringue, apricot jam, slight earthiness. Visible sugar in the glass, slightly cloying sweetness, but still very enjoyable. Long finish, just candied fruit for days. Could use more acidity, but this is great.
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7/13/2022 - Topper Likes this wine: 96 Points
Served two bottles to 14 people at the rehearsal dinner before my daughter's wedding and everyone was immensely impressed. This is one that dances across the palate and the finish stays for a full minute if not longer. There is no other wine like Yquem and as long as you don't directly compare this to the 01, you should find it to be a huge success.
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7/11/2022 - Winegangster Does not like this wine: 80 Points
D'Yquem 2003 - Much ado about nothing.
When I have d'Yquem au menu, I give up being rational. Both ways, and I'm usually dithyrambic... partly because uncorking d'Yquem is not daily bread, and partly because there's something indefinable behind this sober and elegant label that is very unfair to other contenders on the Ciron's banks : if you've had a chance to taste such vintages as 1975, 1988, 2001, 2007 and even the more "modest" 1989, you know what I mean. And if you're unfortunate enough to have stored a few cases of 2003, then, you have a problem. At least : I have a problem.
2003 was indeed a challenging year marked by an unprecedented heat wave where inspired winemakers created beauties in Sauternes and Barsac - Coutet 2003 brought me down to my knees! - but the sprinkle of genius did not illuminate Yquem. Not at all. Let me be straightforward : this-is-a-very-disappointing-wine. Period. And if you wish to live the d'Yquem 2003 experience without having to pay the entry fee for the legend, here are 3 alternatives that will save you time and money :
1. Meet my grand mother. Or just pay her a visit when she cares of her oak furniture (that's usually on Tuesday): the intoxicating smell of turpentine backed by a contradictory scent of beeswax will give you a clear idea of the olfactory impressions of this vintage. Absolutely nothing (exotic fruits, white flowers) can survive to such a mess swirl of indelicate fragrances.
2. Fix yourself an Aperol x Spritz, without Proseco. Or sip a shot of Bitter San Pellegrino. The coarseness of bitters, the ubiquitous and unmelted sugars and the dryness on the finish will get you as close as one can get to where d'Yquem 2003 can take you.
3. Let dry an orange peel for a couple weeks : once it has reached the consistence of a candied fruit, chew it. Let it melt in your mouth for a while and blame me for having suggested this rather painful experiment.
Such a disappointment would be excusable if I only had that impression once. But statistics don't lie, and the 3 bottles from 2 different cases I´ve drunk over the past 6 months gave me and my guests the same consistent impression of a perfectly failed wine.
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7/10/2022 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Enormously concentrated wine with apricots, orange peel and botrytis. On the palate the same impressions, a lot of caramel and concentrated sweetness, but also good and fresh acidity. This is a great beauty and probably with a very long life ahead.
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4/18/2022 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine: 93 Points
Surprisingly dark (I’ve older ones not as dark) lots of Burnt sugar, caramel, dried apricots and mango, similar palate with nice acidity and a really really long finish. This actually paired well with both a chocolate salted caramel cakes and a passion fruit cheesecake
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3/25/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep golden amber color. Rich apricots and peaches in the nose and flavor with honey and vanilla. Very well balanced and a long finish.
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1/6/2022 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Wine Dinner w/new friends in JAX (Rue St Mark): Beautiful as always. This time around the note that jumped out the most to me was vanilla which was a bit of a surprise. This is from a warmer vintage and that comes through - bit less acid than in some and a bit more power. Still always delicious.
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11/18/2021 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Huge nose of candied apricot and dried fruit... Very delicious and good concentration with a refreshing finish for such a hot vintage!
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8/21/2021 - Hiker4life70 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Darker colored. Apricot and creme brûlée, maturing well. Nice balance of acidity and sweeetness.
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8/20/2021 - Macdog Likes this wine: 97 Points
Astonishingly complex and zings and dances on the P. Long. Exotic fruit. Needed some air to get to its very high heights. Not as dense or as lush as the Climens 03 - it is a more nimble wine. Delicious. I agree with the comment below about the ever so slight lack of some acidity in 03 but frankly I like the vintage. At Sir Charles Napier from Coravin.
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8/18/2021 - Dobrie10 Likes this wine: 98 Points
A superbly delicious Sauternes. This vintage is coming into its own with fine notes of candied apple, lemon rind, orange rind, vanilla, and tea leaves. This wine has another 15 years to run, too.
This wine just dances on the palate — the finish goes on for minutes and your taste buds adapt along the way: easy finish of golden/baked apple to delicious orange rinds with delicate residual sugar.
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7/9/2021 - ManhattanBeach Likes this wine:
A dinner with friends at 67 Pall Mall: Another bottle generously shared by my friend. Consistent with previous note, possibly showing even better than last time, and lovely with the cheeseboard.
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6/6/2021 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 2003 D’Yquem is probably just entering its prime drinking window and was simply beautiful: Toffee, butterscotch, some vanilla, orange peel and almonds. Amazing complexity and depth and literally a finish lasting several minutes. It might profit from a tad more acidity but then again it was a pretty hot year and who am I to judge.
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5/30/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking amazingly well now with future upside. Almost too easy to drink and in perfect balance. Will hold 6 bottles abs drink 6 anytime.
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12/25/2020 - dougie Likes this wine: 95 Points
Not as sweet as 2003 rieussec , but more complex and enjoyable.
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12/15/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Consistently, this is a beautiful Sauternes. Fat, but not cloying, the notes of buttered pineapple, apricots, candied orange rind, caramel, butterscotch and flowers come through easily. Rich, concentrated but with energy and lift, this luscious treat continues getting better and better.
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12/14/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
This is still very young but it's really coming along nicely and if you enjoy the earlier stages in life of great Sauternes there's no crime in drinking this at all. Since I last had this 7 years ago, the nose has really started to unfurl with a beautiful, voluminous Seville orange peel, almond, creme pat, shortbread profile accented by a faint floral touch. Very big, but very precise and so long. The acidity is a touch low here which contributes to its opulent feel.
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11/26/2020 - TomOfCT Likes this wine: 97 Points
An extraordinary golden delight. Too many complex flavors to describe; this wine evolved over the course of two hours.
Rich in color and with a notably higher viscosity than a few years ago, this wine is drinking wonderfully. Looking back at my prior notes on this vintage, I can see this is now at a drinking age - though has countless years ahead of it for those more patient.
What d'Yquem knows how to do is unmatched.
Poured from a half bottle.
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11/21/2020 - dulcamara wrote: 95 Points
- Yellow brown color - Having trouble entering my notes. Great stuff. Makes me proud to be human.
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11/21/2020 - dulcamara wrote: 95 Points
- Yellow brown color with fast forming legs - Datum!! Opened a half bottle to celebrate my retirement. Stuff like this makes me proud to human.
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10/25/2020 - chatters wrote:
Beaucastel reprise (Ben and Estella's place, Parramatta): From half bottle. Orange, caramel, apricot, vanilla, sweet spice, toffee apple. Juicy acid but rich and concentrated, lusciously sweet. Similar flavour profile to the nose, very long. Textured on the mid palate. With time the orange note grows and is joined by some orange peel bitterness. Nice.
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9/18/2020 - LinSil wrote:
Simply stellar
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8/29/2020 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
drunk alongside the 2002 and much the better of the two - delicate but complex and long, it maybe could do with a bit more acidity to balance the sweetness - no rush and it may well improve with time
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7/19/2020 - SimonS wrote: 95 Points
This is very delicious indeed and starting to show really well. Sweet, but sufficiently complex and acidity to balance.
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7/3/2020 - SimonS wrote: 96 Points
yummy.
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1/31/2020 - ppandian wrote: 95 Points
My my my! Beautiful nose of lemon rind, peach, pineapple and jack fruit! Cuts through the palate cleanly with a long finish. Thoroughly enjoyable!
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1/21/2020 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Old note - Honey, tropical fruit, vanilla. Just unctuous and syrupy heaven. Has shed some baby fat and is prime drinking window but going nowhere fast. 2020-2050+
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12/18/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Rich, fat, unctuous, sweet and complex, while still an infant, the wine already shows off its creme brulee, molasses, butterscotch, orange rind, melted butter, cinnamon cloves, almonds and overripe apricots, pineapple and vanilla easily. There is a lot of volume here. The wine is hedonistic, palate-coating and frankly irresistible. Drink now, or in 10-20 or 30 years.
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9/29/2019 - spineguy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow! I have been fortunate enough to have tasted several vintages of Ch. d'Y over the last few years. This was perhaps the most special of all. The balance of acidity and (anything but cloying) sweetness was amazing. Notes of citrus, predominated but not overpowered by orange and orange peel, apricots, and once again the acidity (grapefruit?) along with the mouthfeel and finish made this one special wine! Great now but probably will last for many, many years albeit with a different more reserved complex experience. Fine to drink now if a younger profile is what you are looking for.
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8/20/2019 - oldwines Likes this wine: 96 Points
Philly Wine Group Top French Wines Themed Dinner (The Prime Rib, Philadelphia): From 750ml bottle, decanted at 2pm then returned to clean bottle for transport to Philly. It is a medium to dark amber gold color. Nose is white florals, minerals and mixed stone fruit with a noticeable undertone of botrytis right after decanting. The acidity is medium high with a rich chewy, unctuous mouth feel. Palate has a creaminess to it initially that faded by later in the evening. Among the layers of flavor were creamy grilled peach, ripe aporicot, toasted sesame and grilled pineapple along with crushed stones and golden raisin on the finish. So beautifully balanced, incredibly long on the finish and still bright and energetic. It was a good foil to cheesecake and strawberries.
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8/20/2019 - skurtz Likes this wine: 95 Points
For our Philadelphia wine club dinner at the Prime Rib. Awesome! Perfect with cheese cake and strawberries. Consistent with my previous note.
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8/9/2019 - ManhattanBeach Likes this wine:
Lunch with Friends (67 Pall Mall): Brought by a friend to 67 Pall Mall. Wonderful luscious almond paste, apricot, grilled nuts, spice and orange peel. Nothing out of place, not too sweet, rich but not not heavy. Borderline perfection. The others had the Rocquefort icecream + apricot/almond tart, prepared by the chef specifically to pair.
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8/4/2019 - skurtz Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a split, decanted. Gorgeous fragrant nose, caramel. Opulent mouth filling unctuous smooth liquid creme brûlée. Outstanding! The finish seems to go on forever!
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7/27/2019 - Livermore wrote: 95 Points
The best Sauternes I've had to date. Fantastically complex with a deep finish. With the reputation of château d'Yquem I may have expected more, but you can't really, morally, ask for more.
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7/21/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Chez Dalluge Celebrates The 25th Anniversary of The French Laundry (Chez Dalluge, MN): Medium deep golden color. PNP from 750ml; drank a glass over 30 minutes. This was drinking great and firing on all cylinders in the prime of its first drinking window. Wonderfully savory carmelizeized sugar creme brulee nose, apricot, orange peel, pineapple, honey, marmalade, vanillin spices. The palate is gorgeous, apricot and orange custard, honeyed, pineapple, and an ethereally spice infused finish. Medium plus bodied and showing the ripeness of the vintage while maintaining the brightness and acidity. Loved it.
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6/1/2019 - Artbreadman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very solid but I was a little disappointed based on my expectations and reputation of this wine. Could have used more fruit upfront, light on the rot, finish not that long.
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4/28/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Old Grange and some other goodies (Ristorante Morini): D'Yquem is in a league of its own basically always. And funny how easy it is to pick out. It just jumps out of the glass at you. Light and airy and viscous all at the same time. It's a plethora of all of those stone fruits and white flowers and lovely crispness and softness at the same time. Great way to end the evening.
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4/18/2019 - prof b wrote: 95 Points
I really enjoyed this. The bottle was decanted for about 30 minutes and then served. It then took some swirling to get it to strut its stuff but everything was there. Lots of ripe tropical fruits and plenty of acidity to balance it out.
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4/18/2019 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Cab Franc hits and misses: Liked this a lot. There's a faint high toned, almost VA-like note on the nose at first but that blows off quickly with air to show lots of intensely ripe pineapple, apricot, and other tropical fruit flavours drizzled with honey and orange marmalade with some light botrytis spice accents. The botrytis here is not as apparent as I've found in other Yquems, and the richness/clarity of the fruit stands out more - it's a very pretty wine, though still feels very young with a lot of time ahead.
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3/9/2019 - ericindc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cabernet Sauvignon Dinner in DC (Eric and Janet's House in DC): Super buttery cream and vanilla with a hint of apricot on the nose. Beatifully sweet (too sweet?). Thick and unctuous, with light savory notes, some spicy bits, vanilla and apricot. Still super young. Its starting to soften, but its not yet getting caramel, burn sugar or toffee notes. Probably on a faster aging track due to the lower acidity. Still always a treat!
Very nice at this stage with fruit desserts with vanilla cream, apples, pears, etc.
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11/22/2018 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine: 93 Points
From the glass list at Manhatta (NYC). Lovely way to end thanksgiving lunch! First time with this vintage and while it was quite enjoyable I would say the balance is not as finally honed as it could be if it had a bit more acid. Pretty aromatics of honeysuckle, tastes of summer - apricots, honeysuckle, lemon, caramel. It just wants a touch more acid.
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11/4/2018 - BradE wrote:
This has always been a very good vintage, and tonight's bottle was no exception. It's a vintage that expresses the wine well, particularly for first time d'Yquem drinkers
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11/1/2018 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Stunning. Extremely rich, pure, and smooth. Other wines may have more “character”; this has the finest quality. The flavors are currently tightly packed and focused on puréed apricots, citrus zest, and botrytis. This is wonderful to drink now but it will probably be best 10-15 years from now.
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11/1/2018 - WineRomance wrote: 97 Points
This is a beautiful wine with a captivating apricot aroma. Upon tasting, the flavor is dominated by concentrated apricot and honey accompanied by a tiny bit of nutty after taste.
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10/15/2018 - GBFan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful nose. Great weight and length. A very good, but not a great Yquem. Could use more acidity and complexity. Still, an absolutely delicious wine.
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7/21/2018 - Ispendtoomuchmoneyonwine wrote: 94 Points
Caramel, nuts, honey, orange, minerals dark golden color very smooth and enjoyable. Seems to be pre maturely aging. This will not be a long lived d’Yquem. Drink now.
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5/26/2018 - GJCVancouver Likes this wine: 97 Points
375ml
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4/28/2018 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
You can read my previous detailed note, which states my take on this very well. Except that now I score it even lower. And I suspect that if tasted blind, I might have dipped into the 80s. Doesn’t seem to be worth holding.
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4/20/2018 - Torchy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Onklers Grand Cru Tasting Spring 2018; 4/20/2018-4/22/2018 (Tord): Amber. Complex nose with nuts, honey, wax, brown sugar and a ripe fruit platter. Extremely balanced palate. A dessert in itself. Raisins, nuts, light alcohol and caramel.
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2/25/2018 - kenthecpa Likes this wine: 94 Points
Apricot,lemon and citrus.
This is probably drinking at its best right now.
The color is showing an advanced stage.
I own a few bottles purchased on release.
This bottle I purchased on auction.
Really good but I put side to side with the bottle I purchased on release and this bottle is noticeably darker in color.
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1/1/2018 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Hedonistic nose displaying decadent yellow fruit, mango, apricot, pineapple, banana flambe, strong honey and botrytis and crème brulee. The spicy botrytis note is very strong. Exceptional concentration, oily/unctuous yet weightless, very finely layered decadent yellow fruit, bright acidity and an incredibly long botrytis driven finish. This is a great Yquem with a long promising future a head. The Yquem to buy in the current auction market. Drank over four nights.
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12/24/2017 - sb_guido wrote: 93 Points
Half bottle with siblings on Christmas Eve.
Very enjoyable. Rich and unctuous. Sweetness well balanced with acidity. Nice aromas of honey, pineapple and apricot. Quite primary aromas though. Did not get much of the caramel, nut and more complex aromas.
Very pleasurable especially that most of my family had never tasted.
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12/24/2017 - Pierre Raymond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened a full bottle for dessert with a buche de Noél on Christmas Eve, 2017. Had been saving the bottle since 2013, and decided it was time. Beautiful nose, bouquet of burnt caramel with hint of grapefruit and a bit o honey.
Low acidity, alcohol rich, and yes, some apricot and pineapple overtones for sure. Medium-long finish. Bref, a strong candidate for overall awesomeness. I'd say start drinking now, with no regrets. Can't wait to try some more of this bottle tomorrow!
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11/20/2017 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:
Long birthday lunch at Noble Rot (Noble Rot, Wellington, NZ): Served blind. A complex bouquet of marmalade on buttered toast, pineapples, lemon Turkish delight, honeysuckle, gentle spices, peaches and vanilla. It did not drink as lower acidity, so I did not pick the d'Yquem as a 2003. Good freshness, although viscous and full. Glycerol and tactile. Barley sugars, honey, tinned apricots and peaches and cream flavours. Even a suggestion of banana custard. The oak is still a little intrusive, but there I'm being picky. Ideally, I'd give it another five years, but I wouldn't expect the 2003 to be an ultra-long lived d'Yquem.
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11/15/2017 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first d'Yquem. Had as a dessert glass at a restaurant. I had recently bought a 2015 future so figured I should put my money where my mouth is and try an older vintage to know what I was in for. At first, I did not like it (I have no experience with Sauternes) but it continued to evolve over the 30 minutes or so in the glass. Sweet, lots of honey and a few other notes I couldn't quite put my fingers on. Anyway, by the end, I was wishing for more, and will be excited to try more vintages of this unique wine.
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10/27/2017 - acyso wrote: 83 Points
Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume II (Chicago, IL): From half bottle, served double blind (in a flight of 2003 Sauternes). A huge disappointment at the reveal. This tasted really dirty and a bit oxidized (though it had been bought at release by the owner and stored properly since). I'm really not sure what happened here. This showed none of the fruit and coconut richness I'm accustomed to, nor did the palate really have the heft I'd expect from a 2003/Yquem crossover. I'll probably have to open one of my own bottles to double check my assessment of this wine...
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10/16/2017 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 89 Points
a bit of a disappointment by the very high standard associated with this Chateau...
The warmth and ripeness of the 2003 vintage is showing through providing plenty of volume and body. However, the wine lacks in botrytis expression, in freshness and in balance. Yes, the wine was relatively young ( 14 years), but I simply don't seem where the exquisite aromatics , acidity needed for the balance or the delicate side will come from. Hopefully time will prove me wrong, but that is how it appears now..
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8/7/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dreamy rich with mango, pineapple, honey, and custard. Many waves of flavor on the palate.
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7/26/2017 - Greg Munyard Likes this wine: 97 Points
Exquisite - the best '03 Yquem I've ever drunk, from perhaps 2 dozen. Served at cellar temperature, on a cold winter's night (for Perth, Western Australia, that is) this extraordinary nectar was:
• luscious and concentrated,
• syrupy smooth,
• with the most beautiful apricotty-honeyed crème brulee flavours,
• beautifully balanced with good acidity and what are now well resolved tannins, in a slightly grippy and incredibly long finish of dried apricots and botrytis.
Utterly irresistible; lip-lickingly beautiful – pick your superlatives. …
For those who haven't had the 03 Yquem experience, if you knew you could find a bottle like this, and present it like this (this wine is very susceptible to serving temperature), you'd pay a lot of money to chase up a bottle and savour it with suitable friends. Hallelujah.
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5/12/2017 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at Ocean Prime for $39/glass.
Full bodied and rich yet smooth and easy drinking. Long lingering finish with powerful tropical flavors. I drank this over about 30 minutes and my colleagues kept commenting that the smile never left my face...
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4/20/2017 - Philippe_C wrote: 96 Points
Huge nose of ripe ananas and apricot... huge concentration, loads of ananas and great freshness!
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4/15/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 97 Points
Epic 2001 Sauternes Horizontal (San Francisco): Tasted single-blind. Golden-yellow color, among the lightest in the flight; pineapple, tropical fruit, ripe fruit, slight vanilla but better integrated than I remember; palate is medium bodied, nice racy acidity throughout, complex and intense fruit that has an elegant lightness throughout; medium-long finish. 95+. My guess was the 03 Yquem, since it shows that Yquem combination of ripeness and balanced elegance, and I recognize some of the riper fruit from the last time I had this, though it is much better integrated today and seems like it is progressing very nicely (my last taste was ~5 years ago). Youthful today, and this will likely develop well over a few days and in bottle over the next few decades. Wait 5+ years until the next bottle if possible.
Day 3: Highly aromatic nose with floral, ripe tropical fruit, similar to when first opened but perhaps a bit more integrated, quite elegant; palate is very youthful, balancing acidity throughout, plenty of primary fruit, still some oak influence, rich flavors but also elegant lightness throughout; long finish. This is superb, even more integrated than when first opened and showing well, though still incredibly primary. This tastes 5-10 years younger than any 2001 sauternes at the tasting (and also 5-10 years younger than any 2003 that I remember). This doesn't show any of the vintage heat and will last a century. 95-97+ now with potential for 99-100 points at peak.
Day 4: unchanged. Still very primary and youthful. Maybe even more exciting than yesterday. This is a superb wine. 97+
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3/26/2017 - skifree wrote: 94 Points
I drank this over many nights, and it kept getting better. Very similar tasting notes to my previous bottle; tangerine, honey, orange lychee intermingled with nice acidity. Finish is very long.
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3/3/2017 - jkoenen wrote: 95 Points
Remarkably fresh and elegant for this 'année flambée'. Wow.
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3/3/2017 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
The birthday of a good friend; Mostly beautiful magnums (@ PZ): No formal notes. Just some words. Full bodied and concentrated wine. Beautiful sweetness and botrytis and also beautiful acidity. Orange and tangerine peel. A very great and complex, still youthful wine. Can last for at least two more decades. 96++
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2/25/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 97 Points
I am doubtlessly influenced by the d'Yquem name, but I find this wine stunningly delicious. The best dessert wines taste better than the best desserts at the best 3* Michelin restaurants, and this wine proves my point. It's as if honey and peach and custard have all melded into one. Hints of orange zest, spice, and botrytis add character. There's no need to think about this wine; it's immediately, obviously great.
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1/5/2017 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 97 Points
Holiday dinner organized by Ken Brown with many great wines! (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Doubters be damned. 2003. A hot vintage. Thousands in Paris died from the heat. I was in Chateauneuf du Pape in August and the town ran out of fans, so I recall (not quite) sleeping next to a semi open fridge it was so bloody hot. And so it was in Bordeaux. Botrytis? Sure. At Yquem. Some critics moderate their notes owing to the vintage, but they are nuts. This is a full throttle voluptuous yet refined Sauternes that defies the vintage while exhibiting its heat in the best possible way. Truly a fabulous wine. And perhaps my overall favorite of the evening amidst tough competition. Long finish!
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12/24/2016 - bigredPA Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning. A true pleasure to drink such a wine. The spectrum & complexity of aromas and flavors takes one to another place.
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12/23/2016 - acorelli Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful, beautiful. Rich and complex on nose and palate. Not as impressive on the finish.
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12/18/2016 - SimonS wrote: 93 Points
consumed at Hipping Hall, this is now starting to drink properly - sweet, but not unbalanced or cloying - you'd be hard pressed to guess 03 blind, though it is clearly from a warm year. No qualms about keeping these another decade.
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11/27/2016 - TomOfCT Likes this wine: 92 Points
We enjoyed this wine over Thanksgiving weekend. Drank from a half bottle. The wine was very good by most standards...though perhaps just OK for D'Yquem. A bit less refined than usual.
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10/30/2016 - fontaine wrote: 95 Points
Un petit peu de sucre pour le dessert d'anniversaire. Accompagne très bien la tarte aux pommes. Fraicheur, équilibre, longueur. Tout y est. Grand vin !
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10/16/2016 - matthijseijk Likes this wine: 96 Points
Yquem keeps being the best well balanced Sauternes of all.. Lemon, orange, honey, bits of Caramel and than just drink and taste.
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10/5/2016 - Greg Munyard wrote: 95 Points
A helpful comment from Jeff Leve inspired me to have another of these; one of my favourite sweet wines of all time.
Intense and sumptuous, this is a full-on and delicious explosion of rich, ripe apricotty-honeyed flavours that make a mouth filling cocktail that is as smooth as a baby's ... . yet with powerful acid and that classic Yquem attack on the finish.
A stunning and memorable wine that is aging gracefully (and recently more slowly) even from a 375ml bottle. Yquem is never cheap but the 2003 remains a bargain (don't however be tempted by the '99 - I shouldn't really mention them in the same sentence ... The '99 has the least botrytis you will ever see in an Yquem whereas the '03 has perhaps the most you will ever see).
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9/10/2016 - buckeye76 wrote: 96 Points
HONEY, CARAMEL, CITRUS, PEACHES IN THE NOSE WITH RICH CITRUS FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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9/10/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
The initial baby fat from the low acidity is barely noticeable today. The wine is now popping with its perfect combination of freshness and honeyed sweetness. The layers of honey drenched tropical fruits, apricots, white peach, vanilla and a hint of custard taste, smell and feel great. Drink this now for its youthful pleasure or wait decades for an entirely different experience. It's a beauty and for d'Yquem, it's fairly priced, especially when you factor in its high quality and style.
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8/26/2016 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 96 Points
A superb bottle, not quite ethereal but everything working in harmony. Unctuous and luscious. Ripe apricots, honey, grapefruit and almonds on the nose. Layered and rich with loads of complex flavors balanced by bracing acidity. Very long finish.
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8/5/2016 - galewskj wrote: 97 Points
Non-Blind Very Nice Reds (St. Genevieve): Drank a good-sized glass over about 30 minutes, which was fast because it was so darn tasty. So lush, so balanced. As always, elegant and lively. Gorgeous nose and palate. Lingering finish. This is everything I want from a Sauternes - spice, sweetness, acid, fruit. Orange marmalade, nectarine, honey, mango, and wildflowers.
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7/24/2016 - For the Love of Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Awesome Yquem that is drinking well now, but I am sure has years (even decades) of life left in it. I was mostly struck by the incredible balance of this wine! Sweet, but not overly sweet, the acid is just right to match the sweetness of the wine. While the flavors were well integrated, I found myers lemon custard to be the predominant flavor, along with stone fruits, pear and a hint of ginger. The wine was absolutely delicious, and I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed opening a bottle now....of course, I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed in opening a bottle later either :)
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6/20/2016 - Rachaeljorden Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice. Seemed a little flawed from bad storage. Nutty and thick mouth feel. Love to try another
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4/23/2016 - Wrighty Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful!! Drank alongside a stunning TBA which just shaded this but it actually highlight the fresh acidity in the wine which holds up the sweet fruit.
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4/16/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 96 Points
Rich golden-yellow in colour. Ripe apricots, honey, flowers, almonds on the nose. Layered and fine. On the palate rich with great weight and presence but incredibly well balanced for the vintage. Notes of marzipan, walnuts, caramel, spices, honey and wonderfully rich fruit. The acidity is a little low, but there is no impression of heaviness. Delicious and very very long. 95-97
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4/7/2016 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
I liked this more than I expected. Not as sweet or cloying as some vintages of Yquem, this came across dryer and well balanced, and still true to the spirit of Yquem. Interesting :)
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3/26/2016 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
Deep caramel / amber in colour. Apricots, caramel, vanilla dominate on the nose. The acidity is vibrant and results in a beautiful wine experience.
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3/20/2016 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 97 Points
The pairing of the night, this was served with Orange Creme de Catalan - the candied orange of the dessert and the marmalade of the Yquem was a call and response that buckled the knees.
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1/28/2016 - morpheusrising wrote: 93 Points
Classic Sauternes. Has d'Yquem even made anything bad? If so, I've not tasted it!
Great balance of honey suckle, floral elements, acid, and a bit of minerality. Wonderful bouquet. Classic golden color with good viscosity and velvety texture. Had this with a pear cake for dessert following a 1993 Haut-Brion. Great night.
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12/12/2015 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Exclusive dinner with eight friends and 22 special wines.: Last wine of the evening and it delivered. Beautiful bouquet with apricots and orange peel, honey and botrytis. The same impressions on the palate. Sorry; no more notes, but this is a great wine with a great length. 95+
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11/25/2015 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Honey, caramel, citrus, and mango. Very ripe on the palate with good intensity. It will take a lot of time for the fruit to mellow down.
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9/18/2015 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Full-bodied, taste of vanilla, almond, mandarin and Hassaku orange, mango and lemon peel, panna cotta, concentrated, smooth, balanced and delicious.
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9/5/2015 - martcouz wrote: 93 Points
My first tasting of Yquem ! Still very young, but it's in perfect balance. It is elegant, somewhat powerful, and just lovely overall. Too soon to drink now. I would wait at least 10 years.
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9/4/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Deep nose of honey, citrus and passiom fruit. The palate is medium to full with honey and lime. Clean and crisp but missing the complexity of a great yquem
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8/16/2015 - Wizaard1 wrote: 94 Points
Impromptu french theme dinner. Enjoyed 2003 Haut-Brion, Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild and d Yquem. All concurred elegance of reds ranked in order provided with Lafite being far superior. All should easily cellar another 10 years before trying next bottle.
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8/3/2015 - rikipedia wrote: 88 Points
Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux, Sauternes (Groot Constantia): Deep, old gold with light orange and amber hues. The bouquet is slightly aldehydic with developed notes showing burnt sugar, ginger ale, candied orange and some dried mango. Slightly fatigued, however. The entry is exceptionally sweet (RS apparently 147g/l!) with an oily, unctuous texture and concentrated intensity. There is minimal botrytis influence but the mid-palate is smooth and seamless, lacking any harsh edges, resembling more an eiswein with its concentrated sugar profile. Flavours of Creme Brulée, almond paste and raisins. Full-bodied, it finishes long and syrupy (the acid is medium at best), it reminded me of the modern style of De Bortoli's Noble One with its weighty, almost overburdening presence. 2003 was exceptionally warm, especially in June. Didn't excite me.
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7/13/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
From 375 ml bottle. Dried apricot and baked apple. Moderate intensity and length, this isn't the most botrytis intensive Yquem, but charming and balanced from start to finish.
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6/12/2015 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 96 Points
Same impression as Kevin.
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6/11/2015 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Wine dinner at Blacksalt - Prévost, Krug, Pichler, Raveneau, Fevre, Grivot, LLC, Yquem & etc. (Blacksalt, Washington DC): I am a big fan of the 03 D’Yquem. The nose displays intense sweet yellow fruits, apricot, pineapple, mango, sweet spices, ginger and creme brulee. Incredibly concentrated yet precise and airy due to strong presence of acidity, intense jammy yellow fruit driven palate impression and lovely long finish. The overall expression remains very sweet and intense but somehow still retains the precision and airiness. This will always be enjoyable but may take another fifty years to reach the peak. Relatively speaking, great QPR.
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5/24/2015 - johnh1001 wrote:
Huge, round and super sweet. Like candy.
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5/23/2015 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
There's plenty happening on the nose with aromas of coconut ice, lavender, honey and apricot jam. It has some serious grunt on the palate with dense, concentrated flavours. It is rich, sweet and honeyed and freshens up nicely on the finish. A really good 2003 and a really good Yquem.
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5/19/2015 - Greg Munyard wrote: 95 Points
Magnificent; just magnificent - but ...
Intense, powerful, rich, concentrated - pick your superlative. Extremely complex slightly pithy dried apricots, old honey, some citrus flowers and musky spices; all in an almost thickly textured, alcoholic warmth. A lip-licking tour de force which could never be mistaken for anything other than Yquem in a hot, full-on botrytis year. So, what's the "but"?
I again note the slightly feisty finish, which I often comment on when I drink this wine, especially if it's not really cold. Yes, it's very, very long - and packed with concentrated, marvellous flavours right to the end - but the finish on this bottle (like some others), tasted a touch assertive - even prickly - and perhaps a touch greenish?? These are obviously oak characters, since the fruit is extremely ripe (14% alcohol).
Drunk well chilled but not cold, I've dropped off a point, with a question whether the oak is a touch assertive even for the glorious, voluptuous fruit. From a 375 ml bottle (I've drunk over 1 dozen, since release), more cellaring time may turn this question mark into a complexity plus but, if it happens, it may take a while. The colour is decidedly golden already so it may look quite dark before it's at its best. Alternatively, drink it a bit more chilled than usual.
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4/24/2015 - skifree wrote: 95 Points
My WOTN at CT SEA dinner at Lark amongst a group of great wines. Had great depth, viscosity, and almost oiliness in its texture, with great balance to the sweetness and acidity. It was open for business.
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1/21/2015 - Greg Munyard wrote: 96 Points
Wow – cop that! A powerful, complex, oh so distinctive Yquem nose of honeyed, dried apricots and perfumed, almost musky, oak together with lashings of botrytis, makes a great signpost to a wonderful palate.
* A rich, thick and luscious, indeed voluptuous (14% alc.) palate …
* of very intense, complex and “lip-licking” flavours in the dried apricots and honey spectrum, with full-on botrytis …
* plus well balanced, powerful acid and typical edgy Yquem oak, which has a beautiful musky dimension which perfectly complements the powerful fruit …
* and with a distinctly warm mouth-feel from the hot year (and the oak) ...
* the flavours linger for minutes after swallowing.
This is not an apologetic, shy wine. “Decadent” describes it well. I can smell the wine as I write this, with the glass over 60cm away! Some bottles I’ve drunk seemed more silky but the edgy oak of this bottle (especially as it warmed up a touch) was just right for it at the moment. Changes quite a bit with the temperature; which is a fun experiment. Much prefer it to that other hot year (1997) of the era, and I love the way it is developing. A truly glorious wine.
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1/10/2015 - fatfishzsy wrote: 95 Points
酸度优秀,成熟度很高,平衡度非常好,属于热情的、有力量的复杂的典型滴金香气,蜂蜜、杏脯、麝香。
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12/19/2014 - Le Gaulois Likes this wine: 94 Points
Le nez est totalement différent des autres Sauternes goutés à ce jour. Pas surprenant, nous sommes devant le Roi des Rois! Le nez est donc sur la marmelade, le pain grillé. Les noix de Grenoble et le caramel brulé. Quelle complexité! En bouche on retrouve le nez mais aussi une touche de sirop d’érable et d’agrumes (acidité). Incroyable!
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12/19/2014 - tuckandvine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Half bottle, enjoyed over 2 days. First day was a little shy on the nose but showed quite fresh tropical, pineapple, apricot and honey. Second day was much more open, some of the typical fruit notes from above along with a distinct pastry / brioche nose and a hint of aniseed on the palate.
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11/28/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 95 Points
Tasted alone and then side by side with the 2005 Climens. At first blush they were very similar but over time and with air there was separation. This wine is darker in color and more viscous. Flavors of dark honey, tropical fruit and a nutty spiciness. Long, long finish. The Climens is lighter in color, weight and on the palate. More candied citrus and less spice. My wife and I loved them both. I gave the d'Yquem a slight edge. She thought it a toss up. Hard to go wrong either way.
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11/23/2014 - Fuzzy Squash Likes this wine: 95 Points
Some bottle variation. This one was not as sublime as previous bottle which had a massive finish and richness.
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11/16/2014 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tiny pour from Coravin at Minibar in DC. My first experience with Yquem. And, well, what is there to say other than wow.
This was tasted at the end of a very, very long meal with lots of alcohol. Vague notes to follow
Beautiful complex nose. Orange, lemon, honey. Very concentrated yet light on its feet, always changing, always revealing something new. I want more.
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11/12/2014 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Mike Grammer Comes to Town - KS version (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Lovely yellow fruits, fresh apricot, pineapple, coconut, sweet spices, vanilla and ginger. Although quite sweet and dense, the overall impression is perfectly airy not unlike the Ruinart drank earlier. Really decadent wine. This will last forever. In lieu of the current price, one of the best D’Yquems to buy. Highly recommend.
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11/9/2014 - dougie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank on vacation with Wendi 2014.
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11/7/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
John's 70th B-Day Blowout (Sandy Springs, GA): From 375mL; paler gold; vanilla cream, brighter orange marmalade; rich polished, pastry, peach preserves, fatter but still great acid lift; delicious.
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10/10/2014 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 96 Points
Popped and slow oxed for two hours and served with cheese. This is a stunning d'Yquem and one to target as potentially the best value at the moment. Super concentrated yet light and ethereal. Notes of coconut and caramel with balancing acidity. Awesome wine. Drink now or hold for 50 years.
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10/5/2014 - Fuzzy Squash Likes this wine: 98 Points
Massive and simply amazing with great depth and complexity of flavor. Finish that lasts for over a minute.
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9/17/2014 - Greg Munyard wrote:
A glorious wine, having exquisite, intense, rich and luscious Yquem flavours (of honey, apricot, citrus and botrytis to the max.), velvetty smooth texture and an incredibly long and lingering, grippy Yquem finish with a real sense of attitude.
Unfortunately, we were distracted with the earlier wines and conversation and I was a bit casual with the preparation and carelessly presented it too warm. Despite the ice bucket, we never got it perfect and this made it look a bit buxom since 2003 is an opulent year that needs to be presented chilled enough to show the correct balance. My mistake, not an implied criticism of the wine, which is a fabulous creation that often makes me think divine thoughts.
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9/8/2014 - Jord26 wrote:
97 - best I've had
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8/17/2014 - Rafal Likes this wine: 95 Points
Almond and fudge on the nose, not orange or citrus. Body good but a little too sweet and a little too acidic compared to 2001. Might still balance out in time, but otherwise excellent.
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7/1/2014 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
'63 Port Dinner (Davy's): Golden hue with a nose of orange, lemon, lime, burnt sugar and honey. Fresh light palate with a length that continues for 2 mins.
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6/1/2014 - Greg Munyard wrote: 96 Points
Drop dead gorgeous example of this glorious, made in Heaven, wine. Typically golden colour from this hot, botrytis rich year, this bottle (375ml) was started at cellar temperature and then chilled as I finished it off.
A very intense and powerful palate, so silky that it was almost glass-like, and with the most beautiful flavours; a bit like apricot nectar drizzled in dark honey and with a touch of orange, all saturated in botrytis. A long, long lingering finish which goes on for minutes makes for a luscious, absolutely delicious experience. I feel very privileged to enjoy this head shaking ("how did they do that ...") creation.
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5/29/2014 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Vertical tasting 2003, 2000 & 1996 in HK Vinexpo. 2003 is golden color; nose of fantastic tropical fruits, pear, pineapple. Very long finish. I am glad I tried it at this tasting. Excellent for now.
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5/26/2014 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Birthday dinner for..............ME!!!!!!! (Cafe Med): This wine had beautiful acidity and wonderful balance. Nice amount of acidity to help balance out the sweetness. This was not the most concentrated Yquem i have had but it was certainly enjoyable. This has plenty of life in. No hurry on this to drink either. Certainly a nice wine
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4/29/2014 - RedLoverJim Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking very well. Smooth, sweet nectar with just a little bit of mineral notes. Fantastic wine with a long, long finish.
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2/19/2014 - King JR wrote: 96 Points
So smooth, great acidity and wonderfully controlled sweetness. Had with 1997 side by side - 2003 won tonight!
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1/14/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 96 Points
I really like our friends in our wine tasting group. Two bottles 375's of this to cap a magnum evening. For the first time I will use a word others use here - this absolutely sang- rich, unctuous, remarkably complex- we had been very fortunate to visit the winery 3 years ago and this brought back those memories as well. Two bottles disappear amongst 12 people in 15 minutes. Amazing wine that deserves every praise
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12/21/2013 - MC wrote:
Wonderful. Still young, but showing very well, this is just a flat out crowd pleaser and was great with cheese to finish the evening. A
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12/15/2013 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
EWG Conrad's: Coconut, apricot, honey, creme brulee, nice balance, good medium complexity; medium sweet, somewhat low acidity though.
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12/11/2013 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 98 Points
I drank this wine alongside the same vintage of Chateau Suduiraut which is a wine I love a great deal. The d'Yquem, however, is a wine I love more. The colour is gold, the nose is flowery, honey, on the palate not hugely sweet with caramelised orange and spice and white flowers but, above all else, an elegance which all other Sauternes doesn't manage to achieve. A wonderful wine and I must thank my good friend Andy Chapman for giving me the opportunity to drink it.
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10/23/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
2003 d’Yquem is a fun wine to taste. It's absolutely delicious! It's spicy, thick, sweet, lush, fat and opulet in character with its layers of over ripe, honey drenched, juicy, pineapple, apricot, tropical fruits, vanilla and nut filled character. Not as complex as the best vintages of Chateau d'Yquem, and not quite as fresh, this is still a stunning sweet, white Bordeaux wine. And it sells for a very fair price for d'Yquem these days. Drink it now, or age it for decades.
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9/20/2013 - theqspeaks Likes this wine: 98 Points
Spectacular. Incredibly balanced for a sweet wine. Amazing finish that lingered for minutes.
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9/17/2013 - Greg Munyard wrote: 96 Points
Wow! I've drunk more than a dozen of these in the last few years and this was close to the best ever. In my January 2013 notes I wondered if the 2003 vintage might mature too fast. Well, no worries with this bottle. Yes, colour is quite golden but palate was beautifully balanced, with more acid than I've noticed in any earlier bottle. In fact, on first opening (when it was slightly warm) it was almost mouth puckering.
This is a decadent and opulent power pack of dried apricots and some raisinny honey within a thickly textured and concentrated tangy, marmaladey orange framework. All of this is then coated within a mouth-filling package of botrytis, slightly grippy oak, some complex cake mix nuances and nice alcoholic warmth.
An emphatic and wonderful wine. Full on Yquem. A remarkable bottle of a stunning wine.
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7/22/2013 - mimik Likes this wine: 97 Points
Golden yellowish hue, nose of sweet exotic fruit like pineapple and mango with an amazing complexity. Not acidic given the vintage but not cloying at all. Delicate balance and a superb Yquem. Wow!! Long long long finish. This was still on my palate hours after drinking(or could be my mind playing tricks on me, had a lot to drink that night.)
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7/21/2013 - Uncle John wrote: 97 Points
Apricots, pineapple, honey....sweet nectar of the gods. This was beautiful complex with such a long finish that lasted for minutes. Great end to a diner with 20 friends old and new at Bitoque. Thanks Mim.
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7/20/2013 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Nyetimber Vertical + some Unexpected Gems (Park Palace, Grand Park Hotel): I may be in the minority given the rave reviews this wine has received, but while I found it to be a very good, even excellent Sauternes, it was certainly nothing earth-shaking. The nose was classic young d’Yquem – plenty of coconut shavings, a whiff of pineapple tarts, red apple and fragrant peach aromas, sweet flowers, perhaps a sweeter than normal tinge of pineapple juice, and then a twist of burnt rubber. Young, primary, but quite pleasant. The palate carried on from where the nose left off, with sweet coconut on the attack along with dried peach and apricot flavours shading into sweeter dried pineapples on the midpalate. I thought it was just a bit short on acidity for all that sweetness but, even then, it was still decently balanced enough to make a good drink, albeit rather hulking and monolithic, lacking some of the balance and energy of the better vintages. The finish was good, long, with more classic notes of desiccated coconut, caramel and spice. All in all, very yummy, but not what I would call a great d'Yquem. Of course, from a full bottle like we had, this is still barely out of its adolescence and should really be left aside for a decade or longer. It will be interesting to try it then
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7/17/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Casual Dinner with Friends (goosefoot - Chicago IL): Starts with great creme brulee character plus ripe as well as dried apricots. A bit monolithic, perhaps one-dimensional and less nuanced than some vintages of d'Yquem, but good balance and textures, great with dessert.
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6/3/2013 - Greg Munyard wrote: 96 Points
Imagine for the moment a silky but powerful blend of:
dried apricots in the finest, lightest peach syrup ...
with a touch of ultra fine honey ...
and hints of caramel and burnt toffee ...
blended with a beautiful swathe of marmalade (including a touch of orange peel astringency) ...
with subtle acid - all in a long, lingering,"lip licking" finish.
There you have an insight to the 2003 Chateau d'Yquem: a luscious and decadent creation; a masterpiece ...
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4/23/2013 - Gabe wrote: 96 Points
Awesome! While d'Yquem is getting crazy expensive this was awesome. We drank from a split paired with foie gras. The wine was excellent and for me provided the same great experience at the 2001 but much simpler if you will. For the price this is worth grabbing. Incredible mouthfeel with a super long finish. Even the sediment looks like liquid gold flakes.
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4/1/2013 - MarcelloW wrote: 95 Points
This time out of a half bottle and again very good. Honey, candied orange and apricot. Goes perfect with panettone.
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3/30/2013 - VintageSully wrote: 97 Points
Wow...this is something very special. Honey, caramel and toffee layered in with peach and apricot into a perfectly balanced glass of liquid gold that lingers for days on the palate. What is most amazing is that this gem has not even begun to show its ultimate expression of brilliance. Can't wait to see this again in 5-10 years.
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3/22/2013 - englishman's claret wrote: 94 Points
Deep gold; surprisingly advanced color. Richly honeyed and fruited nose. Viscous in the mouth. Showing nicely already; not much to add from my note in 2010 - hasn't changed much.
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3/22/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
While d’Yquem is never inexpensive, recent vintages are appallingly expensive. It’s not realistic for buyers to purchase futures, or new releases for more money than previous vintages. 2003 marks the last realistically price year for d’Yquem. This is good news because the wine is fabulous. It gets better each time I taste it. With an ocean of fat, super sweet, incredibly ripe, dense, thick waves of pineapples, apricots, oranges, tangerines, peaches and nectarines all coated with macadamia nut honey, vanilla and nuts, it’s a treat to sniff, swirl and best of all sip. It’s not the 2001, but it’s a beautiful d’Yquem that sells for less than half the price.
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3/15/2013 - RKwok Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank from a half-bottle; No question it was a very nice and elegant sauterne with plenty of honey, white fruits, nuts and flowers; However it lacked the thickness and overwhelmingly long finish that I had been dreaming about -- maybe this was another example of hype, anticipation and imagination creating a better wine than itself. Maybe this wine was still a bit too young (but what should I do when all my other d'Yquem also need to sleep for a few more decades...). Anyway I should not be complaining as the d'Yquem was a fantastic wine to cap a wonderful dinner with fine wines, good food and good company...
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1/29/2013 - Greg Munyard wrote:
Magnificent wine - voluptuous, opulent, extravagant apricotty-mango-honey palate with lashings of botrytis. Now (in 2013, and from a 375ml bottle) is moving into a less sweet and less "lip licking" phase, and showing a bit more glazed fruits and caramel among the orange rind characters (which were more subdued in this bottle). The finish had softened quite a bit compared to earlier bottles but was still extremely long!
This was just glorious - but I'm a tiny bit concerned about how it may change, because my last 03 Suduiraut (recently tasted) had aged very noticeably. The 03 Yquem has always been in a different league however, and that is even more apparent now. ...
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12/31/2012 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Very solid Yquem but not in the upper echelon. Candied fruits, nice acidity, apricot, pineapple and a hint of butterscotch. Enjoyable and easy to drink.
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12/25/2012 - Wrighty Likes this wine:
Too early. This opened up but needs more time.
Notes of honey and apricot, some woodiness came through early but disappeared to leave us with a beautiful glass of wine.
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12/16/2012 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
There's just nothing like Yquem, young or old. This showed similarly to the last time I had it. Great caramel, apricot, honey on the nose with a similar palate profile. This time I did not get any anise notions but I did have the impression of orange rind. Great lift and clean finish. Spectacular as usual.
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12/9/2012 - MatthewF wrote:
From 375ml. Another great showing and just like the bottle had about a month ago. Lush, ripe tropical fruit with vanilla and great length.
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11/16/2012 - Ljuay Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted this a few times over the past couple of months. Mid yellow honey color. On the nose - apricots, pineapples, florals and definitely a hint of coconuts! Fresh and crisp, already drinking very well now though it should keep for many years to come.
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11/15/2012 - godx wrote: 91 Points
Alvin’s 60th Birthday Dinner (Le Gavroche): Light gold. Deep nose of botrytis, honey, candied citrus and mango. Clean, viscous and thick on the palate but not overblown or cloying. For an ’03, I thought this had pretty decent acidity and came across with some energy and not overly fat. There were indeed sweet and concentrated flavours, but again, not overly sweet, rich or honeyed. As with most 03s (even though this was better than most), I would like more precision and acidity to match the sweetness with more freshness, but as I hinted at, this is definitely the best 03 I’ve had. This was extremely persistent on the palate and the finish went on and on. Surprisingly drinking well on this night, but undoubtedly has a very long life ahead of it and should improve for decades. Excellent. 91+
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11/14/2012 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #073; Sauternes (By MM): Beautiful and concentrated bouquet with honey, orange peel, apricots, pear and vanilla. On the palate also a feast with a beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity and even some spiciness. Great concentration, elegance and length. Improved compared to my note from 2008.
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11/14/2012 - BradE wrote:
Decent, and quite nice, if not a rock star.
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11/3/2012 - MatthewF wrote:
From 375ml. Great as always and has not seemed to change over the past couple years.
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10/29/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
From a half, at dinner with a friend who generously brought this along. Nose has intense coconut and vanilla (oak), some concentrated white stone fruits/peach, apricot; palate shows intense vanilla/coconut as well, oaky, but fantastic fruit as well, moderate degree of sweetness, full bodied, more than enough acidity to keep it light and fresh but not tongue tingling like I remember from my last note; long finish. Today this is very young (painfully young) with the oak covering up what appears to be exceptional concentration and fruit underneath. I remember this improving significantly over the first day, so will reassess tomorrow. I suspect this will need 10-20 years to integrate well but will eventually be stunning. 93++
Day 2: Still pronounced coconut and vanilla but notably more integrated than when first opened, apricot, peach; palate shows substantially more peach, less oak (but still one of the major characteristics), still dense fruit with lighter palate, showing even more acidity today than yesterday (back to the tongue tingling acidity that I remember from the last bottle); finish is dense but light, clean, flavorful, persistent and long. This is excellent, improved from yesterday but still far too young with decades of evolution left. Next bottle not before 15 years of age, hold off longer if possible. Unfortunately I won't get to try this tomorrow, but I expect it would have improved based on my last notes and the trend. 96-97++ today.
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9/7/2012 - MatthewF wrote:
From 375ml. Hasnt't really seemed to have changed. Ripe tropical fruit with the same great vanilla notes. Great length and always fun to drink. Delicious now and I'm really curious to see how this vintage will end up in 20+ years.
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6/10/2012 - Greg Munyard wrote: flawed
I’ve drunk many bottles of 2003 Yquem, and adore it, but this bottle wasn't right. This may have been a rare example with some TCA (or TBA) taint.
Opened at cellar temperature, it had a slightly musty, baggy whiff and lacked the intense apricotty-honeyed orange marmaladey botrytis characteristics typical in the 03. The palate was similar: subdued fruit with somewhat musty-baggy tones as well as a distinct lingering bitterness (in contrast to the usual assertive – even extractive - but not bitter Yquem finish). I see others have commented about dominant oak (or an angular finish) in some bottles of the 03 (although I haven't seen it before). Breathing did not help, nor chilling, but after I immersed strips of a plastic bag in it for a while the off-putting characters subsided and the apricot arose noticeably. This suggested TCA (or TBA) taint, and that some had bound to the plastic, revealing the fruit.
I resealed half the bottle and am drinking it now, 18 hours later. The problem is slightly worse - right now my mouth almost feels like I've eaten faint chilli. Still impressive but only 60%-70% of what it should have been. I’m so glad I didn’t open it for a special occasion.
(Bottle replaced by supplier, without hesitation. Replacement bottle was glorious)
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6/8/2012 - Jamie Manley wrote: 97 Points
Day 1 01 - Right after both corks were pulled, the 01 asserted itself. Beautiful aromas wafted from the bottle. In glass the magic began. Toffee, pineapple, pear, beeswax, lemon curd, and honey are all delineated on the nose. The palate takes it to a whole new level. My goodness, what a wine! All of the above flavors with the addition of grapefruit and creme brulee. Overwhelming richness and tongue searing intensity, all with perfect lift from the laser like acidity. On bended knee!!
03 - This is no slouch, and IMHO it is already a great Yquem and will only improve. A little muted next to the 01, but the nose still delivers. Citrus fruits, lanolin, thick beeswax, lemon curd, and prevalent oak. The palate follows a similar flavor profile, with maybe just a bit too much oak. Still incredibly rich and absolutely Yquem. I expected the lower acidity to be exposed, but the finish acquits itself very nicely. Very impressive.
Day 2 - Both benefitted from the additional air, especially the 03. The oak really subsided on the 03. The 01 is just in a different league, speechless. And this is not a knock on the 03, it is a superb wine. But on day 2, the 01 has sealed its legend status. All the flavors on both wines were more pronounced and intense on both wines.
Days 6 & 7 - Skipped 3,4 and 5 to make sure that I had plenty for the last two days (both wines from 375.) Not surprisingly, there was not any profound change in either wine from day 2 to day 6 and 7. A little softer and maybe the addition of quince and apricot to further the complexity. The 03 still had crisp acidity and I did not find it cloying at all. The 01 just had me muttering with amazement.
Conclusion - What a great week! You will see a 3 point differential in my scores, and these are very significant points. The 01 is one of those special wines that seem to appear every 20 to 30 years. The 03 is a great Yquem and deserves the accolades that it receives. On all tasting days I used Jin-na as a test subject. She was served both wines blind and picked the 01 every time. My buying advice is this: if you can afford it, the 01 is worth every penny that you will spend. If your budget is tighter, the 03 will still give you the pleasure of Yquem in a brilliant (if hot) year.
2001 Yquem - 100 Pts
2003 Yquem - 97 Pts
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5/25/2012 - keithgg wrote: 97 Points
Wow- this has improved immensely. Just plain gorgeous.
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3/13/2012 - fdub wrote: 93 Points
A nice treat with my foie gras course at La Toque. Very young still but lovely honey and marmalade on the nose. Perfect D'Yquem acidity and richness. Perfect pairing.
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2/11/2012 - BMcD77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A beautiful wine
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1/3/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
When first tasted on release, the wine was much thicker and seemed in need of higher levels of acidity as the wine felt slightly cloying. Over the past few years, this is starting to mature in a good direction. This will not cause any taster to forget the sublime 2001, but the wine has starting to come together and feel fresher, with better balance in the mouth. Layers of fresh pineapple, apricots, grilled nuts, nectarines and orange peel dipped in honey make up the wines flavor profile. Give this another decade and you should see a lot of improvement, if you can keep your hands off it.
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11/12/2011 - Monaco wrote: 96 Points
Tried a glass of this last night at Ocean Prime Steakhouse in Scottsdale. Upon seeing it listed 'by the glass' on the dessert menu, I knew I had to order since I've never tried D'Yquem before. I certainly didn't disappoint. Sweet, but not overly done, with definite hints of coconut and apricot. Well worth the $30 charge for a 2oz pour. I hope to try much more D'Yquem in the future.
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11/6/2011 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Upon opening, this has to be the spiciest D’Yquem that I have ever had. The nose certainly has the intensity but not necessarily big. Ginger, coconut, light caramel, apricot, a hint of fennel and nutmeg. The palate displays impressive concentration, intense fruit and is thick and unctuous. Airy cotton candy like texture that is the magic of D’Yquem along with the acidity that shows at the end makes the wine fresh and gives the perfect balance.
The second night, the nose is much more expressive, like the perfect pina colada, coconut and pineapple, also ginger and sweet spices. It ends with the perfume that you get in hottest fresh jalapeno. The palate is a typical airy D’Yquem. The finish is very long.
It clearly is a ripe decadent wine but remains fresh. This is a great D’Yquem that will take 30+ years to truly show its greatness. It may not be as precise as the 01 but one day it will be as great.
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10/31/2011 - Greg Munyard wrote: 96 Points
I’ve drunk (not just tasted) a dozen or so bottles of the 2003 Yquem within the last 2 years. Because comparisons and different views are interesting, I want to say in response to another Cellartracker taster, that all 03 bottles that I’ve drunk clearly warranted high 90’s. It is better than many, many other vintages that I have recently drunk, including the 89, and of course the 99 and 02 but not, of course, the 2001. BTW, I have drunk each of these within the last 2 months, and all of them before that.
This time we drunk the 03 with a simple mango desert and, again, it was typical Yquem from a warm, opulent year: gloriously rich and textured, with a very intense and complex palate of “lip-licking” beauty. It tasted like dried apricots + mango + honey, with a hint of pineapple, heaps of botrytis and so much more in almost a nectar like base, with a distinctive orange rind twist on a long, long finish.
Nose is penetrating, with similar characteristics to the palate, including a lovely orange blossom character. Again, uniquely Yquem. Glorious!
A magnificent wine, with a bit of attitude on the finish, like many top Yquems. Exquisite now, but will improve for years, and live for decades. Oh my, I love this sooo much.
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10/7/2011 - Wrighty wrote: 95 Points
Drink Danny's wine night (Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): A subtle honey glazed nose. Palate was a little dry but fills out. Apricots. Almost unctuous.
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9/7/2011 - DSR wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully balanced, with stone fruit and petrol on the nose/palate and a long finish.
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8/28/2011 - Pacherant wrote: 94 Points
Pascal's dinner 8/27/11. Really drinking beautifully now. Surprising. Ripe gorgeous clear. Lovely apricots, honey with a petrolly component. Really in a great place at the moment.
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7/30/2011 - mariolanza wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful acidity and balance, sweet and lucious fantastic
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7/23/2011 - RussK wrote: 93 Points
RUSSK WW@Boulud in Mia 95+Pinot and Chard By&CA. Liked slighly less than the 1996 (same night). This had more pith on the mouth.
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7/18/2011 - Sasha Nichole wrote: 94 Points
Light gold and unassuming in color. Big warm layers of honey, peach, and toffee on the nose. Mouthwatering notes of apricot, candied fruits, and nuts, and baked spices on the palate. Balanced with a nice acidity and eternal finish.....Fabulous!
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6/23/2011 - mariolanza wrote: 96 Points
Secong bottle drank at a dinner do, straight after another and just as good, went very well with the bue cheese.
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6/23/2011 - mariolanza wrote: 96 Points
Outststanding quality, delicate, citrusy aromas with orange peel forward. Lengthy aftertaste. Will evolve over the next 20 years into one of the best years.
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5/29/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
people scoring this in the high 90's either need to get out more, or drink more d'yquem. i recommend the latter. it's a nice wine, but, let's get real, it doesn't have the acid or the botrytis to warrant mega scores. rather shrill and thin in the first couple of hours. i frankly hated it, but opened it to schmooze a guy who may get me on augusta. shockingly, there was about 3 ounces left at the end of the evening, so i private preserved it, and subjected it to less than optimal treatment for a couple of days. eventually, put into my cellar, it languished there until last night, 6-10-11. had the last glass while i watched chelsea lately, and the wine had lost it's tartness, beefed up, and drank well. not worth pontificating on the particulars, d'yquem is pretty recognizable if you've had it enough, but i enjoyed it. nevertheless, it's a pretty average d'yquem, i.e. delightful, but not memorable.
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4/24/2011 - alr6767 wrote: 97 Points
Words can't possibly describe the complexity, length, and nervy energy present in this wine. So young, but so amazing now.
By the glass at Gary Danko.
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4/24/2011 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
Another great bottle. Terrific tropical fruit on the palate with a lengthy finish.
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3/12/2011 - BobJohnson1 wrote:
Dinner at Andrea's (Andrea's Restaurant): Wow, this was good. Nice nose, complex and elegant. Flavors cascading from one to the next. Great balance, not at all heavy and a finish that goes on and on. Very young, will improve for a long time, but drinking well now. Great way to end a meal. Excellent.
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3/6/2011 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Nose of dried apricot and rum raisin.. Big wine in the mouth. Big in terms of taste, but not particularly viscous....buttery, caramel, dried pineapple wedges, surprising minerality. Completely integrated like dried pineapple slices fried in butter with brown sugar. Bit of an angular finish for a sticky may portend structure not integrated. This is head and shoulders above every 2003 Sauternes I've had.
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3/3/2011 - swyang wrote:
first time drinking d'Yquem. A big disappointment indeed. Most probably I am too spoiled from drinking much older Sauternes that were simply up lifting, and at times even transcending. For me this just had way, way too much fat and it literally was sinking in from all the richness it had. I totally understand one could be in awe and enjoy tremendously, but for me it was too sweet, too much of dried apricot, dried raisin, honey, and oily texture and not letting the acid peak out, as a beautiful sunshine through the thick clouds. It was cloudy by sweetness! Hopefully it will be much better, as I have witnessed many times, in about 20 years or more, once the initial sweetness would have integrated to let the oz appear. By then, this will lead us to the clouds...hopefully, I've 6 bottles.
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2/18/2011 - Greg Munyard wrote: 96 Points
Nose: Beautiful lifted and complex amalgam of honey, toffee, apricots, pineapple plus overtones of varnished old wood. Powerful and unmistakeably Yquem. "Oh, yes" out loud when first smelt!
Palate: "Oh yes" again! Rich, thickly textured, honeyed apricot nectar with distinct warmth and an emphatic, slightly extracted finish. Has more (lovely lemonny) acid than I saw in several previous bottles, and a hint of volatility. Very, very complex; only Chateau Yquem tastes like this. This is a magnificent, richly flavoured, luscious, intense and heavily botrytised masterpiece. Exquisite.
2003 was obviously a warm, opulent year; here are a couple of comparisons:
* Is similar to the great 1976 but a bit richer and more toffee like.
* Is distinctly behind the extraordinary 2001 - which has perfect balance.
* Is much richer and more complex than the 02.
* Is in another league from the many other 2003s that I've tried, including the beautiful Suduiraut.
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1/6/2011 - cardsandwine wrote:
My favorite d’Yquem vintage. Simply delicious. I could drink this over and over and never get tired of it.
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12/19/2010 - LeechDogg wrote: 98 Points
An amazing wine. Had against sweet wines from around the world and it was the most viscous. Was slightly lower acid than expected, but not fat or flabby at all; Foie gras brought out some amazing flavors in the wine including oak and butterscotch.
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12/19/2010 - KeithSurg wrote: 97 Points
Tasted next to the '03 Suduiraut. Ligher in color, but absolutely bursting with flavors of apricot, lemon, pineapple, candied nuts, and honey. Viscous mouthfeel with a beautiful, never-ending finish.
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12/13/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:
Delicious wine. From half bottle. Caramel, apricots, pineapple, and a really interesting anise note. Smells complex and the palate doesnt dissapoint. Hints of smoke here and there, unctuous texture that is enhanced by the notes of honey. Incredible lenght.
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12/3/2010 - cos82 wrote: 93 Points
Pale straw yellow. Not nearly as golden as other 03s in my cellar, i.e., Rieussec, Suduiraut and Climens. Pretty nose of pineapple, apricot and crushed stones. Sweet delicious palate of apricot, orange, and caramel. Thick, viscous and powerful. No botrytis that I could detect. Low acid. A very good d'Yquem, but missing the acid to push it into greatness. Regardless of the vintage, always a special treat.
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10/18/2010 - jwhbergen wrote:
Sunctuous, splendid wine with aromas of caramel, cocoa butter, ripe apricot, pineapple, very tropical notes along with honey and cedar. Extremely long in the palate, with a very silky texture, crisp acidity and notes of caramel, honey, custard, lemon zest and to add to the complexity hints of smoke. A true pleasure of a wine!
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10/17/2010 - aagrawal wrote: 99 Points
Light golden color. Nose is just a bit reticent, but has good aromas of tropical fruits, apricot. More and more whiffs of the nose reveals changing aromas... at one point even a hint of barbecued meats! Palate is explosive with waves and waves of peaches, mangos, and other flavors ending in tongue tinging acidity. (Though the 2003 vintage in general was low in acidity, this is most certainly not lacking.) The finish is long with a bit over a minute of residual flavor that is gradually cleansed by the acidity. A lovely wine and a true treat! 99-100
Update on day 2: No change in the wine. Still extraordinarily young. Definitely won't try this again until after age 15 at the earliest to allow time to develop more and become distinctive.
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9/22/2010 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
BdX 01/04 (Oslo): Flowers and spices, fresh; fairly good intensity and freshness, on the moderate side of sweetness, light on its feet, good balance. Lacking power and intensity.
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9/12/2010 - Greg Munyard wrote: 97 Points
(Drunk from separate 375ml bottles on consecutive days, after meals – 8 and 9 July 2009)
Exquisitely refined apricot nectar with overtones of honey on the nose and in both the flavour and texture. This delightful apricot theme becomes subdued if the wine is chilled too much but quickly arises again as it warms up.
Incredibly silky palate; as smooth as glass but with a beautiful citrussy edge on the finish that stops it being cloying despite its wonderful intensity and texture. A voluptuous and superbly balanced work of art.
Taste is sheer beauty. Lip-licking sweetness and intensity. Almost indescribably complex. Apricots, honey, cumquat marmalade and so much more. Glorious flavours that linger for minutes and minutes in typical Yquem fashion. Initially seemed far too good to drink with a dessert, and instead deserving of its own time. However, the flavours build so powerfully that, on sharing a second bottle the next day, it was apparent that it benefited from a small serve of subtle lemon tart to cut some of its overwhelming flavour build up.
An almost divine experience.
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9/11/2010 - MWes wrote: 94 Points
Incredible complexity and length of finish. The nose had a hit of petrol / rubber ball, but I didn't get any on the palate. AMAZING!
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7/17/2010 - englishman's claret wrote:
From a 375ml. Rich golden robe; great nose of honey, apricots, light fruits, cream, a hint nutty. Just a bit volatile on the nose. Fullish body, appropriate acidity on the palate but just a bit more roughly hewn than I expected. Not as sweet as one might think - the sweetness is very much in proportion to the body and acidity. Excellent balance. Long finish.
4-4.5/5 but I get the feeling that this will improve with more time in bottle.
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6/27/2010 - MatthewF wrote:
Dinner at Home with Friends (My House, Chicago IL): From .375ml Consistent notes as all other bottles over the past year. Tropical fruit, apricots, vanilla nose and palate. Very pretty spice as well. Great showing as always.
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6/24/2010 - Colia wrote: 97 Points
Pale yellowr. Intense nose including some pineapple and guava and honey. Fantastic acidity. Young. The finish is endless.
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4/12/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
With the color of spun honey, this impressive Yquem offers a rich nose of honey, apricots, spice, orange rind, vanilla, peach and pineapple. Thick, intense, powerful and sweet, this wine really coats your mouth. The long finish is stuffed with ripe, honey drenched tropical fruit. This is a low acid vintage for Yquem, so the it lacks a little bit of lift. But the fruit shows much intensity and purity, it's exciting to drink even at this young age.
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4/5/2010 - Mike V wrote: 92 Points
Easter dinner at home; 4/4/2010-4/5/2010 (Home): seems ripe and young. Pale yellow with a little heat on the nose. sweet fruit (pineapple) nothing secondary yet
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3/15/2010 - keithgg wrote:
too young. hold.
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3/9/2010 - BigRed1000 wrote: 94 Points
2nd time I've had this recently out of split. Still very young and sweet.
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2/21/2010 - Faryan wrote: 97 Points
Eleven 1998 St Emilions and a Lone Pomerol. Maybe some Yquem too (Bethesda, MD): An outstanding Sauternes and one of the more enjoyable young Sauternes I've had in recent memory (besting 01 Riessec, Suiduraut, 03/05 Climens and co). It passed the "smell and involuntary smile" test that so many outstanding wines in recent memory have elicited. This hallmark of this wine is not its exotic fruit which is marvellously knit with delicate vanilla creme brulee and coconut shavings. It is its uncanny ability to have such a light and weightless texture but such a powerful, endless and haunting finish. Is this not the true hallmark of greatness? Furthermore, it has tremendous upside to add complexity and depth with bottle age (decades), but is so accessible and delicious right now. WOTN. Thanks so much for furnishing Darryl and Nanci!
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2/21/2010 - CarTer wrote: 98 Points
Extraordinário. Acidez impressionante. Frutas secas. Tomamos na Colonia da Apamagis em Campos.
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2/20/2010 - Kevin_C wrote: 93 Points
1998 Right Bank Bordeaux Dinner (Rockville, Maryland): Pale yellow. Tight, a stream of crushed pineapple, ginger and apricots. The tannins are very stimulating. [93]
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2/20/2010 - KingSlacker999 wrote: 95 Points
Great nose, rich botrytis tropical fruit and coconut starting to show. Viscous without being cloying. Rich without being too rich. Wonderful mouthfeel and great length. Nice balanced acidity.
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2/3/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
this has picked up considerable weight, the acid balance improving. it will never be the 01, but, so what?
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12/31/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 92 Points
New Year's Eve 2009-2010 (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): Not a bad wine, but a below average Yquem. Honey and nut on the nose with some saline and vanilla. Nice concentration on the palate, but lacked the acidity I prefer and it felt a little lighter on the palate. Very nice finish that keeps going.
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12/31/2009 - ews3 wrote: 96 Points
New Years Eve (Collingswood and Philadelphia): really nice. honey and peach dominated, with pure botrytis flavors coming through. this has so much more acidity than any of the other 03s that I have had, which are already a little cloying. This has the same intense sweetness, but has enough acidity to keep it fresh. Incredibly long finish, this has something special.
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12/6/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
From half bottle. Virtually identical notes as the past two I've had. Lots of tropical fruit and vanilla on both the nose and palate. Absolutely beautiful.
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11/8/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Dinner at Home with Friends (Chicago IL): From half bottle. Golden color. Ripe tropical fruit nose with a healthy dose of vanilla. Very lush palate of pineapple, apricot, and vanilla. Fantastic acidity on the long finish. A great Yquem.
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10/17/2009 - jmprusko wrote: 97 Points
Earthy, beautiful finish.
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9/4/2009 - PC73 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very intense lemon zest, apricot.
Very sweet and smoothe.
Mid/low viscous / syrupiness.
Lovely apricot flavour.
super long finish.
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8/29/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
From 375ml. Pale golden color. Intense aromatics of ripe tropical fruits - some pineapple and guava- with honeysuckle and vanilla. Lush yellow tropical fruits on the palate with fantastic acidity. Very nice weight to the wine. Showing outstanding right now, but obviously very young.
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8/29/2009 - psmith wrote:
Super ripe tropical fruits. Weighty, viscous mouthfeel. Intense flavors, with nice clarity. Lots of botrytis influence. Very nice.
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8/6/2009 - James B wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding wine, but I feel it's a bit too young. This is different than other Yquems I have enjoyed. The botrytis is less prominent. The wine exhibits strong tropical notes on both the nose and palate. Pineapple, banana, coconut. Floral and honey notes as well. Paired beautifully with both a rich flourless chocolate cake and a creme brulee. Lacks the "edge" of some other top-notch Sauternes, but nevertheless an outstanding experience. Of course you should let it warm a bit in the bottle and glass. Excessive chilling kills this wine.
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7/11/2009 - dionysis wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful pineapple, viscous honey, flower and biscuit flavors -- when held up against other Sauternes, this does seem to have an extra dimension of complexity and elegance that its peers (though it may really have none) do not posses. Fantastic conclusion to a great meal.
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5/29/2009 - Miceri wrote: 96 Points
Lovely nose. Lovely taste.
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5/7/2009 - Biglama wrote: 95 Points
diep geel, in de neus allerlei indrukken, vanille, gebrande nootjes, toetjesachtig, sinasappelschil, heel complex, smaak is vol en vloeiend, massief met veel inhoud. vele indrukken, mooie vertoning van klasse, indrukwekkend, bij tarte tatin met een bolletje ijs
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4/30/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 92 Points
nice mouth good body, slightly sweet, long finish
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4/30/2009 - ScottS wrote: 93 Points
Backstreet Bordeaux Tasting (Backstreet Wine Salon - PHX, AZ): Always a pleasure to drink d'Yquem. Such a baby and will take years to evolve.
50+5+14+17+7=93+
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4/30/2009 - jivey wrote: 92 Points
Offline Backstreet - A little more cloying than the 01 but very nice.
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4/30/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
dave's bordeaux blowout (backstreet wine salon): pleasing wine, consistent with previous thoughts. suffered next to the 01.
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4/30/2009 - Alex G. wrote:
Pales next to the '01, but let's see what time brings to this wine.
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1/21/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
my bottle. consistent with previous tastings. super young (duh!), but i wanted the participants to have a go at this wine which is out of their normal realm. ideally, hold until 2013, and drink over your lifetime. BTW, costco sourced.
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1/9/2009 - gsquireh wrote: 95 Points
Full-bodied and not overly sweet, this spicey rarefied nectar tastes of vanilla cream and pineapple preserve.Hints of lemon peel flavor run through the delctable finish.
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1/1/2009 - as2324 wrote: 95 Points
First d'Yquem I've had, and very proud to open. Color is ridiculous, GOLD. Awesome nose, honey covered lemons wrapped in a shipping crate in the middle of a honeysuckle field. Tastes of lemons and apricots with hints of cantaloupe and very small amounts of floral components. Coats the palate nicely, but could have used an hour or 2 of breathing to really open up. We drank immediately after corking. Looking forward to the next bottle. ;)
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12/14/2008 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
Very marked oak, broad rich and fat, amazing fruit, pourriture and length. Big, but I very much prefer the elegance and style of the 2001.
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11/23/2008 - gsquireh wrote: 95 Points
Orange and pineapple on the nose this thicksweet mother lode is nutty butter fruit. Huge and delicious.
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10/24/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 96 Points
Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting.
The best white wine I have ever tasted. Absolutely mind blowing.
So much concentration with such length. I was speechless.
Lush rich and viscous in the glass. Almost molasses like but lighter in color.
Aromas leaping out of the glass. Lemon zest. Insanely bright lemon zest everywhere. Fresh grass, blue cheese and petrol.
So much SUN in this wine. It drinks like liquid gold. Such balance. Maple syrup notes on the nose and palate.
75 second finish. I'm sold. I don't see how it can get better than D 'Yquem in terms of Sauternes...possibly dessert wines all together.
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10/17/2008 - MatthewF wrote:
From 375ml. Lots of apricot and pineapple on the nose with beauiful white floral notes. Very intense fruit and ompletely coats the palate. Very long finish with a bit of spice.
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10/6/2008 - jt wrote:
A thick, unctuous wine, giving off incredible scents of botrytis and fruit. I could sit and sniff this for hours. Mostly tropical flavors and some botrytis in the mouth, but not quite enough acidity to balance the extreme sweetness. All in all, a lovely young wine.
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9/14/2008 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Pale gold; exotic nose, pineapple, flowery, forward; rich, verging on fat, solid on mid palate; extended finish. Not the expected explosiveness. Acidity in the background will keeps this alive for a long while, but this will drink young. It maybe heresy to say, but Rieussec currently superior.
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8/30/2008 - gsquireh wrote: 96 Points
Pineapple, vanilla and nut aroma. Great concentration, balanced and delicious.
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7/20/2008 - huntly wrote: 96 Points
just lasts and lasts,.....who needs desert with a wine like this?
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7/5/2008 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Private dinner with friends. (@ PVa): Opening this bottle is infanticide. Although beautiful and refined with clear botrytis, elegant sweetness and well hidden acidity, I have the impression it hardly shows anything of its complexity at the moment. Great wine!
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6/12/2008 - Totatalitarian wrote:
As always, I enjoy the delicate and nuanced aromatics that develop with enough air. It's hard to know where the wine is going, but it seems to lack a bit of lift on the palate.
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6/8/2008 - Totatalitarian wrote:
The house was kind enough to offer us dessert courses, espresso and the remainder of a bottle of ’03 Yquem while we checked out the wine list for Wednesday. I always enjoy this Yquem and appreciate like the exotic, floral, layered, fresh nose, though the palate lacks the zing I find in my favorite sauternes.
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6/5/2008 - THaas wrote: 98 Points
Powerful nose, with notes of peach, honeysuckle, melon, and spice. In the mouth, nearly overpowering, caramel, honey, toffee, with peach, melon and spice as well. Not cloyingly sweet, with a good "pop" of acidity to clear the palate at the end of the sip and ready your mouth for the next dose. Finish was everlasting; it seemed to set up camp in my mouth and stayed there all evening. Truly wonderful.
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4/21/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Layers of rich, over ripe, tropical fruit dipped in honey with coconut accents. The wine has the perfect dose of acidity giving it freshness and lift.
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4/21/2008 - Stephan O wrote: 94 Points
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I can definitely see the potential peeking through, but I'm not sure yet that it's a four-star wine. It's tight and cerebral at first, showing mostly honey and almonds. By the second night, though, it definitely starts to open up, revealing pineapple, apricot, and melon, along with a bit of the turpentine that I love so much. The balance and finish are there; indeed, the very last taste from the bottle seemed to carry on forever. Still, something that I can't quite identify -- maybe a more razor-like profile -- seems to be missing. Perhaps the dots will be connected with further age. This ain't bad in the meantime.
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4/9/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 94 Points
pineapple, honey, watermelon, lemon. good body with a richness I like. great finish.
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4/9/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
no flaws, but lacks acidity to be great.
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4/9/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
Blind Night - Bordeaux (Mark's): Honey, apricot, orange, lemon and vanilla custard. Rich but slightly cloying. More acidity would make this wine extraordinary. A very nice wine.
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1/25/2008 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Huge nose of exotic fruits, bananna and creme brulee. Oily and thick. Balanced, despite its enormous size. Finish goes on forever. Just sublime stuff. The largest scaled Yquem I've had to date.
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12/9/2007 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 95 Points
Incredibly big and sweet. Impressive but for my taste lacks some elegance. Hugely impressive though.
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12/1/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Third Annual White Truffle Dinner (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL): Super ripe fruit on nose but doesn't show lots of botrytis; the opposite is true on the palate, which shows lots of botrytis flavors, but not incredibly sweet. Seems to have slightly less acidity than a typical d'Yquem.
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12/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
Lieu-dit-Cru White Truffle Dinner (Primehouse): Yellow color. Huge nose of spiccy caramel salwater taffy with just a hint of botrytis. Huge unctuous sweet botyrtis honey caramel pineapple on the palate. Dense, compact, round, and hedonistic. Not up to the nearly perfect 2001, but a great d'Yquem.
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11/7/2007 - jivey wrote: 92 Points
Backstreet - Honey, orange, and somewhat cloying finish.
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11/5/2007 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Regency Club: Exotic trop. frts & petrol fumes; condied apricots, super rich mthfeel; candied bread (fruitckake notes?) Very long candied frtbread finish! So rich and gooey, but so tasty!
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10/24/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 96 Points
Honey tyme, apple. great mouth feel with balance, not oerly sweet, long finish. I think this may be my favorite d'Yquem.
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10/24/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 94 Points
G7 (Sea Saw, Scottsdale): Honey, pears and tropical fruit. Rich and full bodied with a long powerful yet complex finish. Well balanced with nice acidity. Very light on its feet.
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10/24/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 96 Points
DRC Tasting with Dave Nerland (Sea Saw, Scottsdale, AZ): Did not take notes beyond score at end of evening.
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10/22/2007 - Totatalitarian wrote:
A touch of the tropical and exotic while lunching poolside in October. Consistent with other notes.
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10/20/2007 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
For my palate, this majestic elixir is the best Yquem since 1990, following the flawless 2001 of course. Tasted 3 times with the same results, this rich, unctuous, ripe, intensely concentrated wine explodes from the glass with a cornucopia of honeyed, floral, spice and tropical scents. The wine glides across your palate in continuos waves of sensuous, ripe, sweet fruit. 2003 is like a blend of 88 & 90 to me. Very dense, powerful and concentrated. A little more acidity would have pushed the score higher.
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9/24/2007 - Siggy wrote: 96 Points
Winestreet Does 2004 Jadot (Kozlak's, North Oaks, MN): A bonus bottle generously provided by Brad England. Medium gold color. Explosive nose of pineapple, flowers, and coconut. Gorgeous freshness and concentration. Layers and waves of flavor, without a hint of heaviness. Beautifully balanced. Endless finish. A fatter style of Yquem that reminds me of the 1990.
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9/24/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Winestreet Tastes Jadot: Popped and poured after a brief stint in the freezer. Wow is this impressive stuff. Gorgeous gold color. The nose is exotic and expressive with pineapple and a slight coconut (or as Brad said -- Malibu rum). A person could smell this forever. The taste is equally compelling. Thick and concentrated yet balanced and elegant. Mouth coating flavor. Great acidity -- producing a very lively wine. Amazingly long finish. Excellent stuff.
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8/31/2007 - JOsgood wrote: 93 Points
Always a treat - taste like drinking liquid gold. Nose of carmel, honey and pineapple. Just a baby, with some age this will be a knockout.
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7/26/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 97 Points
Dinner w/ Roy Piper (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix, AZ): Wow, this is the real deal! Classic Yquem - a huge step up from the '02. Showing better than when I had it last month.
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6/17/2007 - noppakit s. wrote: 93 Points
Finally...I drink it from half-bottle size. '' Two Layers Wine-Label '' The beautiful light yellow gold colour. Strong scent of passion fruit in the beginning...after one hour it becomes the original aroma of d'Yquem, honey, tea leaf, clean and elegance. Medium to full-bodied, a little bit low in acidity, very sweet but not too much, delicious and young, woody scent at the end. Need more 5 years more aging. Nice and dry aftertaste.
Wine Talk : I promise that I will never drink young d'Yquem again...it's better after aged 10+ years...
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6/15/2007 - jivey wrote: 93 Points
Big nose, nice acidity. Not cloying and dry finish for a sat. I like the style.
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6/6/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 96 Points
apples, honey, good balance, not as sweetly cloying as some others, maybe my favorite d'Yquem.
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6/6/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 95 Points
Backstreet - Bordeaux (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Light, golden color. Crisp, clean nose. Peaches and apricots. Hints of being cloying as it enters the mouth, but cleans up beautifully with no lingering oversweetness. Finish is very good, but not great. A clear step up from the '02 but not as exuberant as the '01.
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6/6/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
Phoenix eRP Offline - Bordeaux (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Honey, apricot, peaches. Nice depth and complexity. Very well balanced. Nice acidity and freshness. Not cloying. A finish that lasts forever. Pretty wine.
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2/14/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 89 Points
Is it just me or are they releasing these earlier than ever? Not long ago Yquem used to lag behind the other major growths by two whole vintages. Either way, this is a baby-faced Yquem, the lightest color I've ever seen in a young bottle, the fruit profile fresh and bright with very little sense of honey or botrytis. If it has the customary apricot flavor, it's fresh ones rather than sun-dried apricots, bordering on peachy. Also, while thicker than other 2003 Sauternes, this is not at Yquem's usual distinctive level of viscosity.
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2/3/2007 - Wine Bill wrote: 96 Points
Y2 day in the Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands. (Yquem tasting) (De Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands.): Light yellow. A lot of tropical fruits in the bouquet. In the mouth sweetness is very much present in an enormous concentration; ripe pineapple and apricots. You hardly taste any acidity, but if it is there, this is a wine for the ages. The aftertaste keeps going on.
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