Deep amber. Pronounced with aromas of dried apricots, dried mango, raisins, baked citrus, french boulangerie, croissants, pastry, caramel, honey, almonds, hazelnuts, marzipan, chocolate. Sweet, high acidity, low alcohol, full bodied. Pronounced with taste of dried apricots and mango, raisins, baked citrus, orange peel, croissants, bread crust, caramel, honey, almonds, marzipan, hazelnuts and chocolate. Very very long.
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4th of 12th splits. About a month since my last bottle. This continued to open and improve in glass over 5 hours until my patience and one glass ran out lol. This is a well balanced mouth coating hedonistic wine. This must be in or near its prime with decades ahead of it. I would suggest a long decant on this. This paired well with quinoa salad over lunch.
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This is just about as consistent as a wine can actually get, with layers after layers of flavours; creme brulee, passion fruit, toffee caramel, honey and a ton of acidity to carry that big voluptuous and viscous body. This is the kinda stuff that can last forever.
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7th bottle from a case being consumed since 2012 or so. As an Yquem lover, I vacillate between scoring this based on my love for Yquem or its merits relative to other Yquem vintages. I'm going to do the latter and propose that this falls short of classic Yquem from great vintages. It's very good but not outstanding or transcendent.
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5 weeks from my last bottle. This was far superior to the 2001 Rieussec we drank along with it. I’d like to think this is in its prime with a very long runway. This was accessible upon opening but developed nicely throughout the evening. This never disappoints.
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5 weeks since my last bottle. This would benefit from an hour in the decanter and then it’s quite inviting and delicious. Probably not in its prime but delicious nonetheless.
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Yquem est toujours une belle expérience et ce 96 n’a pas fait exception à la règle. Vin d’une grande complexité, l’on y reconnaît des saveurs de noix, miel, abricot. Le nez est invitant avec un léger fond de fumé. L’acidite est encore bien balancé, ce qui nous donne encore un bon sentiment de fraîcheur et coupe un peu sur le sucre. Magnifique!
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A pop and pour from split after a long day of drinking poolside with friends. Still a big but well balanced wine with a muted finish. I usually decant these and I still recommend this being decanted to appreciate the full breadth this has to offer. Keeps getting better and can be enjoyed now with plenty of air and will drink well for an exceptionally long time… 2100 perhaps. Revisit 2025.
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Nose: rubber, vanilla cake, hints of dried coconut Notes: the typical d'yquem nose is present but the palate is quite adorable. Quite smooth and I guess this should be quite ready for consumption now. I am not a big fan of dessert wines but I can appreciate this and certainly this is quite well made. Drink: now till god knows when Rating: 91
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Gorgeous, deep amber nectar. Caramel, butterscotch, mature aged marmalade, marzipan, dried apricot. Great balance of freshness and richness. Very long finish and huge multi layered complexity. Drinking beautifully now, will go on forever.
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Nose: Hints of dried tropical fruits, but mostly brown sugar, prunes, very ripe dark berries. Some sherry character as well on the nose. on the palate the wine showcased incredible depth however, for my personal taste I think the wine was a bit too "heavy" compared to the 2013 which I preferred due to the freshness. The color looked really well so I don't think the wine had any flaws I guess my personal reference is just more towards the fresher wines. Luckily Yquem is already incredible delicious with only a few years of age.
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Mademoiselle d'Yquem, meet monsieur Foie Gras. Classy; walks the line between fresh and mature. Botrytis is strong here. Honey, candied apricots, plus...
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No notes taken. A quintessential Yquem, very clean, complex, precise with superb saffron, spices, apricots and quince at the core, very fresh with a bright and round acidity, further citrus freshness and with no excess weight or cloying texture. The balance is impeccable. There are other vintages with more aromatic depth but this is pure enjoyment and should keep improving for a few decades.
Decanting: No decanting was needed from this coravin-ed bottle. Not sure how that translates to unopened bottles.
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Deep gold color. Coravin'ed a 750ml bottle for my wife and I to taste for our anniversary tonight. Elegant and still very powerful. Not the absolute most complex d'Yquem ive ever had but packs a punch. Tropical fruits on the front palate, slightly medicinal on the back palate, very long finish. Needs time in the glass. Can certainly sit this down another 5+ without the slightest worry, maybe longer. Outstanding.
Great pop and pour, but really shines after an hour or more exposure to air and coming up to near room temp, at which point the apricots and peach cinnamon tart emerged!.
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No notes taken. Although not as much complexity as in the best vintages, this Yquem shined bright with the most wonderful and highly precise saffron aroma with quince, apricot and citrus underneath. As always, the other highlight is the superb finesse, elegance, the light, ethereal frame. This easily eclipsed the Rieussec from the better Sauternes vintage of 1988 in the next glass. 94/95 pts
Decanting: Good from the go but, an hour or two in the decanter likely won’t hurt.
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Tasted at Le Clarence in Paris. Incredibly precise and layered with saffron, dried apricot, several layers of sweet spices. Such elegance and lightness, outstanding in its freshness with along with the creamy texture forms a near-perfect palate.
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25 mL Coravin pour at a restaurant. Transparent gold color. Orange marmalade on the nose with a subtle smokey undertone. Medium-plus body, medium-to-medium-plus acid. Wonderful richness with bitter orange peel, and orange syrup on the palate, and some dark chocolate coming out with air. This improved a lot over the short time I had it; would have been interesting to see the evolution of a full glass.
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This keeps getting better. Needs a good 2 hours to open up in the decanter. Great balance and finish. Still needs a decade plus to reach prime. Decanting is a must.
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Light gold. Gorgeous spice, honey, vanilla, peaches . Drinking well now, deep and rich but glides across the palate. Creamy, beautiful flavours, vanilla, honey, peach and spice. Very long resonating finish.
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Drank last nite at OTB nite with the WWS crew. What a delightful way to end a lovely evening. Mandy supplied, and this wine is showing wonderfully! I've tasted this before and notes are pretty consistent. Gold color still not particularly darkened yet. Honey, pineapple and apricots on the nose, along with some mustiness. Sweet, but with subtle hints of bitterness. Wide spectrum of flavors, and solid acidic core. Great balance, all elements very nicely integrated. Lovely, long finish that was a joy to savor. Great bottle.
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WOW nose of iodins, orangettes au chocolat, refreshing acidity…. Taste is very refined, dried orangettes, chocolate, nice balance, but still a bit too sticky to my taste.
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Fortunate to try this wine twice in restaurants. The first time was in 2010 and now again at the end of 2021. I do not have my 2010 tasting note but recall it being remarkably good. In 2021 this is still very fresh and youthful and has started to develop a deeper amber coloring (to be expected) but no where close to dark amber. This leans more to the citrus side of the spectrum than the apricot / stone fruit / melon that I noticed in the 1986 vintage. Excellent overall.
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I'm not a big fan of mellow whites, but this bottle has convinced me that I have to equip myself with beautiful Sauternes.
Slightly amber color.
Magnificent nose, caramel, orange peels and honey.
In the mouth, the freshness is striking. The attack is sweet on apricot and vanilla. The juice is massive, but the wine is not heavy, it is quite the opposite, it remains almost evanescent thanks to a superb acidity which stretches all in length the wine whose balance is perfect between a still very fruity juice and a remarkable length in the mouth. Nothing saturates in this wine, on the contrary, it is airy.
Great floral and almost spicy finish that ends on an endless honeyed length.
That's wonderful!
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Evidentemente no se abre una botella asi un día cualquiera, fue en ocasión de una comida familiar que se inició con un Pierre Gimonnet Special Club 1999, siguió con un Chateau Grand Corbin Despagne 2000 y culminó con este maravilloso vino. Se decantó una hora. Presentó un color cobre muy oscuro. El aroma es sublime y difícil de describir simplemente porque tiene de todo, por decir, algo de fruta blanca de hueso, cítricos, piel de naranja, miel, avellanas y nueces, especies orientales, gengibre, caramelo y un sinfín de otros elementos que sin duda se me escapan. La boca es también prodigiosa, hay un equilibrio extraordinario, una acidez perfecta, longitud y profundidad, tensión en boca, intensidad. Ligeramente dulce, en definitiva extraordinario y además perdura varios minutos.
He tenido ocasión de tomar de vez en cuando algún Yquem , como por ejemplo las excelentes dañadas de 1980 y 1955, y otras y creo que este vino supera el concepto de añada porque siempre emociona, cualquier añada en cualquier momento. Aquí no hay añada sólo Yquem.
Pocos vinos han producido tanta literatura: Fréderic Dard lo define como “luz bebida”, y añade : “después de un sorbo de Yquem el tiempo sigue siendo de Yquem”. Y Julio Verne dice : “El desayuno fue tan alegre y copioso que Edmond hizo beber a sus amigos un cierto Lur Saluces del que sólo se podía hablar de pie y descubierto…” François Mauriac expresa : “los veranos de antaño queman en las botellas de Yquem…
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Dinner with the wine group (Zazie's, San Francisco): From 375mL. Golden, slightly lighter than the '97 Yquem along side it; intense aromatics with honey, baking spice, cardamom, deep and complex, orange peel; medium-full bodied, sweet but balanced immediately by vibrant medium-plus to high acidity, orange marmalade, medium-plus alcohol (14%); medium-plus finish. Excellent integrated youthfulness, not showing any oak of youth. Well balanced, quite a complex nose but holding back just a touch on the palate. A superb sauternes, and an excellent Yquem. 95+, will improve over the next 1-2 decades. 4 hours later in bottle: amazing balance, still wonderful acidity, delicious complexity. This was the star and has a ton of aging potential still. Day 2: Nose is a bit less expressive than the '97 today, but still plenty to unpack with fruit, orange peel, spices, cardamom; palate is still higher acid than the '97, just by a bit but gives it a vibrant energy; finish is still medium-plus to long. 95+
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I'll give it 98 points because it is the wine closest to perfection I've tasted. Cannot compare to other Yquem that may be 100-point perfect. There is just too much going on on the nose and palate, all inbperfect balance. Still lots of freshness, it will last for many more years. Too bad it was my only bottle. Yqyem is a once in a lifetime experience that any sommelier/wine lover should have.
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Yvelin's birthday; 9/5/2021-9/6/2021: Good, but not as stunning as the 1985 I had a couple years ago. Classic Sauternes notes of honey, apricot, some orange peel, but that was my problem as it does not transcend a typical Sauternes.
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Fish and Fire by Shane (Chateau Lea, New Jersey): Recently acquired from a reputable retailer who stores at cellar temperature. Decanted about 2 hours before serving at cellar temperature, from 375ml bottle. Served with grilled peach and whipped ricotta. Marvelous pairing. Dark caramel color, seemed a little more advanced than I might have expected but no worse for the wear. Fragrant, lightly smokey caramel and stone fruit on the nose. Palate is more distinctly apricot and vanilla with superb acidity and just the right amount of sweetness. Not the best Ch. d’Yquem I have had but delicious, equaled or maybe slightly surpassed by the 2000 Ch. Rieussec we also had with dessert.
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A very impressive wine. Candied oranges, pecans, orange marmalade, honey, a light spice similar to clove but not as intense. Beautiful mid palate intensity and quite fresh which I found very appealing.
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It's the Big LX Birthday Bash: No Holds Barred (Minikahda Club, Mpls): Deep golden color. PNP, drank a glass over 45 minutes. What a fabulous way to cap off an evening of extraordinary wines. It always seems fitting when you can end a special occasion with d'Yquem. Its been six years since my last bottle and this was every bit as good and then some. The thing about d'Yquem is that combination of tangible and intangible qualities that sets it apart. Maybe more simply put it's about balance. There is always that close to perfect juxtaposition of sweet vs. tangy and light vs. heavy and elegance vs. power. This was another ethereal wine on a night of special wines. The fruit strikes you for its purity; nectarine, stone fruits, delicate tropical notes, tart mango, honey, spiced peach tarts, candied oranges, Tahitian vanilla, white flowers, all with that amazing lift and brightness. Nothing overtly heavy or dense, the spices playing against the medium bodied framework as everything is dancing in synchrony and the finish vividly drifts off into your memory. Great wine and really, for me, probably in the best place in its evolution. Though this has a long, long life ahead, and I certainly enjoy all the stages along the way to those deep dark beauties; this stage has that perfect blend of all that I love in Sauternes.
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Lunch beyond Superlatives (The RAC, London): By half bottle. It’s been a decade since we had this last ( Papies 94) and was truly a joy to cross paths with it again and we really hope to be lucky to try it in the future too. Liquid gold is what this wine is and always a mesmerising experience. Dark in colour but still bright, apricots, honey, soft caramel. The acidity though keeps this wine light in a way and is not heavy or difficult on the palate. Really impressive and an experience as always. Easy 96
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I will keep this short as very little needs to be said about this wine. I love it and i love nearly every vintage ive ever had ( with the 1945 being the kingpin) and so 96 is no exception. A classic vintage with decades and decades to go despite this half bottle at 25 years of age still drinking so beautiful. No one needs to be in a rush. Give it 25 more years and let it shine at half century. i suspect the older it gets the higher the score
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Paired with roasted ananas and vanilla ice cream. The pairing was magic, the ginger/vanilla syrup from the ananas in full harmony with the wine.
Nose of botrytis. The wine is both fresh and opulent. White peaches, mirabelle, marmelade. a hint of kerosene (...) on the finish which is very very long.
Plenty of saffron on the 2nd night.
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Concentrated tropical pineapple marmalade with some apricot and candied apple in the background. Definitely not overly sweet and with refreshing acidity that balanced the rich mouthfeel.
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PNP into Zalto Burgundy glass (“Fruit” day): Medium orange golden to the eyes.
Juicy stone fruits like apricots, very much florals driven and all finesse on nose. Really good spectrum of tea leaves and brioche.
Highly acidic, minerality, saline minerality. Very good grip or flavours, but this is a lot more lightweight in a nice way than most Sauternes if not all. Really good mid palate lift indeed.
As good as always. 94-95 points.
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Rich golden colour. Extremely long finish with a variety of rich flavours including apricot, quince, caramel and Seville orange. None of the cloying sweetness of most dessert wines and in fact it didn’t work well with the sweet dessert we had - better on its own or with cheese.
When first opened (from magnum) it was a little closed but opened up in glass. Didn’t finish it on the night (although disturbingly close) so have tried the remainder over the following 10 days and while it is starting to oxidise it was probably at its most delicious in the last few days. Despite its bottle age I would definitely double decant if drinking again.
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Intense golden colour. Med+ intense bouquet w. jammy and petroleum-like notes. Sweet, med acid, med+ body, highly intense, fat, oily but still fresh. Spicy w. preserved fruits. Long and persistent aftertaste. Overall, an incredible wine. Even in a mediocre vintage, this house shows why it is head and shoulders above the rest.
Drink or keep, but I would say it is at a very good place right now (November 2020).
My notes: petroleum, dried apricots, quince, jammy orange, rubber, honey, nuts, warm and sweet spices and flowers.
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In halves. Intense nose full of ripe apricots, gentle brioche, wonderful freshness. Palate is deep & intense with masses of fresh acidity superbly balancing intense stone fruits, donut peaches, honey, perhaps some light ginger and a gentle spice. Delightful. Drink now-2030+.
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At Esmay, Noosa Sound. While not at the top of the very tall Yquem tree this wine is a mature and graceful example of fine Sauternes with a bronze, orange colour and a nose of apricot, bitter orange, pineapple and honey. The palate reflects the characteristics on the nose but adds a touch of butter and creme brûlée into the fine persistent profile that lingers on and on. There is plenty of weight without perhaps the depth and grip of the best but its up there !
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Double decanted 4 hours pre serving which helped. This is a very good vintage for Yquem: pineapple, citrus, white vanilla notes, burnt sugar, medium honey, clear botyritis slightly spiced orange elements; excellent freshness and balance. ****1/2-*****
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The 1996 Chateau d’Yquem is almost as good as the stunning 1997 d’Yquem. Great concentration with lifted scent of stone fruits, rich botrytis, elegantly integrated vanilla wood and toast.
Honied-orange peel, showing the classic d’Yquem fragrant of delicately layered honeysuckle, white flowers and gentle oak spices. This is young with good density. Good freshness to balance the weight. The purity is what makes d’Yquem stands out in Sauternes. Though d’Yquem will soon face quite a few competitions.
94/100
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In halves. Deep golden in colour. Great balance on the wine - still really fresh with deep honeysuckle, rich apricots and vanilla. Absolutely delightful. Drinking now-2030.
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Deep orange-gold color. Beguiling aromas of burnt sugar, honey, botrytis and almonds. Very intense but well-balanced fruit in the mouth with great complexity, depth and length. Very thick and lingering on the palate. Still in its peak drinking period at 24 years of age in half bottle. A memorable wine to commemorate and savor at the 3 week anniversary of our stay at home due to the Caronavirus.
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Just superb. Inviting nose and on the tongue, herbal and honeyed without cloying sweetness. A minutes-long finish which evolves through flavors of vanilla, coconut and citrus. Paired perfectly with a roquefort. Well worth the wait.
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Part of a long d'Yquem line-up (we paired an entire meal with the wines). Didn't take detailed notes. Had this in a line-up with other 90's ('93, '95, '98) and I'll say it didn't totally jump out at me. Still very good and definitely quite sweet and intense, but some of the others were a bit different either because they added some spicy or they added some higher acid or whatever. This instead to me felt very classic in it's d'Yquem. Which of course is never a bad thing - always a great wine.
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The 1996 Chateau d’Yquem is not the most famous vintages of d’Yquem, it doesn’t have the botrytis intensity of 1997 nor the sweetness (still 122g/L!), but the 1996 is a graceful d’Yquem with lovely drinkability and charm. Honied nose of nectarine, pineapple, spiced citrus peel and delicate botrytis. Good richness, medium weight in the Sauternes scale. Very young and will age for many decades. (95/100) (1 point up from last bottle)
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From half bottle, served blind. Gold and Amber hues. Such balance. Creme brulee. Burnt caramel. D'Yquem does sweet wines like no other. Zero issues with this being icky or too sweet. Just perfect. Such balance and a great pairing with Foie Gras. Served by DrK at Cilantro.
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Wonderful wine that is at its peak right now. I don’t see this wine getting better than it already is and it is drinking fabulous now. Orange marmalade and a little almond. Drink up and enjoy. Will be purchasing another bottle or two.
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Half bottle format. Had it along with crepe suzette dessert, which was perfect match. Honey roasted nuts, marzipan, candied apricot, caramelised peaches, it was medium to full body, quite rich in structure and offered good complexity in flavours
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Pichon Baron and more (Dino's Grotto, DC): Perfect cork and fill. From a half bottle, pop and pour and drunk over an hour. Light-medium gold. Enveloping nose of peaches, honey, flowers, crème brûlée, medium body, intense on the palate, still plenty of sweetness, excellent balance, medium longfinish, excellent to outstanding.
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in perfect drinking shape floral notes apricots and an elegant sweetness tons better than 1995 which was a menthol laden mess first try with a foie gras pairing that was near perfect pairing
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From half bottle in Enomatic. Very intense aromas of apricot, kernel, marzipan, almond, honey, marmalade, rye bread, smoke and saffron. Unctuous on the palate and very long finish.
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My 7th note on this wine over 10 years. Early notes averaged 98 when the wine was fresh and had layers of complex flavours. Now coming out of a phase where the wine seemed a little simple. Thick cut orange marmalade, vanilla, apricot and lychee, good balance, and very long finish. Excellent
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Bordeaux Wine Dinner (Wine Kitchen, SF): From a 375. Burnished orange; highly aromatic, orange peel, marmalade; palate still has medium sweetness and richness, medium to medium-plus acidity, still excellent remaining fruits, superb freshness; medium-long finish. Really great Sauternes and lovely Yquem, richer-styled for Yquem but well balanced, excellent length, just slightly less complex than the really top vintages. 95
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Holiday at Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld; 7/24/2018-7/25/2018 (Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld): Apricot jam, cream, butter, vanilla, touches of Wilkins Tiptree Tawny Marmalade, very, very slight truffled honey. More burnt orange on the palate, very long, apricot, vanilla, cream and honey play a supporting role. Luscious sweetness balanced against the acidity. Very good.
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Rackit picked up a half bottle from BK and shared it with me over dinner. Color was a deeper yellow with a bit of orange tint. Nose and palate was mostly apricot tart. Lots of fruit but lacked acidity, making it slightly cloying. I don't have enough experience to say if this was in an awkward phase, but it certainly was not the best d'Yquem I've had.
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Very full bodied with lovely texture and weight. This d’quem feels like it’s built for a long life but is a little restrained compared to other d’yquems. That is not necessarily a bad think- in fact it might be quite good and result in a fascinating maturation. Flavors of peach, honey, nuts. Long finish.
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During a walkabout/tasting dinner, so only brief impressions. Very nutty and on the sweet side, smoke, touch of oak and vanilla. A solid but not a great Yquem.
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Dinner with Rob (ON Dining Kitchen & Lounge, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong): (From 375ml). Burnished copper-gold Seville marmalade colour. Nose is high-toned hand-hammered copper sheeting. Palate is so coppery, rich and ultra-deep, burnished and multi-dimensional....and then it evolves in the glass to an even higher plane of big multidimensional unfolding of multiple layers where things like 'Frank Coopers' burnt Seville marmalade and subtle Indian spices emerge from the depths. So sumptuous....not the most Botrytis-driven d'Yqeum and still a baby.....but so fab. Thanks Rob! By coincidence, my last tasting note was in 2008 and said to hide it away for 10 years ....but I'd probably still hide it away for at least another 5+ years.
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This had an intriguing pine resin quality that would normally be indicative of an older vintage, say '83? The apricot fruit was a little darker than I would have expected too. Still sensational drinking in any case, hard to score these wines as they are really in a category of their own.
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Shared among six of us at the end of a particularly fine dinner - second last of nine bottles. (Last was the 77 Warres). We all agreed this wine just gets better each time we drink it going back three years. The sweetness is tempered by a unique spiciness keeping it fresh. Superb. *****
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fin 50aine de FD normalement un point fort de la soirée, mais ce Yquem ne s'est pas démarqué. Nez opulent où ressortent les confis Cependant, les arômes imprécis comme si le sucre avait étouffé la grandeur habituelle d'un Yquem. Overall, c'était comme un Sauternes ordinaire.
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When one thinks of Sauternes, one often thinks about sugary, syrupy liquid. Very often one or two glasses and your appetite is gone for a third one.
Well ... one should buy and uncork a bottle of Yquem. This 1996 was opened at the end of a lovely tasting.
+ Color - I can only describe as liquid gold + Nose - apricot, honey, exotic fruit, yellow stone fruit, bees wax + Taste - very fine, very light, subtle and quite fresh for Sauternes + Finish - very beautiful, refined, sexy, and oh so very long !!!
We were four around the table and no issues to empty this bottle !!! Previously I argued on the Yquem price setting, but worth every penny.
Need to start buying more !!!
Mathijs
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Powerful aromatics, botrytis + apricots. Searing intensity, great mouth feel-oily richness plus vibrant acidity. wow! I expect it will keep for another decade or two, and still be in top form.
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A sleek and refined wine, deep gold in colour, bright, with subtle aromatics suggestive of spiced oranges, barley sugar, caramel and lots more. There's elegance and restraint on the palate, but power in reserve, and an intriguingly savoury sweetness. A wine that seduces without having to engage in obvious flattery.
Perfect with a bloc de foie gras de canard. The combination brought out the unexpectedly but not unattractively bracing acidity in the wine.
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The compelling aspect of this wine was the piercing minerality on the finish. Deep golden color in the glass. Nose of beeswax, dried fruit especially apricot, and honey / lanolin. In the mouth, the dried fruit and honey are there at first, and then the acidity and dried fruits flavors coat the tongue. Then that finish kicks in, it goes on and on and on.....
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The colour of a 'Rusty Nail' cocktail with a nose of wild flowers and honey. Absolutely gorgeous freshness, opulence and length on the palate - this stays with you a long time after you've drunk it. This is a magnificent wine which will keep getting better.
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Orangeconfit galore, here, intense, sweet, not as broad and embracing as other vintages, the candied fruit stand out, but the balance is still impeccable. #Kroun
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Another dinner @ Christiansholm (Klampenborg): Orangepeel, candied fruit, some spice, coffee, a dark hue; not as good as the mindblowing 1990, that we drank not long ago, but still a very special treat. Seems more mature than the 1990 ... #Schur
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The Yquem dinner (Chicago, IL): From half-bottle. Going slightly younger, I thought that there was a little bit of oakiness on this wine, but it's in the form of some nice toasted coconut that melds so well with the Yquem profile (hell, that coconut is part of the profile). This is again a lighter wine, with a little more acidic cut than the 1986. Of the two, I preferred this a little bit more as it struck me as a more complete wine.
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Enjoyed it as usual but his particular bottle was purchased from a wine store in Cabo that was a most likely a little sketchy when it came to storage. The wine was very far along the amber color curve compared to other '96 I have seen. Still drank well. Honeyed apricot, mandarin and botrytis. Seemed a little flabby and not as balanced for d'yquem. Still delivered a memory for a lot of new folks trying it. Need to taste again to rate properly.
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Huge orange blossom nose, bags of minerality, creme-brulee crisp. The depth, poise, and elegance are really impressive in 1996. I love some of the less-botyrized vintages of d'Yquem (96, 98) owing to their freshness and lift. This is no exception. Drinking just beautifully now and will age perfectly. Excellent after a 5 hour decant (from 375). 96-97
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Big, somewhat austere for a Sauternes. Apricot, peach, light coconut creme, touch of cinnamon. Concentrated, complex but tightly wound. Drank without giving it much air and this probably needs more time to mature or some decanting before it's ready.
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From 375ml. Brought by MP. Lovely nose of apricots, coconut, tropical fruit, varnish. Gorgeous depth of fruit on the palate, with really great balancing acidity. Drinking now -- beautifully.
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Tasted double blind, but clearly an amazing Sauternes and when MC2wines is in the house, pretty good bet it is d'Yquem. Definitely wine of the flight for me - and also the group. Just beautiful and balanced, honeysuckle, apricot, lemon, carmelized honey notes - yum!! My call was '01 d'Yquem.
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Tampa Spring Break (the second); 2/17/2017-2/19/2017 (Various spots (homes, Mis en Place, Capital Grille)): Yum Yum Yum! I just love this wine. Perhaps this isn't my favorite of the years I've tried, but it's still such a wonderful light on it's feet and balance of sweetness and ever changing and just beautiful. Similar to the sauternes we tried last night I'd say the sweet is fading a bit and become now a bit more nutty. Just lovely. Could drink it all day. Was also surprisingly a great pairing with some shrimp and grits.
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Bu avec Bulle, Meursault et Mike LM lors de notre traditionnel souper Super Bowl LI…avec une orgie de bouffe pour l’accompagner. Le Yquem a été bu en début de dégustation pour avoir les papilles bien en forme et accompagné de foie gras et de fromage bleu Élisabeth. 2 très beaux accords en passant. Nez intense et complexe, caramel écossais, tire éponge, un peu de vernis et de cire avec des pêches et des ananas. En bouche, c’est ample, gras et tout simplement cochon. C`est bien équilibré, le sucre et l`acidité vont de pairs. La pêche revient avec la tire éponge, des figues et des dattes aussi et un peu de fumée. Super long et délicieux. Un GRAND vin encore une fois.
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No proper, blind - golden color, developing, high viscosity,
Nose is high intense of apricot , pinapples, honey, lemon tart, nectar. Palate is lucious with high acidity, and intense with concentrated and complex palate. Outstanding quality, 95p
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Apricot, orange marmelade, hints of lime, wild honey and floral notes trending to the darker side. Balanced, including fine acids on the palate, for its age. This will not really be truly pleasurable for at least a decade. 92-93+
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Havent written a note in a while but this wine compells me to. Shockingly intense and full of mint, peaches, honey, nutmeg and sweetness with just enough acidity. Clean but enormous in body. Wowza for a 96. Drank a 99, 02, 98, 95 recently and it kills all of them. 89 and 90 recently were in another league.
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Special bottle that was just delicious. Rich, pure and seamless. Coats the mouth without being heavy. You can feel the breed. Seems in a very good place tonight – neither youthful nor mature. (94)
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Au début de sa vie, une robe jaune or intense, des arômes de miel, d'orange ; une liqueur bien équilibrée par l'acidité et teneur en sucres mais encore trop jeune ! 92-93/100
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GMs - 1995 Bordeaux Tasting: Mandarin, quince, apricot, orange, pear and lemon - striking how pure and detailed the nose is. The palate sparkles with that same purity and the sweetness sweeping through in a wave. Fine detail and special balance. Really excellent and age will only improve it more from here.
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Dark gold color. Intense nose of apricot, ripe peaches and honey. Full body, strong acidity that keeps everything in balance. Extremely long finish. Beautiful.
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Tasted from half bottle. Light honey color with an orange tint. Full bodied with medium acidity. Apricots, honey, and some tropical notes. Slight bitterness from almonds and citrus rind on the long penetrating finish (25 sec+). While not overly complex, there is power and elegance in this wine. Drinking well now, but should continue to age gracefully from this point forward.
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Chardonnay Shootout (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Intense dried apricot with some tropical fruit and candied citrus peel. Very good concentration, but a elegant texture and weight that keeps this from seeming heavy or too sweet. Also open a week+.
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Sexy and young, was a real stunner and held for weeks. Aromas of custard, peach, banana, and candied caramel corn. Lush and ripe on the palate with an thick oily weight, but also came across so light and feminine. Packed with wonderful purity of ripe yellow fruit flavors and baking spices. Really strutting and perhaps in perfect harmony. Decades of life ahead, but a real guilty pleasure now. Lip smacking yum!
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Three Flights, With Pairings (Red Barn, Santa Ynez): The best -- and most traditional -- of the flight, with tremendous freshness and youthfulness. Still a baby, with a somewhat simple palate for an Yquem, lacking the vibrant acidity I look for, similar to my last (non-blind) encounter with this.
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Dark gold Nose of honey, creme brûlée, mint, lemongrass, marmalade, orange zest, white flowers, baking spice, and a really earthy, mushroomy aspect that is quite appealing. Palate is quite viscous….This is a riper yquem with burnt brûlée, fig, date, honey, baking spice, flowers, orange marmalade, earth and mushroom. Don't want to say that this is a touch cloying but I think that this really needs a bit more acid to bring it to a top tear yquem. Finish is long
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Ao Yun wine launch dinner with Jean Guillame Prats (Marcel's Restaurant, Washington D.C.): This is a really good d’Yquem. Generous nose displaying sweet yellow and red fruits, apricot, mango, papaya, crème brulee, ginger candy, tea and honey. Excellent concentration, polished airy palate, good acidity and lovely long finish. The 96 is an always delicious d’Yquem.
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From a 375ml bottle. Incredible nose of marmalade, coconut, dried apricots. On the palate it is luscious, but not cloying. The acidity is still high and to be honest I would say the complexity doesn't yet warrant opening this. Wait 8-10 yrs imho... still, you won't complain.
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White Bordeaux and Sauternes/Barsac: Intense and concentrated caramelized sweet orange marmalade and lots of smokey aromas, fresh paint and botrytis. This wine is so deliciously complex and balanced with hay, dried figs, vanilla, caramel and smoke on the palate. Absolutely wonderful balance and length. The finished just stays on the palate forever..
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Ex-chateau bought through F+R half a year ago. Golden yellow colour. Some tertiary notes like caramel and dried apricot are detectable at nose. Very rich flavors of tropical fruits like papaya and mango, fruity finish that last for more than 20 seconds. The only problem with this 1996 is that acidity is somewhat insufficient. On palate at the very end, the sweetness overtakes and becomes dominant. The 1996 is definitely richer, but the 1995 would be more balanced tho loghter.
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This was quite nice today with good sweetness, acidity and complexity, but is still very youthful and needs, in my opinion, considerably more time. I don't think I'll open another bottle for 10 years or so.
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From a half bottle and that is the only negative with this wine, will probably not store as well as 0,75l bottles, a little (to) yellow, but a wonderful wine, oily, powerful, long long aftertaste of fruits, citrus, honey, and the wine sits in the mouth for several minutes, wow !
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I've not an experienced Yquem drinker.. but i've had quite a few sauternes.. the tropical fruit mixed with almond/nuttiness of the nose, the honey nectar of the palate, balanced with just the right amount of acidity to keeps it fresh and lively. Wow.. love love love.
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Opened at The Met with my friend Atlantean. I could tell this was not up to snuff, it was the sommelier Lance who picked up the TCH. had the last glass last night, it seemed more like D'Yquem to me.
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Amazing wine, even from a perhaps middling year. Tasted alongside some Coutet, which was delicious on its own but just got blown away when tasted together. a core of sweet orange is surrounded by a rainbow of subtle fruit and spice flavours which just goes on and on with the longest finish imaginable.
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Bu avec Fred, fin de soirée bien arosée, mais on a su apprécier! De loin le vin de la soirée En relisant les notes sur le moême vin bu récemment, et comparant avec les notes d'hier, il y a une convergence impressionnante des impressions. Ouverture sur le pamplemousse (léger), puis ce sont les abricots secs et touche de gingembre Goût médicaments, camphre selon Fred. Foin humide Longue finale sur la marmelade Incroyable!
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Drank at Otto's This really is lovely and maturing nicely (see other notes). We had this with another Sauternes which Yquem blew away. Not fair really.
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Why do people shell out big bucks for d'Yquem? Well, drink this and you will have a good clue. Unmistakable nuances of the signature petrol and wax will flirt with your senses while the delicate and mid bodied honey colored wine underneath it all charms you without letting go for a good minute. Perfect acidity for the weight and sweetness... Everything lovely, but the price (though this one is reasonably priced for the producer)...DRINK or HOLD
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Gaja Charity Dinner & Tasting for HealthServe (Taberna, Bukit Merah): A lovely end to dinner. After so many magnums on the evening, it was a bit of a surprise to see the d'Yquem come in two small half-bottles. The smaller format seemed to have helped the wine though - these were a lot more developed and certainly more interesting than the full bottle of 1996 I had a few years back. Both bottles showed a beautiful d'Yquem nose from the get-go, with swirls of desiccated coconut, dried apricots and light shades of minerality wafting gently from the glass. The palate was lovely too. It was neither the most opulent nor the most powerful d'Yquem, lacking perhaps a little in botrytis depth, but this had lots of charm in its classically elegant lines, with a lovely clean, fresh feel to its delicious, juicy flavours of apricots and honey, mineral and spice, all laced with a nice coconutty, Gula Melaka sweetness. With time, some tropical shades started coming out as well, all mingling in a wonderful poised mouthful. A lovely drink - long, balanced and compelling; light on its feet, yet with no lack of depth and persistence. This is another wine that is delicious now, but will still keep developing for decades. Yum.
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F22Nickell gives a great description of the wine, which came from my cellar. The only thing I could add is the precision of the mouthfeel and finish compared to the other Sauternes we had that night - the others seemed a bit flabby in comparison. My #1 of the 4 Sauternes we enjoyed that night, though all scored above 90.
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Opened for dessert at diner with Mom and Michelle. I've had the privilege of having have several vintages of this wine over the past few years. This particular bottle is not as intense as other D'Yquems I have had. It has nice honeyed apricot and botrytis flavours, which were long lived on the pallet.
I always enjoy a glass of this wine.
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Complex, self-assured, and detailed nose of saffron (botrytis), orange peel, marzipan, candied grapefruit (thiols), slight yeasty baguette (lees aging?), and an ever-so-slight balsamic vinegar tingle (VA) that adds a lovely brightness. Dense (glycerol, ~180 g/L RS) but simultaneously bright and light due to intense acidity. A slight tannic grip and a hint of creme-brulee bitterness (possibly from oak). The finish does not stop.
This is the best Sauternes I have ever tasted. Around 9.5
Dinner at Home (Fremont, CA): From a 375. Deep gold, just a slight hint less dark than the Rieussec; deeper, brooding nose more than the Rieussec which is more forward, this has more complexity, still moderate to high intensity, baking spice; palate is full bodied, wonderful complexity on the palate with layers of spice, peach, slight sweet orange, botrytis, density through the midpalate but still fresh throughout, high acid; long finish. Superb. This still has its youthful sweetness but also very nice complexity on the palate, the nose is slightly reticent (will try decanting...), but overall this is an excellent Yquem only a half-step behind the best vintages. 95-96 3 hours decanting: the nose has opened up a tad more with some honey, but the palate is still the true highlight. Just wonderful complexity, flavors changing from one to the other with fabulous acidity, persistent; long finish. Based on my tasting, this is very enjoyable but just barely in early maturity with at least 2 decades of development ahead. 95-96 After tasting, I looked ate Neil Martin's note from January 2012, and he is dead-on. Look up his note for the details, but a few phrases: he notes the reticent nose that opens up, the "tensile" palate, the mandarin and Seville orange. All of that is consistent with what we found. Day 3: Nose continues to be fairly wound up but what does show is complex; palate continues to have vibrant ridiculous acidity, mandarin orange peel (is this the Seville orange Neil Martin refers to?), excellent complexity, honey, fruit, spice; finish is long. I was hoping that the nose would open up more with a few days of air (that is the only thing holding back this wine) but it did not. Nevertheless, a superb Sauternes and an excellent Yquem. As much as I like the Rieussec, there is a large difference between the palate on the Rieussec and the Yquem in terms of complexity. 95 today.
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Deep golden yellow. The wine with high alcohol and with good acidity. On palate the wine taste like tropical fruit, papaya, pear, apricot. there are some botrytis, honey, orange marmalade and vanilla. The wine is dense, depth and complicate, with very long finish.
Although it can approach now, it is still very young and it will develop more and more in the future.
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Very deep golden robe in the carafe with a copper hue, the nose is suave and charming, with coconut, pineapple, honey comb and creme brulee. The nectar is much less sweet than expected, much less syrupish and heavy than suggested by the legs on the glass. The taste of tropical fruits and agrumes is enriched with vanilla and oak, toffey and expresso.
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19th anniversary at BHSB (Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY): In the glass, dark, clear orange. On the nose, a riot of crushed ripe fruits and dried fruits. On the palate, creamy opulence, with abundant mango, papaya, honey, marzipan, bananas, apples, lychees, and background notes of baking spices. The botrytized notes and acidity you might expect from d'Yquem were largely absent here; the wine came across more like a top-flight eiswein than the king of Sauternes. But, paired with a lovely cheddar and huckleberries, disappointment wouldn't be the right word.
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Premiers aromes: Confits et noisettes pralinées. Second aromes: marmelade et abricot Finale: herbacée que je n'ai su définir, avec l'effet du botrys bien senti. Le tout forme un feu d'artifice exceptionnel. Spectaculaire!
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Classical d'Yquem ethereal lightness with a densely packed palate showing honey, melon, and ripe peach. Great balance of sweetness and acidity. A very good d'Yquem and a good value if you like to drink the wine.
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Mostly French dinner - Rayas, 00 Lafite, 13 Trump, H Lignier CDR and etc. (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): I drank this only a month ago. Rich and opulent nose displaying sweet yellow fruits, mango, papaya, banana, creme brulee, honey and ginger. Excellent concentration, unctuous yet beautifully balanced palate, good acidity and lovely long finish. This is all about opulent fruit but slightly lacks the precision and complexity. Nevertheless very enjoyable
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Des vins de rêve en blanc (Aux Délices de Fred): Beaucoup de botrytis au nez, du poli à ongles (volatile). Une bouche très concentrée, de la richesse, une certaine minéralité en milieu de bouche, puis une finale un peu étrange, funky, lactique, sur les amandes amères, plus austère que charmeuse. Un vin qui montre un très bel équilibre, mais dont le profil aromatique m'a semblé étrange. 94 pts
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Mostly Blind dinner - 88 Krug, 02 Boillot Monty, 02 Laurent CdB, 89 Palmer, 96 Yquem and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): This is a very pleasant surprise. Very intense and youthful nose displaying sweet yellow fruits, fresh apricot, banana, mango, papaya, custard and honey. Excellent concentration, unctuous yet airy and weightless, sweet banana/pineapple driven palate impression and lovely clean finish. This is very much sweet fruit driven D’Yuem rather than botrytis. Very opulent but not terribly complex. With D’Yquem, that can change with time. Very enjoyable already. I highly recommend as long as you don’t absolutely have to have botrytis.
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Half bottle. Medium gold color. Ripe burnt sugar, coconut aromatics. Ripe, round, unctuous, somewhat honeyed and sweet. Unquestionably tasty and immediately attractive, but I found the balancing acidity to be somewhat wanting. Big and concentrated, but this could use more definition and bite. Did not even come close to the balance of the '88 which we had last weekend.
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Very much enjoyed this wine. Bright and dramatic with flavors of fig, marzipan, and touch of hibiscus. Deep luscious, with a long finish. Can't see how anyone would dislike this wine.
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Copper; white raisins, apricots, kumquats, yeast donuts, lychees, cloves; semi-sweet, raisin, apricot, three-fruit marmalade, honey, creamy, decadent, good acidity, excellent balance, good structure, long finish. Syrupy marmalade, clover honey, brioche and a unique creaminess. Complex with high pedigree. Drinking well now but still evolving. Delicious with blue cheese.
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Sure, it was delicious, with bright, golden fruit, nectarine marmalade, golden raisins, and a long, sweet finish. And I'm very grateful for the opportunity to taste it. But d'Yquem (like DRC, to me) rarely has evoked in me the response that its price and pedigree would otherwise suggest. Amali with Bruce, Michel and Stephen V.
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A great wine, no less. Hyper concentrated, simply overwhelming with it's notes of honey, orange peel, citrus et al. It is beautifully balanced and newer too much. Easily WOTN. (With AHJ & HSA & wifes)
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Half bottle to finish a great wine dinner. Deep gold, apricot and orange peel aromas. Intense flavour of apricot, almond, baked pie, woody perfume. Lusciously sweet yet so well balanced by the fresh acidity. Still a long way to go.
希仕会游艇晚宴
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Night Two in Paris (La Tour D'Argent): Still a baby, with a medium golden color and a nose of apricots, lychee and honey. A somewhat simple palate for an Yquem, lacking the vibrant acidity I look for, but a lovely Sauternes nonetheless, with decades ahead of it.
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Big Bordeaux IX (Kevin's house): Slow-O for 6 hours; served at 52 degrees. Smelled the glass for 30 minutes while I finished my reds, then drank it over an hour. This was as good as any dessert wine I've ever had. It is extremely sweet and extremely acidic, while being light on the palate and balanced. Tons of nuance, and at the same time, the purity of the fruit and the sweetness are without reproach. It is both full-bodied and effervescent at the same time. Honey and baking spice are most prominent. One negative was that I did not get much spice at all. The only other times I've had a Sauternes this good were other Yquems, which is unfortunate. A great finish to a strong tasting.
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Big Bordeaux IX featuring '82 Pichon LaLande and Leoville Las Cases and More (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Medium deep gold color. Slow-O for 6 hours; served at 52 degrees. Drank 1+ glass over 90 minutes. OMG was this wonderful. We were supposed to drink the '90 tonight , but unfortunately it was delayed so I substituted the '96, and I couldn't have been more pleased. This just lights up your senses and crystallizes your palate after a long series of great reds. An intense nose of orange marmalade, pineapple, vanilla, mango, honey, creme brulee, and botrytis. The palate is voluptuous, not at all syrupy, a perfect balance of sugar and acid; peach cobbler, vanilla bean, oranges, pineapple, mango, honey, spice cake, full bodied and totally elegant. There is no mistaking the pedigree here. Glorious. 96(+)pts.
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Big Bordeaux 9: Not too impressed with the 96. Apricots, honey and minerals. I have had better of this Chateau and certainly better Sauternes for a fraction of the price. Overpriced wine.
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Notes of honeysuckle, flowers and marmalade. Beautifully structured and great delineation. Lacking a little of the complexity of the best examples of this wine.
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Half bottle as a treat at the end of a client lunch (he is a good client!). Peaches and honey and hot marmalade (if you get my drift). So elegant, pure and exquisitely balanced. It only needs to whisper how classy it is - this wine still leads the way alone and all other sweet wines just have to get used to following on behind!
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Felt this was significantly better than the 1995 or 1999 d'Yquem. Vibrant fruit flavors, apricot and the usual suspects with a killer finish. This was evolving all the time we were drinking this.....just amazing.
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My 6th note on this wine over 10 years. Early notes averaged 98 when the wine was fresh and had layers of complex flavours. This note typical of recent years, orange and lychee nose, good balance, and very good length. A little simple and ponderous. Made a note to try again in 2021.
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Westchester Wine School - Premium Wine Tasting (Bar Lees, Mamaroneck, NY): Drank at WWS premium wine tasting. Golden color, but not particular dark yet. Nose of apricots, some pineapple & honey. Good sweetness, but not at all cloying. Nicely balanced with good acidity level. Apricots, honey, beeswax, & marmalade. Also somewhat of a musty, earthy quality too. Very subtle, elegant wine with great complexity. Still a baby, but drinking very well. Great way to end a great tasting (especially when matched with a fine Stilton). Good stuff!
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From 375ml. Notes of coconut, tropical fruit, marmalade and honey. Lovely fruit. Unctuous and rich, with an abundance of tropical fruit, honey and peach.
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (M/M thelostverse): From 375ml. Light golden color. Notes of apricot and botrytis spice, but with a slight tinny quality as well. The palate follows the bouquet- adding orange blossom honey, peach and tropical fruit flavors. Medium finish.
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Deep golden colour with some darkening. Nose of quince, apricot, limes, and acacia honey. Palate quite intense and beautifully balanced although without the searing intensity of a great year. Touches of almond and marmalade lead into a fine lingering palate. Delicious finish to a great night.
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Intens og ungdommelig i uttrykket. Tropiske frukter er dominerende i smaksbildet. Ananas, appelsin og honning. En god og balanserede syre. Jeg kunne kanskje ønsket den enda mer fremtredende, men mitt inntrykk er at jeg er godt over gjennomsnittet avhengig av en intens syre i min Sauternes.
Flott kompleksitet, flerfoldige lag av frukt og en enorm konsentrasjon. Ganske rik i stilen, noe vanilje og tørket frukt. Nesten litt kremet i stilen. Spesielt lang!
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My second half-bottle of this (first one was corked). The nose has candied orange peel, almond and pineapple in abundance with warming brandyish notes. On the palate it is just exquisitely structured, moving from sweet to acid and back to sweet again. Floral, honeyed and citric flavours predominate, but the original character of the fruit is also very much in evidence, adding a further dimension. Tremendously long and satisfying finish. Nectar! It's worth mentioning that this vintage is attractively priced too...
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An oxidised bottle - smelled and tasted like an amontillado sherry, albeit quite a good one. We finished it with no ill effects. A disappointing experience, but these things happen!
Golden. Stunningly fresh, expressive and complex nose of apricots, dried fruits, honey, spice and flowers. Palate is dense and rich, with excellent freshness and glorious length and harmony. Great wine!
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A beauty that is already fun to taste and enjoy for its honeyed, apricot, spice, pineapple, orange peel and vanilla bean profile. Low acid and fat in style, this glass of sunshine and pleasure hits the sweet spot.
Goldish colour. Not deep amber or dark brown hues like a normal aged dessert wine. Notes of apricots, orange peel, tangerine.
On the palette, an echo of tangerines, oranges, lots of layers of dried fruit, tea and other floral notes that I've never detected in a Sauternes. Tannins are still a little grippy. Very well balanced. I liked it.
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Vertical tasting 2003, 2000 & 1996 in HK Vinexpo. 1996 is deep 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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Colour deep gold. Glorious bouquet of honey, burned toffee, passionfruit, smoke and caramel. On palate, gorgeous texture with incredible viscosity. Very fresh and clean on palate, glycerol flavours of burnt toffee, quince, creme brûlée, tropical fruit, honey, the layers of flavour go on and on. Huge structure, more about structure than opulence. Crystalline, framed with beautiful, lively acidity, unbelievably poised. A great food wine, could pair with a wide range of food, from oysters to dessert. Incredibly long, finishes on a lovely note of apricot kernel bitterness. Not the biggest d'Yquem, but a beautiful example.
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Klar, gyllen gul. Dyp, intens nese med moden fersken, tørket, mørk, aprikos, lavendelhonning og nøtter. Fyldig, bløt, viskøs og konsentrert frukt. Intens. Frisk syre. Sitter utrolig lenge i med toner av nøtter og tørket frukt
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Drank at the RAC Rich thick with a nose of burnt sugar, caramel, toffee apple and honey. Wonderful stuff that is not too sweet and has a nice balance on the palate. Amazing length.
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96 points for 1996! Actually only because it deserves it... This wine is so rich, viscous, and elegant, it made me wish I poured it from a bigger bottle than 375! The great d'Yquem vintages to me are marked by an otherworldly balance between acidity and the fresh, rich fruits that are usually associated with d'Yquem. Not sure if many people would consider '96 to be a great vintage, but I certainly love this wine. The finish and mouthfeel set it aside from other vintages I have tried, certainly from vintages like '98. So long lasting, round on the palate, the apricot flavors are loaded with carmel and butter. Delicious.
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Wonderful young Yquem. This is not one of the most acclaimed vintages, but I seem to enjoy the "lesser" vintages better. For me, the ones that get the most acclaim I find cloying and a bit overdone. The "lesser" ones seem often fresher to me with better acidity (I find the same with other dessert wines too, like Kracher). In any case, this is a beautiful, fresh wine filled with pitted fruits, decent botrytis character, and lots of length. Nice!
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MNF Dinner at Tommy's (Vancouver, BC): Loads of saffron on the nose with hints of vinyl and botryis notes. Rich and weighty profile with lush tropical fruit flavours and a long wooly/vinyl finish. For such a young Yquem, this was showing quite well, although I do prefer less weighty/higher acid dessert wines (Climens comes to mind). Excellent. 90+
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Nose is magnetic. My nose keeps coming back to it. Beautiful nose. Palate is rich up front, fades a little in the middle and then picks up for a long beautiful finish. Lovely wine.
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The beauty of a golden sunset in a glass with an intoxicating nose of honey, citrus, apricot, pineapple, peach, vanilla and spring flowers with the palate of a tropical fruit smoothie from heaven. Viscous and thick, with legs that go all the way up to her…well, you know! Finishes with a delightful toffee/creme brûlée that attaches itself to your entire mouth and won't let go. The group of four couldn't empty the bottle, so brought about 4 oz. home to sustain me through writing the night's tasting notes. (As Mel Brooks succinctly put it, "Work, work, work.")
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This is the first D´Yquem i ever tasted, and not the last one. I only have one more bottle of the 96 in my Cellar. I will save this 10-20 Years from now. This will be better i think. But a fantastic wine to drink now. I cant stop thinking about the acidity and freshness in this wine, included the fruitconcentration who is perfectly balanced, and it never ends. A good dessert after a big meal.
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Oro ramato. Al naso iodio, salamoia, albicocca, zafferano, anice, fiori gialli, frutti tropicali, pepe bianco. In bocca è dolce, sapido, splendido nell’intensità minerale e nella incredibile lunghezza
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Really enjoyed this. Not your typical Yquem, and lacking some acidity compared to better vintages, but this was still an amazing wine. The nose just lures you in. Very satisfying. Would buy this again if I had the chance.
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Didn't think would pop another bottle this soon, but with a delightful dinner in place, there is no better sweetener than this. One sniff, and you'd be gently seducted, soaked in the aromas of refreshing honey, citrus, apricot, vanilla and spring flowers. When the golden liqueur hits the palate, the impeccably balance of tropical fruits sweetness and acidity is a treat in heaven. Never thought would finish the only two bottles I have in such a short period of time, but it's worthwhile, because it's so enjoyable.
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First ever d'Yquem, and by far the best sweet white wine I've ever had. Gentle, seductive nose of apricot, pineapple, vanilla and a bit of citrus. It all gets even better when the golden-looking liqueour hits the palate, it's amazingly rich, superbly balanced, the spot-on acidity level is so refreshing, makes you wanna just keep sipping it. Long, refreshing finish is extremely satisfying, a crowd pleaser =)
Still at the Mountain House--Tim Strikes Again: One of the most forward-drinking vintages I have tasted of this wine. Very rich honeyed apricot and peach with a little white floral quality. Acidity is there, but fruit still dominates. A powerhouse.
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Gold. Rich honeycomb and white flower, lightly toffee. Powerful, ringing finish. Enormous length. Pure and fine. Rich golden honey, white flowers, pineapple and toffee. Classic taste profile, darkening from its youth but still with great depth and youthful zest. A great wine.
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Dégustation d'un Pétrus: La bouche est bien grasse et d'une grande complexité en milieu de bouche, avec une dimension minérale étonnante, une finale puissante et racée. Il me semble avoir besoin de temps encore, mais c'est un vin d'une grande profondeur. 95 pts
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First Yquem. Seemed muted. Quite a burnt toffee feeling to this. Showing some mustiness of age. It actualy reminds me a little of a Greek sweet Muscat from Samos that I had a few months ago. Very weighty on the palate, thick, luscious. Long finish. This is good but it lacks some freshness. Ive had far better Sauternes before. Perhaps its a vintage issue - or even too young?
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From 750ml. Served at the Orrery in London. Opened and served 30 mins later. Colour is burnt gold, perhaps a little darker than I would expect of Yquem at the tender age of 17. Incredibly bright and vibrant in the glass. On the nose plenty of caramel,strong botrytis, burnt orange and a whiff of nuttiness. Complex and unmistakably Yquem. The palate is wonderfully composed, lots of toffee, pineapple, caramel but with good balancing acidity. A long finish of course, but without the never-ending presence of a great vintage. This is lovely Yquem and a real pleasure to drink now. It's more about the caramel and toffee now rather than tropical fruits. It will be interesting to see where this heads in future but it's evolved some way since my last bottle. Probably a little underrated and well-priced (even now) for Yquem, given the quality. This reminds me of a weaker version of the 67 but I suspect it won't stay the distance quite as well.
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1979 Bordeaux horisontal (Oslo): (Halvflaske) Klar, dyp gyllen gul med oransjestikk. På nese mørk aprikos, voks, harpiks, mandel og hasselnøtter. Konsentrert og fyldig, viskøs frukt med høy sødme. Intens som pokker. Frisk,avdempet syre. Lang så lang ettersmak med toner av mandler og karamell.
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gorgeous nose, orange, marmalade, botrytis, spicy viscous vanilla, honey so rich but beautifully balanced, layers of flavour lots of acidity long, long, long Just perfect. a wine that makes you think
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Château d'Yquem tasting (Stockholm): Appearance: deep golden yellow Nose: dried apricots, botrytis, noticeably spicy, honey, saffron, some solvent notes (definitely not disturbing). Some development, good balance. Palate: very sweet, viscous, loads of honey, dried apricots, spice, good acidity, good concentration, long and fresh aftertaste. Summary: rather mature, a perfect combination of some youthfulness and mature notes, without excessive oxidation. Can take more but has probably peaked, 97 p
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Pineapple, apricot and tropical fruits coated with honey and nuts in the perfume, there is a sweetness and intensity of overripe orange and spicy tropical fruits coated with honey, with enough acidity to keep the wine fresh. This already drinking well and should for decades.
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Highly seductive and decadent. On the nose so many beautiful exotic aromas of pineapple, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. On the palate it is liquid heaven ... sweet and yet so balanced with a nice acidity. Its finish literally (and I kid you not) goes on for minutes. This is the best dessert wine I've ever had. As wine lovers we so often hear of legendary wine labels, well ladies and gentlemen this 1996 Chateau d'Yquem definitely lives up to reputation as being a nectar fit for the gods. Expensive @ 363 CAD but worth every penny. Will age well for over 50 years.
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Medium straw color. Truly fabulous. Balanced sweet...like a perfect honey. This is a winner among losts of winning d'yquems. Winner among a vertical of 88,96, 07.
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Columbus, OH offline 1/19/13 (Nick C's house): Thanks to Nick for the opportunity to try this. My first d'Yquem and a very special wine. Thick, rich aromatics of honey, peach, apricot and a whisper of citrus. The palate is a touch viscous but not at all cloying. The flavors mirror the aromas perfectly, paired with a full body, good acidity, fantastic balance and a finish that went on and on. Truly a pleasure to drink.
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Nick was kind enough to open up a 375 of this at the end of our tasting in Columbus. This deep gold yellow liquid was quite amazing. The complexity is difficult to summarize, but I picked up on wildflower honey, sweet apricots, and peaches. It reminding me of drinking nectar straight from the flower. A complete wine, coating the mouth in a wonderful sweetness balanced by plenty of acid. This was just a baby - a yummy, tasty baby with nothing but upside in front of it.
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Second-time of Yquem after a 2003 in 2010. Half bottle tasted with foie-gras and the other tasted with chocolate. Perfect and very rich. It smelled Yquem in the all dining-room ! 220 €.
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Dom's graduation dinner. Same note as previous dinner - perhaps a bit more lively with quince notes and great cumquat/honey character. Delicious with beautiful balance and drive.
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A delicious yquem with a great nose of honey and stone fruits. In the palate it is viscous and smooth missing just a bit of oomph to be a great yquem but substantial enough to be delicious.
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D’un 375 ml. Les attentes étaient élevées face à cette étiquette mythique, et malheureusement je suis demeuré légèrement sur ma faim. À l’exception de sa magnifique finale puissante, racée et interminable, rien dans cette bouteille ne laissait présager que nous étions en présence d’un géant. Mais attention, c’était tout de même drôlement délicieux, tout était en place, avec un équilibre impeccable et une matière d’une grande richesse. On en voulait simplement davantage! Davantage de complexité et de profondeur, mais surtout, on espérait obtenir le petit je-ne-sais-quoi qui nous fait chavirer lorsqu’on ouvre une bouteille de cette stature. 92
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Polished, powerful, intense, poised. Almost perfect balance. Lingering finish.This will age splendidly. Towers above the '93 (served along side). Glorious. A great d'Yquem.
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This wine sucks. Over the top. Cloying as hell. Incredibly powerful. Where's the focus? Overrated, but that's the power of MONEY for you... Suckers. Keep on following sheeple!
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Lunch at The Fat Duck (The Fat Duck, Bray): Our first d'Yquem. Heavenly nose of apricots, jackfruit, cinnamon with floral notes and a touch of citrus fruits. Nectar like palate with honey, dried apricots, stem ginger and cinnamon. Good balance between the acidity and sweetness of the fruits. Very long length. Lovely.
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A serviceable vintage for Yquem, but not one of its better recent ones. Noticeably improved over its immediate predecessor, the 1995, but I think the 1998 may top this one. Compared very unfavorably with the 2001 tasted the same evening. That's hardly a fair comparison to put it up against one of the greatest Yquem's of the past 4 decades, but nonetheless revealing of the 1996's shortcomings and the 2001's magnificence. A very pretty and elegant nose is not supported by a rather harsh element experienced in the front-to-mid palate. The experience is one of a somewhat awkward construction; all the notes of apricot, honey, pineapple, etc. but rather harshly put together in comparison with some other recent vintages.
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No detailed note- tasted over dinner. Great sweetness, great acidity. Everything in perfect harmony. The only way to describe it is "like D'Yquem". Delicious with Foie Gras, and the other half was delicious with Baked Alaska.
My wife says this is a perfect 100 for her, on the basis that she can't imagine anything could taste any better. I think a 94, but I have less of a sweet tooth. Either way I'm going to have to get some more.
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Intense and beautiful. Big but elegant. Fresh and balanced. Loads of pineapple and other fruits. Great acidity. Very long. Excellent! (@ the Sampler from a bordeaux glass).
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Pure joy and well worth the monicker of liquid gold. The wine closed a dinner in which we enjopyed some beautiful whiotes (76 Corton Charlemagne, 01 Pavillion Blanc, 78 Latour, 95 Mouton Rothschild and 86 Mission Haut Brion). The first bouquet was full of apricot , honey and lemon creating a an amazing experience of sweet smells that waft through your senses. The initial taste draws a golden creamy draw which hits your palete beautifully with citrus fuits and hoeny balanced in a slight acidity that keeps it all together. The draw and taste lingers on for a long time in a classic D'Yquen manner that no other suaternes quite manages. The wine was a true vision of perfection. Whilst far younger than the the three clarets I enjoyed that evening, this was without a doubt the best of the evening.
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Un format 375ml ouvert le 31 décembre en regardant les émissions de fin d’année. Bouquet plus ou moins complexe, mais envoûtant, sur les abricots, le zeste d’orange, accompagné d’une pointe de fumée. Bouche d’un équilibre magistral, riche, opulente, mais également élégante et digeste. Ce vin se révèle, se définit même, par sa finale digne des plus grands, d’une puissance comme on en rencontre rarement, rappelant un volcan qu’on croyait éteint, faisant éruption, explosant à la toute fin, avant de s’étirer très longuement sur des arômes de marmelade. Le cliché de la main de fer dans un gant de velours prend tout son sens avec ce vin. 94
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Served in Riedel Sauternes Sommeiler glassware. Strong nose of candied orange, honey, apricot and citrus. Not as much botrytis as previous offerings. Shorter finish as well.
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Cabin Dinner II (Cleveland, GA): Opened and tasted 4 days prior, recorked, and kept cool, allowing it to unwind a bit in the meantime. Obviously concentrated, the nose is still tight; blood orange, wax, chalk, and sweet white flowers. Palate has bright tangerine, mint; again, very tight, almost delicate in its honeyed citrus feel, with lovely white chalky mineral texture carrying along with the fruit. An excellent but exceptionally young wine.
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Julias Graduation Dinner. Delicious and stood out in a strong field. Color showing some development. Nose pungent orange, apricot, pineapple, honey and creme brûlée are all there. Palate medium intensity with weight and grip. Long multi faceted palate. Plenty of acid, fine tannin leads a long aftertaste. Bravo !
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Incredibly viscous, and oozes power, the nose is thick with oranges, honey,lemon curd and zesty licks. Really creates a cloud of aroma out of the glass. The palate is equally full and captures the imagination, sending thoughts of deeply flavoured citrus fruits, dipped in stickie sweetness and supported all the while by the refreshing acidity that keeps it all together. Not as subtle as perhaps this wine can be, however Really could have kept this all night, as it gives something new on each nose and sip. Delicious. 94
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Golden amber coloured; intense complex botrytised nose of very fine quality set honey and creme brûlée, caramel, floral notes. Incredible richness; magnificent build of complex floral intensely honeyed notes on th palate. Very long and intense right through the palate. Fresh and dances despite richness.
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Yquem 96 - rosiner, pære, aprikos og kritt. Pasjonsfrukt som alltid. Ekstrem intensiv i munnen, men et svært markant chili bitt. Litt mye synes jeg, men det var jeg ganske alene om å synes. 94p
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Bill Lawrence hosts the Tuesday Supper Club (Bill's): Bill felt we hadn't had enough wine so he whipped out a half bottle of this. Thank you, Bill! Just popped and poured, it shows a little bit of VA on the nose with orange blossom and butterscotch. It's reflective of the vintage in that it's not particularly heavily botrytized, or viscous, but it has a very pleasant deftness to it. It's sweet and has richness, but it's fresh with nice acid levels and displays a pleasant leanness. On the palate there's orange blossom, pineapple and crème brûlée flavors with a pleasant bitter candied orange peel note on the finish. A wonderful way to wrap up a very nice evening. A/A-.
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Still very young. Immediate nose of hazelnuts and briouche. While the 97' is showing well now the 96' is a few years from really strutting itself. This is enjoyable now but I's wait another 5 years at least.
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my first y'quem. good sauternes, nice aromas of honey, peach, apricot, roasted almonds. viscous, with sweetness that is balanced by nice structure. a lingering finish. however, not a revelation for me. perhaps other vintages are a little more profound?
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1996 Chateau d'Yquem opens to exotic scents of honey coated, apricots, vanilla, white peaches, flowers, roasted nuts, orange rind and pineapple. This rich, sweet, thick, full bodied wine is filled with honey drenched, tropical fruit with the perfect amount of acidity to give it lift. Still young, another decade will add a lot to this stunning Sauternes.
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This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The (half) bottle was kindly provided by Frank Noble. Medium gold, it shows a very intense nose of honeysuckle, white flowers, minerals and (a whiff) of caramel. Full-bodied and quite viscous on the palate, with medium acidity and flavors in line with the nose. The full middle leads to a very long, unctuous finish. This is certainly beautiful now, but I cannot appreciate the Botrytis that characterizes the great vintages. That said, time in the bottle will likely result in a higher score. Drink 1/15-12/30.
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Dinner at Pierre Gagnaire (Pierre Gagnaire, Rue Balzac, Paris): As always with d'Yquem, this was a really nice wine, but I certainly would not put this alongside the better vintages of recent times. It started off a bit strange, with a whoosh of volatile, high-toned scents, a bit of glycerine there too. With a bit of air and a few gentle swirls, this died down and the wine began to show lots of candied orange scents, some pineapples, sultanas, figs, lots of honey, a touch salted caramel, tiny bits of earth, some coconut, all-in-all a lovely, complex nose, just on the cusp of maturity. The palate had a lovely, almost Barsac-like freshness to it, a reflection of the vintage perhaps, along with nice flavours of sweet baking spices, Christmas-cake-like stuff - cinamon, nutmeg, cloves - and lots of lovely dried fruit tones, some figs, apricots I thought, and then bits of caramel and toffee. Definitely not the richest or most opulent of d'Yquems, but it did have a nice sense of energy and focus, and a fresh, bright finish with lots of spice, dried flowers, maybe pear, all lingering away in the mouth. An early drinking vintage, very approachable, but I would give this at least 5 more years to put on a bit more complexity. Overall, excellent without quite being exciting or profound - quite an achievement though when one considers the vintage. Very enjoyable.
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Le vin titre 14%. La robe est d’un doré très alléchant. Le nez est très complexe sur des arômes de pêches jaunes et d’abricots. En bouche, c’est d’une densité inouïe, superbe rétro-olfaction avec en prime de belles notes crème brûlée. C’est au niveau de la finale que ça se passe… C’est définitivement la signature du Château d’avoir cette finale aérienne qui survole tout et qui persiste à tout rompre. Si je m’aventure dans le jeu des comparaisons, j’oserais peut-être dire au risque de me tromper à y regoûter qu’il est moins dense que Climens 2003 mais nettement plus long. Finale vraiment incomparable. Pour avoir bu 2002, 1998 et maintenant 1996 tous en demie bouteille, j’oserais le mettre devant le 1998 pour sa plus grande puissance et sa finale qui persiste davantage encore et j’aurais de la difficulté à départager 2002 et 1996 puisque le 2002 bénéficiait sûrement de l’aura de la première expérience. Grand vin sur toute la ligne. 96-97.
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My first Yquem. Pale gold color. Great range of fruit to the nose, apricots and lemons most strongly, but also orange, pear, peach. There's some creamy vanilla/caramel too, and just a hint of botrytis. In the mouth this has nice weight and is quite pure. Nicely balancing acidity, with a lovely creaminess underneath. Very nice finish. Lacks a bit of power/intensity I would have imagined in a Yquem. This still drinks quite young and I imagine it will improve.
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Way too young, but had to try it. Truly excellent, once the heat & petrol blew off. Drank over two ads and was magnificent on second day. Honey, peach, & cream, this wine is dessert.
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The worst of the night and the worst d'Yquem I have ever tasted! Disappointing! Medium gold colour. Full body. Too sweet and apart from the sweetness there were hardly any other things in it. Don't know why.
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A wine bursting with exoticism (think mangoes, honey, rockmelon and paw paw), there are notes of marmalade and a little wood spice. It is quite a lush, forward Yquem with excellent length and as delicious as it is now you just feel its decades from its apogee. It went beautifully with a pre-dessert of concentrated passionfruit jelly and Sauternes foam AT London’s Ledbury restaurant.
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This bottle was in pristine shape; opened about 30 minutes prior to service. A beautiful light yellow-gold color. Aromas of candied white fruits, orange marmalade, flowers, and creme brulee. Medium-bodied, with off the charts levels of concentration, richness and flavor, but certainly no sense of heaviness. Excellent purity, focus and grip on the everlasting finish.
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Perhaps served a tad too warm, which enhanced its more treacly features, not the light feel associated with finer Yquems - fared poorly versus its 1997 brethren but still a delightful glass.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Another great Yquem with little to no signs of age. Nutty, petrol, classically styled. Such great purity and length. Lip smackingly good. White peach apricot. So good. What more can I say. This IS the best dessert wine in the world.
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Hmm, Dette var for meg nærmest en ubeskrivelig opplevelse. Noen inntrykk er likevel på sin plass. Farge mørk gull/lys karamell på farge. Lukt av tropisk frukt dominert av godt moden ananas Smak av intens fruktighet med en vanvittig konsentrasjon (Her la jeg bort "notatblokka" og lot meg forføre av vinen). Munnfølelse og lengde var overveldende. Smaken satt i en time+, og det selv etter espresso og snus... Servert til Selbu blå, rugbrød og valnøtter i akasiehonning
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Ikke notater ved drikking men: gullgul, aprikos og annanas muiddelbart. Etter en stund mer brente elementer. Mandler og fat. Deilig harmonisk i munn. Lang. Luktet på dråpene i flasken flere dager. Utviklet seg. Mer mot brente aromaer. Likte den best den første stunden. 95 p etter minnet.
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Lots of botrytis funk, along with apricot marmalade. Very rich, full bodied, and exquisitely balanced with good acidity. Good spice as well. Still painfully young and I think it has its best days ahead of it. An excellent and intense but not mind-blowing sauternes.
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Aaaaaaaaaagh! The first corked Yquem that I've ever had, and may it be the last. Bought from a wine shop in Australia, I had not tried the 96 so I decided to try a half bottle. Baggy and corked, I kept coming back to it, hoping that breathing would improve it. Of course it did not. Obviously Yquem underneath but so contaminated that I kept shaking my head in disbelief. Mamma mia! [Top marks to the wine shop for replacing the wine without hesitation]
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Bubendum 2009 EP tasting You show up expending to try very young very difficult primeurs and in a nice corner lies liquid gold. How nice of them to show up with lots of 1996 nectar. Hats off. Ok still young for an yquem but still the quality shows. Very elegant and not overly sweet. Give it time.
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Store Four Cooking Demo (Store Four): Rich, low acidity. A very nice dessert wine. Tastes pretty much like a good Sauterne. Maybe this was a case of having too high of expectations. 92-93
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Honey, vanilla, and ripe tropical fruits on the nose. White pepper as well. Great richness on the palate with a long finish. Medium weight, very nice balance, though I would like a touch more acid. Very nice as always.
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Wow. Where to begin. Even on the initial pour the aromas are shocking. It is difficult to describe, besides being Yquem. Notes of caramel and egg custard, the muskiness of Yquem, hints of caramelized sugar. On the palate, dried tropical fruit, brown sugar, caramel, and an immense sweetness that is perfectly counterbalanced by the (somehow) intense acidity. The mouthfeel isn't quite as round as the '95, and this one feels a little more angular. The finish goes on to eternity.
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Lots of petrol and rubber tire on nose. Honeysuckle on front palate, but then turns to burnt sugar and strong maple syrup. Over the top sweet, but not cloying thanks to the acidity.
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A superb finale to Christmas day lunch with the pud and alter with sweets. Shared with family. So RICH yet light and syrupy all at the same time, so much full flavour of almonds and honey with the nougat there too, just delicious. Still young and poss too early to fully enjoy, but a wonderful treat.
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Vibrant gold colour. Dense fruity nose with apricot, vanilla and marzipan. Viscous, sweet succulent palate perfectly balanced by the lively acidity. Excellent botrytis flavours that develop for minutes in the mouth: intense sweet apricot, barley sugar and golden syrup. A lovely spicyness at the back of the throat. Incredibly long lingering honeyed flavour in the finish.
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Cindy's 30th Birthday Party (Chicago IL): Slightly dark golden color. Lots of vanilla up front with honeyed/burnt sugar with grilled pineapple. Notes of honeysuckle and lemon custard as well. Very lush on the palate with great minerality and refreshing acidity. A leaner style Yquem that I enjoy best when paired with a dessert rather than on its own.
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A Jeroboam of this is nearly not enough, it is just so scrummy. There's coconut ice, mango and tropical fruits. It is honeyed yet so precise and detailed. Those who like timing length may struggle with this one, as the batteries in the stop watch may run out before the last of the flavour disappears.
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10-15 years old Bordeaux blends from around the world (My place): Amber golden color. Delicious nose with dried fruits, apricots, raisins, sultanas, honey and coconut shavings. Very sweet on the palate with loads of dried and exotic fruits, apricots, pineapple and sultanas. An oily or syrupy mouth feel that hangs for a long time with some spicy notes. However what really brings this around is the cleansing and refreshing acidity that balances out the sweetness.
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NSMFOW June '09--Thirtheeth Anniversary Dinner (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Color light brown sugar. Beautiful nose and palate of tropical fruits, marmalade, creme brulee, spices that all seemed to swirl around at the same time with incredible density. It was so good it was almost overwhelming. Beautiful acidity to balance. This seems in a good place between some of the secondary characteristics while still possessing some of its youthful sweetness. My first D'Yquem. Brought by Craig & Margaret.
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Golden color. A more advanced nose than I would have expected, but still classic Yquem aromas. Honeyed tropical fruits, primarily pineapple, some guava, with white flower. Very rich palate with a medium plus body. Not a lot of acid. A very good Yquem, but not profound.
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Some more mature caramel-type overtones starting to emerge, and losing the brightness a younger wine would have. Characteristic tropical fruits. Viscous, gummy quality though not as much of the botrytis character as d'Yquem sometimes shows. Very good.
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White Truffle Dinner (Chez Patrick Sun Street, Hong Kong): Light gold colour. Restrained nose of warm hazelnuts, creme brulee and vanilla with emergent hints of honey and burnt orange marmalade. Gorgeous on the palate- it is incredibly well made and promises a lot for the future. I have never drank a reticent D'Yquem before.............but I'd love to try this again in a few more years.
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Needs time and coaxing. From a half bottle. Try again in 5 years, but this is very good considering it was thought of as an "OK" vintage. Has the balance to gain a couple more points with time.
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Drank with Camille for anniversary dinner, and paired with Lobster roll, prawn dumpling and scallop, as well as Brie and dried fruit. Paired well with everything, but best with seafood, especially lobster roll. Deep golden color. Powerful nose of botrytis, lemon curd, pineapple, caramel and mango. Tasted just like it smelled, with marmalade, and lemon curd flavors being predominant, with a long finish of caramel and lemon curd ~60s. On the second night, the nose was very much pineapple driven, with lots of creamy caramel and less lemon curd than before. Huge acidity expands on the mid palate, with a demererra sugar finish.
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Much better than a bottle I had in 3/05. Golden yellow in color. Aromas of almonds, burnt sugar, acacia flowers and tropical fruits. Silky, tongue-coating fruit in the mouth with great depth and very fine acidity. Superb structure and length. A wine of extraordinary balance and a joy to drink.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Cheval Blanc at Heidi's (Heidi's, Minneapolis): From half bottle. Deep amber color. Nice flavors of apricots and butterscotch. Nice botrytis. Good minerality and length, but the acid comes across as a touch high. This too was closed down and tough to evaluate.
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Cheval at Heidi's: Popped and poured. Classic Yquem nose of citrus fruit and honey. Very reserved and lacking the exotic tropical fruit notes of the best Yquems. On the palate this is thick and mouth-coating with good flavor intensity but compact flavor expression. Pretty well balanced but maybe lacking a bit of acidity (the wine tasted flat).
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good golden color. nose full of glycerine and orange-tangerine. some burnt honey, as well. palate is smooth and not overly sweet - a plus. just a little harshness on the back palate. finish is wonderful and comes together nicely with wood, fruit and glycerine. just a little short on the finish.
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Yellow in color, with a golden core. Very aromatic nose with scents of candlewax, tropical and candied fruits. A hint of burnt sugar also. Full-bodied, rich, silky, plenty of glycerin and spicy botrytis. Flavors of abricots, nectarine, orange marmelade, honey and almonds. The finish lasts over 50 sec. Still young and powerfull!!!
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Though my experience with Yquem is limited to this and the '99, this bottling seems unbelievably focused by comparison to the '99 and to the other Sauternes that I've had. There's a lovely spine of acidity that holds together all of the candlewax, honey, orange citrus, and the other tropical fruits. It has that slight snap of peppery petrol that I like so well. (Or maybe it's engine oil, as the Baron says. Either way, I love it.) This just shows great balance and precision throughout; it's never over-the-top. The finish may be slightly shorter than the one on the '99, but overall I'd give this vintage the clear edge. Pure excellence.
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medium yellow colour. nose of apricots, honey and something even resembling engine oil (!). More honey and orange marmelade on the palate. Exquisite. One can only imagine what this will be like in, say, ten or fifteen years´ time.
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Yquem Tasting (Robersons Wine, London): Light-medium gold, showing clear oak on the nose, sweet ripe pear tarte tatin. Very rich with fat fruit, fresh with tight acidity, much more layered than the 1991, just a little brash and wild now. Shows great potential.
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1.5L - gift from Dad, Christmas 2004 Full yellow color. Forward aroma of briary yellow fruit. Spciy white/yellow fruit with good stuffing. Strong botrytis note on the very long finish. Will improve greatly with time. 10/05
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Following Paul here but we were at the same dinner. This wine was medium yellow without any golden tones. It did not have the weight and seamless structure of the great d'Yquems but it drinking very well now. It lacks the acidity to hold for the very long term. On the other hand a day with d'Yquem is a very good day. Served with a lovely foie gras dish. I just love the stuff.
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Wine Cask Futures Off-line Dinner (Wine Cask, Santa Barbara, CA USA): Medium yellow-straw color. Mild nose of botrytis and apricots. Pleasantly sweet and moderately viscous with a medium long finish, but seems to lack the acidity and structure necessary for greatness. An early-drinking d'Yquem, not one for the ages.
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Wine Icons tasting with Sarah Ahmed/Oddbins Fine Wine (Alba Restaurant, London): Medium-deep yellow-gold/amber, distinct legs. Quite restrained nose with notes of marmalade, honey and a floral hint of honeysuckle. Incredible mouthfull of intense, candied fruits, caramelised apple, great acidity, long cutting finish. Not quite as concentrated as expected.
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Setting: University Club / Clive Coates - post dinner - post Clive Appearance: bright, medium intensity liquid gold core, green flecks Nose: clean, medium-high intensity, honeycomb, caramel notes, vanilla, nectarine (AKA white peach - Bellini), concentrated and very unctous, some VA lift Palate: medium+ sweet, higher acidity, average+ alcohol, lower-medium oak level with medium tannin level, full fat and round body with long finish, tons of fruit with very good balance, flavour profile of light toffee Comments: we waited until Clive Coates retired for the evening before committing infanticide.....this wine is only about 50 years shy of maturity! "like an angel peeing on your tongue" - thanks again to Tim!
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Medium yellow. Notes of burnt walnuts and lemon peel. Also hints of melon. Great oily feel in the mouth, with abricot flavours and impressions of grated orange peel. There’s a nice beam of acid right up the middle, and this preserves the freshness of the wine. The finish is medium long.
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5/8/2024 - vetlehs Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep amber. Pronounced with aromas of dried apricots, dried mango, raisins, baked citrus, french boulangerie, croissants, pastry, caramel, honey, almonds, hazelnuts, marzipan, chocolate. Sweet, high acidity, low alcohol, full bodied. Pronounced with taste of dried apricots and mango, raisins, baked citrus, orange peel, croissants, bread crust, caramel, honey, almonds, marzipan, hazelnuts and chocolate. Very very long.
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4/6/2024 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
4th of 12th splits. About a month since my last bottle. This continued to open and improve in glass over 5 hours until my patience and one glass ran out lol. This is a well balanced mouth coating hedonistic wine. This must be in or near its prime with decades ahead of it. I would suggest a long decant on this. This paired well with quinoa salad over lunch.
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4/3/2024 - wineton.mee wrote: 95 Points
This is just about as consistent as a wine can actually get, with layers after layers of flavours; creme brulee, passion fruit, toffee caramel, honey and a ton of acidity to carry that big voluptuous and viscous body. This is the kinda stuff that can last forever.
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3/10/2024 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 94 Points
7th bottle from a case being consumed since 2012 or so. As an Yquem lover, I vacillate between scoring this based on my love for Yquem or its merits relative to other Yquem vintages. I'm going to do the latter and propose that this falls short of classic Yquem from great vintages. It's very good but not outstanding or transcendent.
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3/3/2024 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
5 weeks from my last bottle. This was far superior to the 2001 Rieussec we drank along with it. I’d like to think this is in its prime with a very long runway. This was accessible upon opening but developed nicely throughout the evening. This never disappoints.
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1/27/2024 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
5 weeks since my last bottle. This would benefit from an hour in the decanter and then it’s quite inviting and delicious. Probably not in its prime but delicious nonetheless.
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1/6/2024 - stivo wrote: 93 Points
half glass given by somm
Mineral sweet
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12/26/2023 - Morrisson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yquem est toujours une belle expérience et ce 96 n’a pas fait exception à la règle. Vin d’une grande complexité, l’on y reconnaît des saveurs de noix, miel, abricot. Le nez est invitant avec un léger fond de fumé. L’acidite est encore bien balancé, ce qui nous donne encore un bon sentiment de fraîcheur et coupe un peu sur le sucre. Magnifique!
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12/17/2023 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
A pop and pour from split after a long day of drinking poolside with friends. Still a big but well balanced wine with a muted finish. I usually decant these and I still recommend this being decanted to appreciate the full breadth this has to offer. Keeps getting better and can be enjoyed now with plenty of air and will drink well for an exceptionally long time… 2100 perhaps. Revisit 2025.
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9/28/2023 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Rubber and honey.
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9/28/2023 - TWSA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose: rubber, vanilla cake, hints of dried coconut
Notes: the typical d'yquem nose is present but the palate is quite adorable. Quite smooth and I guess this should be quite ready for consumption now. I am not a big fan of dessert wines but I can appreciate this and certainly this is quite well made.
Drink: now till god knows when
Rating: 91
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8/5/2023 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
1996 Rhone and Burgundy (Bronte): Deep colour, quite developed.
Honey , vanilla , sweet fruit and toast.
Refined structure , slippery , creamy, delicious flavours .
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6/29/2023 - RayOB Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at 67
Has this got even better. Wonderful
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6/29/2023 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gorgeous, deep amber nectar. Caramel, butterscotch, mature aged marmalade, marzipan, dried apricot. Great balance of freshness and richness. Very long finish and huge multi layered complexity. Drinking beautifully now, will go on forever.
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4/21/2023 - Philolesen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose: Hints of dried tropical fruits, but mostly brown sugar, prunes, very ripe dark berries. Some sherry character as well on the nose.
on the palate the wine showcased incredible depth however, for my personal taste I think the wine was a bit too "heavy" compared to the 2013 which I preferred due to the freshness.
The color looked really well so I don't think the wine had any flaws I guess my personal reference is just more towards the fresher wines. Luckily Yquem is already incredible delicious with only a few years of age.
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3/25/2023 - WST Likes this wine:
Mademoiselle d'Yquem, meet monsieur Foie Gras.
Classy; walks the line between fresh and mature. Botrytis is strong here. Honey, candied apricots, plus...
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3/4/2023 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
No notes taken. A quintessential Yquem, very clean, complex, precise with superb saffron, spices, apricots and quince at the core, very fresh with a bright and round acidity, further citrus freshness and with no excess weight or cloying texture. The balance is impeccable. There are other vintages with more aromatic depth but this is pure enjoyment and should keep improving for a few decades.
Decanting: No decanting was needed from this coravin-ed bottle. Not sure how that translates to unopened bottles.
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12/23/2022 - LW31 Likes this wine:
Lovely with foie. A bright and deep vintage. Not the first word in complexity but a pleasure all the way. Drink now
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11/15/2022 - bradfgross@gmail.com wrote: 97 Points
Deep gold color. Coravin'ed a 750ml bottle for my wife and I to taste for our anniversary tonight. Elegant and still very powerful. Not the absolute most complex d'Yquem ive ever had but packs a punch. Tropical fruits on the front palate, slightly medicinal on the back palate, very long finish. Needs time in the glass. Can certainly sit this down another 5+ without the slightest worry, maybe longer. Outstanding.
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11/13/2022 - lifebreath wrote: 94 Points
Great pop and pour, but really shines after an hour or more exposure to air and coming up to near room temp, at which point the apricots and peach cinnamon tart emerged!.
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9/8/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
1996 Dinner...Top Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux (Park Ridge Country Club): Complex and layered with dried and fresh apricot along with a touch of something tropical. Very good now.
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9/3/2022 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
No notes taken. Although not as much complexity as in the best vintages, this Yquem shined bright with the most wonderful and highly precise saffron aroma with quince, apricot and citrus underneath. As always, the other highlight is the superb finesse, elegance, the light, ethereal frame. This easily eclipsed the Rieussec from the better Sauternes vintage of 1988 in the next glass. 94/95 pts
Decanting: Good from the go but, an hour or two in the decanter likely won’t hurt.
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9/2/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 96 Points
Tasted at Le Clarence in Paris. Incredibly precise and layered with saffron, dried apricot, several layers of sweet spices. Such elegance and lightness, outstanding in its freshness with along with the creamy texture forms a near-perfect palate.
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7/10/2022 - Thief Likes this wine: 96 Points
Apricot, marzipan, almonds and quince jam. Not super sweet and with lots of minerality to balance the sweet tropical flavors. Stunning!
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6/25/2022 - ddemas wrote: 99 Points
Perfection! Happiness in a glass.
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6/23/2022 - timothynbond Likes this wine: 92 Points
25 mL Coravin pour at a restaurant. Transparent gold color. Orange marmalade on the nose with a subtle smokey undertone. Medium-plus body, medium-to-medium-plus acid. Wonderful richness with bitter orange peel, and orange syrup on the palate, and some dark chocolate coming out with air. This improved a lot over the short time I had it; would have been interesting to see the evolution of a full glass.
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6/23/2022 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
This keeps getting better. Needs a good 2 hours to open up in the decanter. Great balance and finish. Still needs a decade plus to reach prime. Decanting is a must.
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5/29/2022 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Light gold.
Gorgeous spice, honey, vanilla, peaches .
Drinking well now, deep and rich but glides across the palate. Creamy, beautiful flavours, vanilla, honey, peach and spice. Very long resonating finish.
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2/24/2022 - cephomer Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank last nite at OTB nite with the WWS crew. What a delightful way to end a lovely evening. Mandy supplied, and this wine is showing wonderfully!
I've tasted this before and notes are pretty consistent. Gold color still not particularly darkened yet. Honey, pineapple and apricots on the nose, along with some mustiness. Sweet, but with subtle hints of bitterness. Wide spectrum of flavors, and solid acidic core. Great balance, all elements very nicely integrated. Lovely, long finish that was a joy to savor. Great bottle.
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1/21/2022 - Philippe_C wrote: 93 Points
WOW nose of iodins, orangettes au chocolat, refreshing acidity…. Taste is very refined, dried orangettes, chocolate, nice balance, but still a bit too sticky to my taste.
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1/4/2022 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fortunate to try this wine twice in restaurants. The first time was in 2010 and now again at the end of 2021. I do not have my 2010 tasting note but recall it being remarkably good. In 2021 this is still very fresh and youthful and has started to develop a deeper amber coloring (to be expected) but no where close to dark amber. This leans more to the citrus side of the spectrum than the apricot / stone fruit / melon that I noticed in the 1986 vintage. Excellent overall.
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12/20/2021 - Fftjr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Final wine of our tasting. Outstanding. Golden silky. A mouthful of excellent
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12/15/2021 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 92 Points
Way to young still. Has a promising future though. This needs a long decant right now. Should reach prime on 15 years and hold forever.
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11/12/2021 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 97 Points
I'm not a big fan of mellow whites, but this bottle has convinced me that I have to equip myself with beautiful Sauternes.
Slightly amber color.
Magnificent nose, caramel, orange peels and honey.
In the mouth, the freshness is striking. The attack is sweet on apricot and vanilla. The juice is massive, but the wine is not heavy, it is quite the opposite, it remains almost evanescent thanks to a superb acidity which stretches all in length the wine whose balance is perfect between a still very fruity juice and a remarkable length in the mouth. Nothing saturates in this wine, on the contrary, it is airy.
Great floral and almost spicy finish that ends on an endless honeyed length.
That's wonderful!
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10/27/2021 - FEDEVIDAL Likes this wine: 99 Points
Evidentemente no se abre una botella asi un día cualquiera, fue en ocasión de una comida familiar que se inició con un Pierre Gimonnet Special Club 1999, siguió con un Chateau Grand Corbin Despagne 2000 y culminó con este maravilloso vino. Se decantó una hora.
Presentó un color cobre muy oscuro. El aroma es sublime y difícil de describir simplemente porque tiene de todo, por decir, algo de fruta blanca de hueso, cítricos, piel de naranja, miel, avellanas y nueces, especies orientales, gengibre, caramelo y un sinfín de otros elementos que sin duda se me escapan. La boca es también prodigiosa, hay un equilibrio extraordinario, una acidez perfecta, longitud y profundidad, tensión en boca, intensidad. Ligeramente dulce, en definitiva extraordinario y además perdura varios minutos.
He tenido ocasión de tomar de vez en cuando algún Yquem , como por ejemplo las excelentes dañadas de 1980 y 1955, y otras y creo que este vino supera el concepto de añada porque siempre emociona, cualquier añada en cualquier momento. Aquí no hay añada sólo Yquem.
Pocos vinos han producido tanta literatura: Fréderic Dard lo define como “luz bebida”, y añade : “después de un sorbo de Yquem el tiempo sigue siendo de Yquem”. Y Julio Verne dice : “El desayuno fue tan alegre y copioso que Edmond hizo beber a sus amigos un cierto Lur Saluces del que sólo se podía hablar de pie y descubierto…” François Mauriac expresa : “los veranos de antaño queman en las botellas de Yquem…
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10/26/2021 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with the wine group (Zazie's, San Francisco): From 375mL. Golden, slightly lighter than the '97 Yquem along side it; intense aromatics with honey, baking spice, cardamom, deep and complex, orange peel; medium-full bodied, sweet but balanced immediately by vibrant medium-plus to high acidity, orange marmalade, medium-plus alcohol (14%); medium-plus finish. Excellent integrated youthfulness, not showing any oak of youth. Well balanced, quite a complex nose but holding back just a touch on the palate. A superb sauternes, and an excellent Yquem. 95+, will improve over the next 1-2 decades.
4 hours later in bottle: amazing balance, still wonderful acidity, delicious complexity. This was the star and has a ton of aging potential still.
Day 2: Nose is a bit less expressive than the '97 today, but still plenty to unpack with fruit, orange peel, spices, cardamom; palate is still higher acid than the '97, just by a bit but gives it a vibrant energy; finish is still medium-plus to long. 95+
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9/16/2021 - The Masked Sommelier Likes this wine: 98 Points
I'll give it 98 points because it is the wine closest to perfection I've tasted. Cannot compare to other Yquem that may be 100-point perfect.
There is just too much going on on the nose and palate, all inbperfect balance. Still lots of freshness, it will last for many more years. Too bad it was my only bottle.
Yqyem is a once in a lifetime experience that any sommelier/wine lover should have.
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9/5/2021 - melvinyeowq wrote:
Yvelin's birthday; 9/5/2021-9/6/2021: Good, but not as stunning as the 1985 I had a couple years ago. Classic Sauternes notes of honey, apricot, some orange peel, but that was my problem as it does not transcend a typical Sauternes.
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9/4/2021 - oldwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fish and Fire by Shane (Chateau Lea, New Jersey): Recently acquired from a reputable retailer who stores at cellar temperature. Decanted about 2 hours before serving at cellar temperature, from 375ml bottle. Served with grilled peach and whipped ricotta. Marvelous pairing. Dark caramel color, seemed a little more advanced than I might have expected but no worse for the wear. Fragrant, lightly smokey caramel and stone fruit on the nose. Palate is more distinctly apricot and vanilla with superb acidity and just the right amount of sweetness. Not the best Ch. d’Yquem I have had but delicious, equaled or maybe slightly surpassed by the 2000 Ch. Rieussec we also had with dessert.
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8/19/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
As one taster noted "there is dessert wine, and then there is Yquem." Followed by another taster "there is wine, and then there is Yquem."
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8/12/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sweet but not oversweet. Drank from 750. Long mode ahead. Incredible right now!
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7/25/2021 - gediminasbielskus Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very impressive wine. Candied oranges, pecans, orange marmalade, honey, a light spice similar to clove but not as intense. Beautiful mid palate intensity and quite fresh which I found very appealing.
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6/25/2021 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pronounced notes of honey, caramel, nutty, peach, apricot. High acidity and sweet.
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6/24/2021 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
From jero. Rubber and honey on the nose, unctuous orange marmalade palate.
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6/13/2021 - hsacks Likes this wine: 94 Points
A touch less fresh than the 4/5/20 bottle but still very complex and long on the palate.
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6/6/2021 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
Good time to drink now
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5/27/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 97 Points
It's the Big LX Birthday Bash: No Holds Barred (Minikahda Club, Mpls): Deep golden color. PNP, drank a glass over 45 minutes. What a fabulous way to cap off an evening of extraordinary wines. It always seems fitting when you can end a special occasion with d'Yquem. Its been six years since my last bottle and this was every bit as good and then some. The thing about d'Yquem is that combination of tangible and intangible qualities that sets it apart. Maybe more simply put it's about balance. There is always that close to perfect juxtaposition of sweet vs. tangy and light vs. heavy and elegance vs. power. This was another ethereal wine on a night of special wines. The fruit strikes you for its purity; nectarine, stone fruits, delicate tropical notes, tart mango, honey, spiced peach tarts, candied oranges, Tahitian vanilla, white flowers, all with that amazing lift and brightness. Nothing overtly heavy or dense, the spices playing against the medium bodied framework as everything is dancing in synchrony and the finish vividly drifts off into your memory. Great wine and really, for me, probably in the best place in its evolution. Though this has a long, long life ahead, and I certainly enjoy all the stages along the way to those deep dark beauties; this stage has that perfect blend of all that I love in Sauternes.
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5/7/2021 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
Lunch beyond Superlatives (The RAC, London): By half bottle.
It’s been a decade since we had this last ( Papies 94) and was truly a joy to cross paths with it again and we really hope to be lucky to try it in the future too.
Liquid gold is what this wine is and always a mesmerising experience. Dark in colour but still bright, apricots, honey, soft caramel. The acidity though keeps this wine light in a way and is not heavy or difficult on the palate. Really impressive and an experience as always. Easy 96
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5/6/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine: 97 Points
I will keep this short as very little needs to be said about this wine. I love it and i love nearly every vintage ive ever had ( with the 1945 being the kingpin) and so 96 is no exception. A classic vintage with decades and decades to go despite this half bottle at 25 years of age still drinking so beautiful. No one needs to be in a rush. Give it 25 more years and let it shine at half century. i suspect the older it gets the higher the score
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4/28/2021 - schan109 Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP. Very nice pineapple, tropical fruits, rich honey and apple pie. Long finishing. Consistent quality and very approachable.
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4/27/2021 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Touch of rubber, prefer more actually. Good balancing acidity all things considered.
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2/14/2021 - forgetmenot Likes this wine:
Drank from half bottle.
Paired with roasted ananas and vanilla ice cream. The pairing was magic, the ginger/vanilla syrup from the ananas in full harmony with the wine.
Nose of botrytis. The wine is both fresh and opulent. White peaches, mirabelle, marmelade. a hint of kerosene (...) on the finish which is very very long.
Plenty of saffron on the 2nd night.
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2/7/2021 - Thief Likes this wine: 95 Points
Concentrated tropical pineapple marmalade with some apricot and candied apple in the background. Definitely not overly sweet and with refreshing acidity that balanced the rich mouthfeel.
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1/22/2021 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 95 Points
PNP into Zalto Burgundy glass (“Fruit” day): Medium orange golden to the eyes.
Juicy stone fruits like apricots, very much florals driven and all finesse on nose. Really good spectrum of tea leaves and brioche.
Highly acidic, minerality, saline minerality. Very good grip or flavours, but this is a lot more lightweight in a nice way than most Sauternes if not all. Really good mid palate lift indeed.
As good as always. 94-95 points.
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12/27/2020 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Yquem, nice evolution already. Great today with a long future ahead.
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12/27/2020 - Get Real Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich golden colour. Extremely long finish with a variety of rich flavours including apricot, quince, caramel and Seville orange. None of the cloying sweetness of most dessert wines and in fact it didn’t work well with the sweet dessert we had - better on its own or with cheese.
When first opened (from magnum) it was a little closed but opened up in glass. Didn’t finish it on the night (although disturbingly close) so have tried the remainder over the following 10 days and while it is starting to oxidise it was probably at its most delicious in the last few days. Despite its bottle age I would definitely double decant if drinking again.
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11/21/2020 - tobyc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Intense golden colour. Med+ intense bouquet w. jammy and petroleum-like notes. Sweet, med acid, med+ body, highly intense, fat, oily but still fresh. Spicy w. preserved fruits. Long and persistent aftertaste. Overall, an incredible wine. Even in a mediocre vintage, this house shows why it is head and shoulders above the rest.
Drink or keep, but I would say it is at a very good place right now (November 2020).
My notes: petroleum, dried apricots, quince, jammy orange, rubber, honey, nuts, warm and sweet spices and flowers.
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10/3/2020 - GNBB wrote: 92 Points
In halves. Intense nose full of ripe apricots, gentle brioche, wonderful freshness. Palate is deep & intense with masses of fresh acidity superbly balancing intense stone fruits, donut peaches, honey, perhaps some light ginger and a gentle spice. Delightful. Drink now-2030+.
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9/5/2020 - drjb Likes this wine: 96 Points
At Esmay, Noosa Sound. While not at the top of the very tall Yquem tree this wine is a mature and graceful example of fine Sauternes with a bronze, orange colour and a nose of apricot, bitter orange, pineapple and honey. The palate reflects the characteristics on the nose but adds a touch of butter and creme brûlée into the fine persistent profile that lingers on and on. There is plenty of weight without perhaps the depth and grip of the best but its up there !
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9/5/2020 - Levantine wrote:
Beautiful rich elegant great length
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8/25/2020 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with last note
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7/11/2020 - drjb wrote: flawed
Corked !
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7/10/2020 - MAOC wrote:
Double decanted 4 hours pre serving which helped. This is a very good vintage for Yquem: pineapple, citrus, white vanilla notes, burnt sugar, medium honey, clear botyritis slightly spiced orange elements; excellent freshness and balance. ****1/2-*****
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5/28/2020 - Jammy Wine wrote: 94 Points
The 1996 Chateau d’Yquem is almost as good as the stunning 1997 d’Yquem. Great concentration with lifted scent of stone fruits, rich botrytis, elegantly integrated vanilla wood and toast.
Honied-orange peel, showing the classic d’Yquem fragrant of delicately layered honeysuckle, white flowers and gentle oak spices. This is young with good density. Good freshness to balance the weight. The purity is what makes d’Yquem stands out in Sauternes. Though d’Yquem will soon face quite a few competitions.
94/100
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4/22/2020 - GNBB wrote: 94 Points
In halves. Deep golden in colour. Great balance on the wine - still really fresh with deep honeysuckle, rich apricots and vanilla. Absolutely delightful. Drinking now-2030.
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4/5/2020 - hsacks Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep orange-gold color. Beguiling aromas of burnt sugar, honey, botrytis and almonds. Very intense but well-balanced fruit in the mouth with great complexity, depth and length. Very thick and lingering on the palate. Still in its peak drinking period at 24 years of age in half bottle. A memorable wine to commemorate and savor at the 3 week anniversary of our stay at home due to the Caronavirus.
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12/26/2019 - dhwesley wrote:
Just superb. Inviting nose and on the tongue, herbal and honeyed without cloying sweetness. A minutes-long finish which evolves through flavors of vanilla, coconut and citrus. Paired perfectly with a roquefort. Well worth the wait.
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12/18/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich citrus fruit, peaches, caramel, and honey. Medium to full bodied, well balanced, and a long finish. 93-94
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11/26/2019 - natap Likes this wine: 95 Points
Farbe: dunkelgeld
Geruch: exotische Früchte, Honig, Holznoten, Safran, Curry
Geschmack: süss-sauer, Aprkose
Gesamteindruck: super Wein, gute Trinkreife
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11/1/2019 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
lovely, a bit evolved already with color just a bit darker from half bottle
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9/27/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Part of a long d'Yquem line-up (we paired an entire meal with the wines). Didn't take detailed notes. Had this in a line-up with other 90's ('93, '95, '98) and I'll say it didn't totally jump out at me. Still very good and definitely quite sweet and intense, but some of the others were a bit different either because they added some spicy or they added some higher acid or whatever. This instead to me felt very classic in it's d'Yquem. Which of course is never a bad thing - always a great wine.
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9/23/2019 - curtr Likes this wine:
At an early place on the drinking plateau. A restrained style that can use some time to develop.
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8/26/2019 - Jammy Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
The 1996 Chateau d’Yquem is not the most famous vintages of d’Yquem, it doesn’t have the botrytis intensity of 1997 nor the sweetness (still 122g/L!), but the 1996 is a graceful d’Yquem with lovely drinkability and charm. Honied nose of nectarine, pineapple, spiced citrus peel and delicate botrytis. Good richness, medium weight in the Sauternes scale. Very young and will age for many decades. (95/100) (1 point up from last bottle)
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8/18/2019 - Gruffalius Likes this wine: 98 Points
Rich and luscious and yet it maintains just a light sweetness. Amazing. Impeccably balanced.
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7/31/2019 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 97 Points
From half bottle, served blind. Gold and Amber hues. Such balance. Creme brulee. Burnt caramel. D'Yquem does sweet wines like no other. Zero issues with this being icky or too sweet. Just perfect. Such balance and a great pairing with Foie Gras. Served by DrK at Cilantro.
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5/4/2019 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful wine that is at its peak right now. I don’t see this wine getting better than it already is and it is drinking fabulous now. Orange marmalade and a little almond. Drink up and enjoy. Will be purchasing another bottle or two.
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5/2/2019 - Ms. Bubblehead Likes this wine:
Half bottle format. Had it along with crepe suzette dessert, which was perfect match. Honey roasted nuts, marzipan, candied apricot, caramelised peaches, it was medium to full body, quite rich in structure and offered good complexity in flavours
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2/9/2019 - dbg wrote:
Pichon Baron and more (Dino's Grotto, DC): Perfect cork and fill. From a half bottle, pop and pour and drunk over an hour. Light-medium gold. Enveloping nose of peaches, honey, flowers, crème brûlée, medium body, intense on the palate, still plenty of sweetness, excellent balance, medium longfinish, excellent to outstanding.
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12/23/2018 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 97 Points
in perfect drinking shape
floral notes apricots and an elegant sweetness
tons better than 1995 which was a menthol laden mess
first try with a foie gras pairing that was near perfect pairing
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12/16/2018 - ttholst wrote: 93 Points
0,375. Ananas, aprikos, marsipan, litt brent karamell og snev av plastelina.
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12/14/2018 - Yassine23 Likes this wine:
From half bottle in Enomatic. Very intense aromas of apricot, kernel, marzipan, almond, honey, marmalade, rye bread, smoke and saffron. Unctuous on the palate and very long finish.
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11/3/2018 - Ispendtoomuchmoneyonwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very dark varnish color. Sweet honey apricot caramel excellent wine. Ready to drink
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10/8/2018 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Curnonsky dinner. Light, airy. Love the energy.
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8/26/2018 - wineforth Likes this wine: 95 Points
My 7th note on this wine over 10 years. Early notes averaged 98 when the wine was fresh and had layers of complex flavours. Now coming out of a phase where the wine seemed a little simple. Thick cut orange marmalade, vanilla, apricot and lychee, good balance, and very long finish. Excellent
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8/21/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux Wine Dinner (Wine Kitchen, SF): From a 375. Burnished orange; highly aromatic, orange peel, marmalade; palate still has medium sweetness and richness, medium to medium-plus acidity, still excellent remaining fruits, superb freshness; medium-long finish. Really great Sauternes and lovely Yquem, richer-styled for Yquem but well balanced, excellent length, just slightly less complex than the really top vintages. 95
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7/25/2018 - chatters wrote:
Holiday at Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld; 7/24/2018-7/25/2018 (Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld): Apricot jam, cream, butter, vanilla, touches of Wilkins Tiptree Tawny Marmalade, very, very slight truffled honey. More burnt orange on the palate, very long, apricot, vanilla, cream and honey play a supporting role. Luscious sweetness balanced against the acidity. Very good.
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6/19/2018 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 90 Points
Rackit picked up a half bottle from BK and shared it with me over dinner. Color was a deeper yellow with a bit of orange tint. Nose and palate was mostly apricot tart. Lots of fruit but lacked acidity, making it slightly cloying. I don't have enough experience to say if this was in an awkward phase, but it certainly was not the best d'Yquem I've had.
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6/17/2018 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very full bodied with lovely texture and weight. This d’quem feels like it’s built for a long life but is a little restrained compared to other d’yquems. That is not necessarily a bad think- in fact it might be quite good and result in a fascinating maturation. Flavors of peach, honey, nuts. Long finish.
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6/16/2018 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
During a walkabout/tasting dinner, so only brief impressions. Very nutty and on the sweet side, smoke, touch of oak and vanilla. A solid but not a great Yquem.
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6/15/2018 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner with Rob (ON Dining Kitchen & Lounge, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong): (From 375ml). Burnished copper-gold Seville marmalade colour. Nose is high-toned hand-hammered copper sheeting. Palate is so coppery, rich and ultra-deep, burnished and multi-dimensional....and then it evolves in the glass to an even higher plane of big multidimensional unfolding of multiple layers where things like 'Frank Coopers' burnt Seville marmalade and subtle Indian spices emerge from the depths. So sumptuous....not the most Botrytis-driven d'Yqeum and still a baby.....but so fab. Thanks Rob! By coincidence, my last tasting note was in 2008 and said to hide it away for 10 years ....but I'd probably still hide it away for at least another 5+ years.
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5/21/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
This had an intriguing pine resin quality that would normally be indicative of an older vintage, say '83? The apricot fruit was a little darker than I would have expected too. Still sensational drinking in any case, hard to score these wines as they are really in a category of their own.
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5/8/2018 - baxter67 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Shared among six of us at the end of a particularly fine dinner - second last of nine bottles. (Last was the 77 Warres). We all agreed this wine just gets better each time we drink it going back three years. The sweetness is tempered by a unique spiciness keeping it fresh. Superb. *****
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4/15/2018 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 97 Points
A serially under-rated Yquem. This is pitch perfect, with exotic apricots and a fine acidic cut, so never cloying.
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4/8/2018 - FrancoisD Likes this wine: 90 Points
fin 50aine de FD
normalement un point fort de la soirée, mais ce Yquem ne s'est pas démarqué.
Nez opulent où ressortent les confis
Cependant, les arômes imprécis comme si le sucre avait étouffé la grandeur habituelle d'un Yquem.
Overall, c'était comme un Sauternes ordinaire.
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3/7/2018 - Vinogan(s) wrote: 95 Points
Exotic fruit, pear, apricot, complex sweetness, not cloying whatsoever, a real treat! Yquem is in a league of its own, I guess.
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3/4/2018 - Kris G Likes this wine: 95 Points
very complex with honey, exotic fruit and abricot, it has a major sweet component but this is balanced out by its complexity, extreme long
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3/3/2018 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 95 Points
When one thinks of Sauternes, one often thinks about sugary, syrupy liquid.
Very often one or two glasses and your appetite is gone for a third one.
Well ... one should buy and uncork a bottle of Yquem.
This 1996 was opened at the end of a lovely tasting.
+ Color - I can only describe as liquid gold
+ Nose - apricot, honey, exotic fruit, yellow stone fruit, bees wax
+ Taste - very fine, very light, subtle and quite fresh for Sauternes
+ Finish - very beautiful, refined, sexy, and oh so very long !!!
We were four around the table and no issues to empty this bottle !!!
Previously I argued on the Yquem price setting, but worth every penny.
Need to start buying more !!!
Mathijs
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1/13/2018 - vintage52 wrote: 95 Points
Powerful aromatics, botrytis + apricots. Searing intensity, great mouth feel-oily richness plus vibrant acidity. wow! I expect it will keep for another decade or two, and still be in top form.
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1/9/2018 - wineamateur wrote:
A sleek and refined wine, deep gold in colour, bright, with subtle aromatics suggestive of spiced oranges, barley sugar, caramel and lots more. There's elegance and restraint on the palate, but power in reserve, and an intriguingly savoury sweetness. A wine that seduces without having to engage in obvious flattery.
Perfect with a bloc de foie gras de canard. The combination brought out the unexpectedly but not unattractively bracing acidity in the wine.
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1/1/2018 - skifree wrote: 95 Points
The compelling aspect of this wine was the piercing minerality on the finish. Deep golden color in the glass. Nose of beeswax, dried fruit especially apricot, and honey / lanolin. In the mouth, the dried fruit and honey are there at first, and then the acidity and dried fruits flavors coat the tongue. Then that finish kicks in, it goes on and on and on.....
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12/27/2017 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Huge nose of confit orange peel, fresh ananas, lychee, exotic peper... taste is fresh, full of ananas flavous... delicious!
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12/23/2017 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
With dessert at my place
Dinner with steve and eva
No tasting notes but was Very good
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12/16/2017 - robertek wrote: 94 Points
A solid and very good d'Yquem. Drink yesterday, today or any time in the next 30 years. That is d'Yquem for you. Thank you for this elixir.
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9/22/2017 - naradmuni wrote: 94 Points
The colour of a 'Rusty Nail' cocktail with a nose of wild flowers and honey. Absolutely gorgeous freshness, opulence and length on the palate - this stays with you a long time after you've drunk it. This is a magnificent wine which will keep getting better.
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9/15/2017 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Orangeconfit galore, here, intense, sweet, not as broad and embracing as other vintages, the candied fruit stand out, but the balance is still impeccable. #Kroun
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8/18/2017 - alanh13 wrote:
As before, good but muted and I've had much better Rieussec and Suduiraut before from other vintages and Tokaji too.
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6/29/2017 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Another dinner @ Christiansholm (Klampenborg): Orangepeel, candied fruit, some spice, coffee, a dark hue; not as good as the mindblowing 1990, that we drank not long ago, but still a very special treat. Seems more mature than the 1990 ...
#Schur
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6/14/2017 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
The Yquem dinner (Chicago, IL): From half-bottle. Going slightly younger, I thought that there was a little bit of oakiness on this wine, but it's in the form of some nice toasted coconut that melds so well with the Yquem profile (hell, that coconut is part of the profile). This is again a lighter wine, with a little more acidic cut than the 1986. Of the two, I preferred this a little bit more as it struck me as a more complete wine.
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5/16/2017 - eschaefer Likes this wine: 89 Points
Enjoyed it as usual but his particular bottle was purchased from a wine store in Cabo that was a most likely a little sketchy when it came to storage. The wine was very far along the amber color curve compared to other '96 I have seen. Still drank well. Honeyed apricot, mandarin and botrytis. Seemed a little flabby and not as balanced for d'yquem. Still delivered a memory for a lot of new folks trying it. Need to taste again to rate properly.
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5/14/2017 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
Huge orange blossom nose, bags of minerality, creme-brulee crisp. The depth, poise, and elegance are really impressive in 1996. I love some of the less-botyrized vintages of d'Yquem (96, 98) owing to their freshness and lift. This is no exception. Drinking just beautifully now and will age perfectly. Excellent after a 5 hour decant (from 375). 96-97
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5/6/2017 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big, somewhat austere for a Sauternes. Apricot, peach, light coconut creme, touch of cinnamon. Concentrated, complex but tightly wound. Drank without giving it much air and this probably needs more time to mature or some decanting before it's ready.
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4/16/2017 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
As before. Very consistent notes. However, my palate increasingly wants something a bit lighter...
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3/11/2017 - la turque wrote: 97 Points
From 375ml. Brought by MP. Lovely nose of apricots, coconut, tropical fruit, varnish. Gorgeous depth of fruit on the palate, with really great balancing acidity. Drinking now -- beautifully.
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2/19/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Tasted double blind, but clearly an amazing Sauternes and when MC2wines is in the house, pretty good bet it is d'Yquem. Definitely wine of the flight for me - and also the group. Just beautiful and balanced, honeysuckle, apricot, lemon, carmelized honey notes - yum!! My call was '01 d'Yquem.
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2/18/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Tampa Spring Break (the second); 2/17/2017-2/19/2017 (Various spots (homes, Mis en Place, Capital Grille)): Yum Yum Yum! I just love this wine. Perhaps this isn't my favorite of the years I've tried, but it's still such a wonderful light on it's feet and balance of sweetness and ever changing and just beautiful. Similar to the sauternes we tried last night I'd say the sweet is fading a bit and become now a bit more nutty. Just lovely. Could drink it all day. Was also surprisingly a great pairing with some shrimp and grits.
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2/7/2017 - maxima wrote: 94 Points
Bu avec Bulle, Meursault et Mike LM lors de notre traditionnel souper Super Bowl LI…avec une orgie de bouffe pour l’accompagner.
Le Yquem a été bu en début de dégustation pour avoir les papilles bien en forme et accompagné de foie gras et de fromage bleu Élisabeth.
2 très beaux accords en passant.
Nez intense et complexe, caramel écossais, tire éponge, un peu de vernis et de cire avec des pêches et des ananas.
En bouche, c’est ample, gras et tout simplement cochon. C`est bien équilibré, le sucre et l`acidité vont de pairs.
La pêche revient avec la tire éponge, des figues et des dattes aussi et un peu de fumée. Super long et délicieux.
Un GRAND vin encore une fois.
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1/30/2017 - skurtz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous golden honey and caramel. Apricot, cantaloupe. Superb balance, enough acid for balance. Enjoyable as an aperitif and with dessert.
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1/5/2017 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Holiday dinner organized by Ken Brown with many great wines! (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Lovely and pristine and far better than the 1999 as it displays far more focus and precision. There is a fine black tea aspect with hints of ginger. A lovely wine!
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12/31/2016 - KeyMaster Likes this wine:
Réveillon du jour de l'an 2016 (Maison): Excellent
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12/10/2016 - Ebrim Likes this wine: 95 Points
No proper, blind - golden color, developing, high viscosity,
Nose is high intense of apricot , pinapples, honey, lemon tart, nectar. Palate is lucious with high acidity, and intense with concentrated and complex palate. Outstanding quality, 95p
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11/22/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Apricot, orange marmelade, hints of lime, wild honey and floral notes trending to the darker side. Balanced, including fine acids on the palate, for its age. This will not really be truly pleasurable for at least a decade. 92-93+
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11/10/2016 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Havent written a note in a while but this wine compells me to. Shockingly intense and full of mint, peaches, honey, nutmeg and sweetness with just enough acidity. Clean but enormous in body. Wowza for a 96. Drank a 99, 02, 98, 95 recently and it kills all of them. 89 and 90 recently were in another league.
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10/24/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
Special bottle that was just delicious. Rich, pure and seamless. Coats the mouth without being heavy. You can feel the breed. Seems in a very good place tonight – neither youthful nor mature. (94)
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10/1/2016 - stefad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Au début de sa vie, une robe jaune or intense, des arômes de miel, d'orange ; une liqueur bien équilibrée par l'acidité et teneur en sucres mais encore trop jeune ! 92-93/100
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9/9/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 95 Points
GMs - 1995 Bordeaux Tasting: Mandarin, quince, apricot, orange, pear and lemon - striking how pure and detailed the nose is. The palate sparkles with that same purity and the sweetness sweeping through in a wave. Fine detail and special balance. Really excellent and age will only improve it more from here.
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8/5/2016 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark gold color. Intense nose of apricot, ripe peaches and honey. Full body, strong acidity that keeps everything in balance. Extremely long finish. Beautiful.
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7/30/2016 - 70Tondonia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted from half bottle. Light honey color with an orange tint. Full bodied with medium acidity. Apricots, honey, and some tropical notes. Slight bitterness from almonds and citrus rind on the long penetrating finish (25 sec+). While not overly complex, there is power and elegance in this wine. Drinking well now, but should continue to age gracefully from this point forward.
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7/20/2016 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
As before. Lots of apricot. Great acidity and balance
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6/12/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with Friends (French wines). Yquem, Cos, B2K 2nds and a few more. (University Circle): From a 375. Golden in color. The nose has nice peaches, honey, vanilla and creme brulee. On the palate, more fruit driven. Some complexity with honey and peaches layered. Slightly sweet. Amazing long finish. Beautiful end to a fun evening.
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6/11/2016 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
another great bottle - this is open now and very pleasant
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5/31/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Chardonnay Shootout (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Intense dried apricot with some tropical fruit and candied citrus peel. Very good concentration, but a elegant texture and weight that keeps this from seeming heavy or too sweet. Also open a week+.
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5/28/2016 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
Very consistent with prior notes. A classic Yquem
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5/14/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sexy and young, was a real stunner and held for weeks. Aromas of custard, peach, banana, and candied caramel corn. Lush and ripe on the palate with an thick oily weight, but also came across so light and feminine. Packed with wonderful purity of ripe yellow fruit flavors and baking spices. Really strutting and perhaps in perfect harmony. Decades of life ahead, but a real guilty pleasure now. Lip smacking yum!
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5/11/2016 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Three Flights, With Pairings (Red Barn, Santa Ynez): The best -- and most traditional -- of the flight, with tremendous freshness and youthfulness. Still a baby, with a somewhat simple palate for an Yquem, lacking the vibrant acidity I look for, similar to my last (non-blind) encounter with this.
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5/6/2016 - Dave Canada wrote: 93 Points
Dark gold
Nose of honey, creme brûlée, mint, lemongrass, marmalade, orange zest, white flowers, baking spice, and a really earthy, mushroomy aspect that is quite appealing.
Palate is quite viscous….This is a riper yquem with burnt brûlée, fig, date, honey, baking spice, flowers, orange marmalade, earth and mushroom.
Don't want to say that this is a touch cloying but I think that this really needs a bit more acid to bring it to a top tear yquem.
Finish is long
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4/11/2016 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Ao Yun wine launch dinner with Jean Guillame Prats (Marcel's Restaurant, Washington D.C.): This is a really good d’Yquem. Generous nose displaying sweet yellow and red fruits, apricot, mango, papaya, crème brulee, ginger candy, tea and honey. Excellent concentration, polished airy palate, good acidity and lovely long finish. The 96 is an always delicious d’Yquem.
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4/5/2016 - barolo300 Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a 375ml bottle. Incredible nose of marmalade, coconut, dried apricots. On the palate it is luscious, but not cloying. The acidity is still high and to be honest I would say the complexity doesn't yet warrant opening this. Wait 8-10 yrs imho... still, you won't complain.
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3/14/2016 - Bobhelge wrote: 96 Points
White Bordeaux and Sauternes/Barsac: Intense and concentrated caramelized sweet orange marmalade and lots of smokey aromas, fresh paint and botrytis. This wine is so deliciously complex and balanced with hay, dried figs, vanilla, caramel and smoke on the palate. Absolutely wonderful balance and length. The finished just stays on the palate forever..
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3/9/2016 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Same as ever...
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3/9/2016 - ETT95 wrote: 92 Points
Ex-chateau bought through F+R half a year ago. Golden yellow colour. Some tertiary notes like caramel and dried apricot are detectable at nose. Very rich flavors of tropical fruits like papaya and mango, fruity finish that last for more than 20 seconds. The only problem with this 1996 is that acidity is somewhat insufficient. On palate at the very end, the sweetness overtakes and becomes dominant. The 1996 is definitely richer, but the 1995 would be more balanced tho loghter.
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3/7/2016 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
this is getting very attractive - more vibrant than the 1995.
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2/26/2016 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with prior notes.
A pleasure as always.
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2/21/2016 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
Great. Lovely balance, great acidity. Never a chore drinking this.
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2/13/2016 - Deux Chevaux Likes this wine:
Deep golden. Fantastic nose, going on and on. Rich, balanced, totally lovely.
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1/17/2016 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was quite nice today with good sweetness, acidity and complexity, but is still very youthful and needs, in my opinion, considerably more time. I don't think I'll open another bottle for 10 years or so.
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1/16/2016 - Per-Harald Likes this wine: 96 Points
From a half bottle and that is the only negative with this wine, will probably not store as well as 0,75l bottles, a little (to) yellow, but a wonderful wine, oily, powerful, long long aftertaste of fruits, citrus, honey, and the wine sits in the mouth for several minutes, wow !
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1/5/2016 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
Rich golden in colour.
Lovely balance of sweetness, acidity.
Very enjoyable.
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12/21/2015 - mye Likes this wine: 95 Points
I've not an experienced Yquem drinker.. but i've had quite a few sauternes..
the tropical fruit mixed with almond/nuttiness of the nose, the honey nectar of the palate, balanced with just the right amount of acidity to keeps it fresh and lively.
Wow.. love love love.
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12/6/2015 - PC73 wrote: 93 Points
Yquem 96. Great showing. Lovely balance with great sweetness and acidity.
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12/3/2015 - skifree wrote: flawed
Opened at The Met with my friend Atlantean. I could tell this was not up to snuff, it was the sommelier Lance who picked up the TCH. had the last glass last night, it seemed more like D'Yquem to me.
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11/27/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Nose of honey and botrytis. Some mild mint. The palate is smooth and rich with banana baby food and some passion fruit. Delicious and long. Love it.
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11/22/2015 - empire80 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazing wine, even from a perhaps middling year. Tasted alongside some Coutet, which was delicious on its own but just got blown away when tasted together. a core of sweet orange is surrounded by a rainbow of subtle fruit and spice flavours which just goes on and on with the longest finish imaginable.
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11/13/2015 - FrancoisD Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bu avec Fred, fin de soirée bien arosée, mais on a su apprécier!
De loin le vin de la soirée
En relisant les notes sur le moême vin bu récemment, et comparant avec les notes d'hier, il y a une convergence impressionnante des impressions.
Ouverture sur le pamplemousse (léger), puis ce sont les abricots secs et touche de gingembre
Goût médicaments, camphre selon Fred. Foin humide
Longue finale sur la marmelade
Incroyable!
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11/9/2015 - S&A Likes this wine: 97 Points
Elegance .. the One and only.. Much Creme, unreachable staff!
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10/22/2015 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Drank at Otto's
This really is lovely and maturing nicely (see other notes). We had this with another Sauternes which Yquem blew away. Not fair really.
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10/16/2015 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
Why do people shell out big bucks for d'Yquem? Well, drink this and you will have a good clue. Unmistakable nuances of the signature petrol and wax will flirt with your senses while the delicate and mid bodied honey colored wine underneath it all charms you without letting go for a good minute. Perfect acidity for the weight and sweetness... Everything lovely, but the price (though this one is reasonably priced for the producer)...DRINK or HOLD
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10/10/2015 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
Classic. Great balance.
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10/4/2015 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Gaja Charity Dinner & Tasting for HealthServe (Taberna, Bukit Merah): A lovely end to dinner. After so many magnums on the evening, it was a bit of a surprise to see the d'Yquem come in two small half-bottles. The smaller format seemed to have helped the wine though - these were a lot more developed and certainly more interesting than the full bottle of 1996 I had a few years back. Both bottles showed a beautiful d'Yquem nose from the get-go, with swirls of desiccated coconut, dried apricots and light shades of minerality wafting gently from the glass. The palate was lovely too. It was neither the most opulent nor the most powerful d'Yquem, lacking perhaps a little in botrytis depth, but this had lots of charm in its classically elegant lines, with a lovely clean, fresh feel to its delicious, juicy flavours of apricots and honey, mineral and spice, all laced with a nice coconutty, Gula Melaka sweetness. With time, some tropical shades started coming out as well, all mingling in a wonderful poised mouthful. A lovely drink - long, balanced and compelling; light on its feet, yet with no lack of depth and persistence. This is another wine that is delicious now, but will still keep developing for decades. Yum.
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9/29/2015 - skifree wrote: 94 Points
F22Nickell gives a great description of the wine, which came from my cellar. The only thing I could add is the precision of the mouthfeel and finish compared to the other Sauternes we had that night - the others seemed a bit flabby in comparison. My #1 of the 4 Sauternes we enjoyed that night, though all scored above 90.
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9/29/2015 - f22nickell Likes this wine: 94 Points
Seattle Wine Group - Sep 2015 Tasting - Theme: BDX - 2009 vs. Pre-2000 (Amaroso Room - Wine Storage Bellevue): Intense nose of tangerine, peaches, lemon and honeydew melon. Palate had sweet flavors of caramel, tangerine, orange zest, honey, and nectarine. Great mouthfeel, almost coating the whole palate. Polished, savory, long, and delicious finish. Nothing out of place.
Bottle C:
My Ranking: 1st (of 4)
Group Ranking: 1st (of 4)
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9/27/2015 - Turtlerider Likes this wine:
Opened for dessert at diner with Mom and Michelle. I've had the privilege of having have several vintages of this wine over the past few years. This particular bottle is not as intense as other D'Yquems I have had. It has nice honeyed apricot and botrytis flavours, which were long lived on the pallet.
I always enjoy a glass of this wine.
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9/18/2015 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Ashish and Friends in Fremont (Fremont): Surprisingly little technical information available online.
Complex, self-assured, and detailed nose of saffron (botrytis), orange peel, marzipan, candied grapefruit (thiols), slight yeasty baguette (lees aging?), and an ever-so-slight balsamic vinegar tingle (VA) that adds a lovely brightness. Dense (glycerol, ~180 g/L RS) but simultaneously bright and light due to intense acidity. A slight tannic grip and a hint of creme-brulee bitterness (possibly from oak). The finish does not stop.
This is the best Sauternes I have ever tasted.
Around 9.5
Score: Around 9.5
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9/18/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Home (Fremont, CA): From a 375. Deep gold, just a slight hint less dark than the Rieussec; deeper, brooding nose more than the Rieussec which is more forward, this has more complexity, still moderate to high intensity, baking spice; palate is full bodied, wonderful complexity on the palate with layers of spice, peach, slight sweet orange, botrytis, density through the midpalate but still fresh throughout, high acid; long finish. Superb. This still has its youthful sweetness but also very nice complexity on the palate, the nose is slightly reticent (will try decanting...), but overall this is an excellent Yquem only a half-step behind the best vintages. 95-96
3 hours decanting: the nose has opened up a tad more with some honey, but the palate is still the true highlight. Just wonderful complexity, flavors changing from one to the other with fabulous acidity, persistent; long finish. Based on my tasting, this is very enjoyable but just barely in early maturity with at least 2 decades of development ahead. 95-96
After tasting, I looked ate Neil Martin's note from January 2012, and he is dead-on. Look up his note for the details, but a few phrases: he notes the reticent nose that opens up, the "tensile" palate, the mandarin and Seville orange. All of that is consistent with what we found.
Day 3: Nose continues to be fairly wound up but what does show is complex; palate continues to have vibrant ridiculous acidity, mandarin orange peel (is this the Seville orange Neil Martin refers to?), excellent complexity, honey, fruit, spice; finish is long. I was hoping that the nose would open up more with a few days of air (that is the only thing holding back this wine) but it did not. Nevertheless, a superb Sauternes and an excellent Yquem. As much as I like the Rieussec, there is a large difference between the palate on the Rieussec and the Yquem in terms of complexity. 95 today.
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9/13/2015 - Raycheng77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep golden yellow. The wine with high alcohol and with good acidity. On palate the wine taste like tropical fruit, papaya, pear, apricot. there are some botrytis, honey, orange marmalade and vanilla. The wine is dense, depth and complicate, with very long finish.
Although it can approach now, it is still very young and it will develop more and more in the future.
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9/12/2015 - TuanHH Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very deep golden robe in the carafe with a copper hue, the nose is suave and charming, with coconut, pineapple, honey comb and creme brulee. The nectar is much less sweet than expected, much less syrupish and heavy than suggested by the legs on the glass. The taste of tropical fruits and agrumes is enriched with vanilla and oak, toffey and expresso.
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9/8/2015 - hsacks Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very similar to the 6/14/ 08 bottle.
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9/5/2015 - jshufelt wrote: 94 Points
19th anniversary at BHSB (Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY): In the glass, dark, clear orange. On the nose, a riot of crushed ripe fruits and dried fruits. On the palate, creamy opulence, with abundant mango, papaya, honey, marzipan, bananas, apples, lychees, and background notes of baking spices. The botrytized notes and acidity you might expect from d'Yquem were largely absent here; the wine came across more like a top-flight eiswein than the king of Sauternes. But, paired with a lovely cheddar and huckleberries, disappointment wouldn't be the right word.
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8/30/2015 - PC73 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely balance. Got minerality and acidity alongside the sweetness
Really yummy. Enough said.
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8/20/2015 - FrancoisD wrote: 96 Points
Premiers aromes: Confits et noisettes pralinées.
Second aromes: marmelade et abricot
Finale: herbacée que je n'ai su définir, avec l'effet du botrys bien senti.
Le tout forme un feu d'artifice exceptionnel.
Spectaculaire!
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8/7/2015 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 96 Points
Classical d'Yquem ethereal lightness with a densely packed palate showing honey, melon, and ripe peach. Great balance of sweetness and acidity. A very good d'Yquem and a good value if you like to drink the wine.
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8/6/2015 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Mostly French dinner - Rayas, 00 Lafite, 13 Trump, H Lignier CDR and etc. (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): I drank this only a month ago. Rich and opulent nose displaying sweet yellow fruits, mango, papaya, banana, creme brulee, honey and ginger. Excellent concentration, unctuous yet beautifully balanced palate, good acidity and lovely long finish. This is all about opulent fruit but slightly lacks the precision and complexity. Nevertheless very enjoyable
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8/3/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 94 Points
Des vins de rêve en blanc (Aux Délices de Fred): Beaucoup de botrytis au nez, du poli à ongles (volatile). Une bouche très concentrée, de la richesse, une certaine minéralité en milieu de bouche, puis une finale un peu étrange, funky, lactique, sur les amandes amères, plus austère que charmeuse. Un vin qui montre un très bel équilibre, mais dont le profil aromatique m'a semblé étrange. 94 pts
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7/10/2015 - mjg87 wrote:
A nice surprise at the end of the night! Apricots, marzipan (?), and nice acidity to balance it out and keep it lively.
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7/9/2015 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Mostly Blind dinner - 88 Krug, 02 Boillot Monty, 02 Laurent CdB, 89 Palmer, 96 Yquem and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): This is a very pleasant surprise. Very intense and youthful nose displaying sweet yellow fruits, fresh apricot, banana, mango, papaya, custard and honey. Excellent concentration, unctuous yet airy and weightless, sweet banana/pineapple driven palate impression and lovely clean finish. This is very much sweet fruit driven D’Yuem rather than botrytis. Very opulent but not terribly complex. With D’Yquem, that can change with time. Very enjoyable already. I highly recommend as long as you don’t absolutely have to have botrytis.
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7/4/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle. Medium gold color. Ripe burnt sugar, coconut aromatics. Ripe, round, unctuous, somewhat honeyed and sweet. Unquestionably tasty and immediately attractive, but I found the balancing acidity to be somewhat wanting. Big and concentrated, but this could use more definition and bite. Did not even come close to the balance of the '88 which we had last weekend.
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7/1/2015 - Topper wrote: 95 Points
Very much enjoyed this wine. Bright and dramatic with flavors of fig, marzipan, and touch of hibiscus. Deep luscious, with a long finish. Can't see how anyone would dislike this wine.
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6/29/2015 - ColinR wrote: 95 Points
Copper; white raisins, apricots, kumquats, yeast donuts, lychees, cloves; semi-sweet, raisin, apricot, three-fruit marmalade, honey, creamy, decadent, good acidity, excellent balance, good structure, long finish.
Syrupy marmalade, clover honey, brioche and a unique creaminess. Complex with high pedigree. Drinking well now but still evolving. Delicious with blue cheese.
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6/7/2015 - bjwca Likes this wine: 94 Points
Paired with a wonderful almost orange color blue cheese.
Amazing combination.
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5/21/2015 - Pknut wrote:
Sure, it was delicious, with bright, golden fruit, nectarine marmalade, golden raisins, and a long, sweet finish. And I'm very grateful for the opportunity to taste it. But d'Yquem (like DRC, to me) rarely has evoked in me the response that its price and pedigree would otherwise suggest. Amali with Bruce, Michel and Stephen V.
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5/20/2015 - beatles Likes this wine: 96 Points
A great wine, no less. Hyper concentrated, simply overwhelming with it's notes of honey, orange peel, citrus et al. It is beautifully balanced and newer too much. Easily WOTN. (With AHJ & HSA & wifes)
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5/8/2015 - VeronicaXu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Half bottle to finish a great wine dinner. Deep gold, apricot and orange peel aromas. Intense flavour of apricot, almond, baked pie, woody perfume. Lusciously sweet yet so well balanced by the fresh acidity. Still a long way to go.
希仕会游艇晚宴
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5/8/2015 - Herb K wrote:
Good value vintage...
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4/24/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 94 Points
American Heart Association - Dinner presented by Cheval Blanc (Washington DC - Mellon Auditorium): Dark yellow and muted fruit nose. Light moth ball (napthalene). On the lighter side, rounded and smooth. While still a great Sauternes it was lacking what I normally expect from D'Yquem.
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4/24/2015 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
Night Two in Paris (La Tour D'Argent): Still a baby, with a medium golden color and a nose of apricots, lychee and honey. A somewhat simple palate for an Yquem, lacking the vibrant acidity I look for, but a lovely Sauternes nonetheless, with decades ahead of it.
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4/19/2015 - galewskj wrote: 96 Points
Big Bordeaux IX (Kevin's house): Slow-O for 6 hours; served at 52 degrees. Smelled the glass for 30 minutes while I finished my reds, then drank it over an hour. This was as good as any dessert wine I've ever had. It is extremely sweet and extremely acidic, while being light on the palate and balanced. Tons of nuance, and at the same time, the purity of the fruit and the sweetness are without reproach. It is both full-bodied and effervescent at the same time. Honey and baking spice are most prominent. One negative was that I did not get much spice at all. The only other times I've had a Sauternes this good were other Yquems, which is unfortunate. A great finish to a strong tasting.
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4/19/2015 - Chrisinroch wrote: flawed
Corked but oddly it was still drinkable. Disappointing all the same.
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4/18/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Big Bordeaux IX featuring '82 Pichon LaLande and Leoville Las Cases and More (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Medium deep gold color. Slow-O for 6 hours; served at 52 degrees. Drank 1+ glass over 90 minutes. OMG was this wonderful. We were supposed to drink the '90 tonight , but unfortunately it was delayed so I substituted the '96, and I couldn't have been more pleased. This just lights up your senses and crystallizes your palate after a long series of great reds. An intense nose of orange marmalade, pineapple, vanilla, mango, honey, creme brulee, and botrytis. The palate is voluptuous, not at all syrupy, a perfect balance of sugar and acid; peach cobbler, vanilla bean, oranges, pineapple, mango, honey, spice cake, full bodied and totally elegant. There is no mistaking the pedigree here. Glorious. 96(+)pts.
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4/17/2015 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Big Bordeaux 9: Not too impressed with the 96. Apricots, honey and minerals. I have had better of this Chateau and certainly better Sauternes for a fraction of the price. Overpriced wine.
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2/4/2015 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Notes of honeysuckle, flowers and marmalade. Beautifully structured and great delineation. Lacking a little of the complexity of the best examples of this wine.
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1/23/2015 - TheMajor wrote: 95 Points
Half bottle as a treat at the end of a client lunch (he is a good client!). Peaches and honey and hot marmalade (if you get my drift). So elegant, pure and exquisitely balanced. It only needs to whisper how classy it is - this wine still leads the way alone and all other sweet wines just have to get used to following on behind!
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12/30/2014 - khmark7 wrote: 96 Points
Felt this was significantly better than the 1995 or 1999 d'Yquem. Vibrant fruit flavors, apricot and the usual suspects with a killer finish. This was evolving all the time we were drinking this.....just amazing.
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12/26/2014 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
My 6th note on this wine over 10 years. Early notes averaged 98 when the wine was fresh and had layers of complex flavours. This note typical of recent years, orange and lychee nose, good balance, and very good length. A little simple and ponderous. Made a note to try again in 2021.
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12/9/2014 - cephomer Likes this wine: 95 Points
Westchester Wine School - Premium Wine Tasting (Bar Lees, Mamaroneck, NY): Drank at WWS premium wine tasting. Golden color, but not particular dark yet. Nose of apricots, some pineapple & honey. Good sweetness, but not at all cloying. Nicely balanced with good acidity level. Apricots, honey, beeswax, & marmalade. Also somewhat of a musty, earthy quality too. Very subtle, elegant wine with great complexity. Still a baby, but drinking very well. Great way to end a great tasting (especially when matched with a fine Stilton). Good stuff!
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11/8/2014 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
From 375ml. Notes of coconut, tropical fruit, marmalade and honey. Lovely fruit. Unctuous and rich, with an abundance of tropical fruit, honey and peach.
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11/1/2014 - j30 wrote: 94 Points
As good as the '95, intense, full bodied and balanced with good acidity.
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10/29/2014 - ryestraw wrote:
My first experience with Y'quem. While delicious, it was slightly oxidized. Drink up.
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10/25/2014 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (M/M thelostverse): From 375ml. Light golden color. Notes of apricot and botrytis spice, but with a slight tinny quality as well. The palate follows the bouquet- adding orange blossom honey, peach and tropical fruit flavors. Medium finish.
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10/23/2014 - Caudalie wrote:
Amenée en Italie. Top.
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10/17/2014 - drjb wrote: 95 Points
Deep golden colour with some darkening. Nose of quince, apricot, limes, and acacia honey. Palate quite intense and beautifully balanced although without the searing intensity of a great year. Touches of almond and marmalade lead into a fine lingering palate. Delicious finish to a great night.
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10/15/2014 - Henrik_christopher wrote:
Min første Yquem 96, halvflaske.
Intens og ungdommelig i uttrykket. Tropiske frukter er dominerende i smaksbildet. Ananas, appelsin og honning. En god og balanserede syre. Jeg kunne kanskje ønsket den enda mer fremtredende, men mitt inntrykk er at jeg er godt over gjennomsnittet avhengig av en intens syre i min Sauternes.
Flott kompleksitet, flerfoldige lag av frukt og en enorm konsentrasjon. Ganske rik i stilen, noe vanilje og tørket frukt. Nesten litt kremet i stilen. Spesielt lang!
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9/19/2014 - Poussin wrote: 96 Points
My second half-bottle of this (first one was corked). The nose has candied orange peel, almond and pineapple in abundance with warming brandyish notes. On the palate it is just exquisitely structured, moving from sweet to acid and back to sweet again. Floral, honeyed and citric flavours predominate, but the original character of the fruit is also very much in evidence, adding a further dimension. Tremendously long and satisfying finish. Nectar! It's worth mentioning that this vintage is attractively priced too...
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9/14/2014 - Poussin wrote: flawed
An oxidised bottle - smelled and tasted like an amontillado sherry, albeit quite a good one. We finished it with no ill effects. A disappointing experience, but these things happen!
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8/24/2014 - palbe wrote: 96 Points
Golden. Stunningly fresh, expressive and complex nose of apricots, dried fruits, honey, spice and flowers. Palate is dense and rich, with excellent freshness and glorious length and harmony. Great wine!
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7/28/2014 - sja61 wrote: 93 Points
Amber colored. Wonderful nose. More syrupy than I prefer for a d'Yquem. I am partial to the crisper cleaner style. Still a great wine.
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7/14/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
A beauty that is already fun to taste and enjoy for its honeyed, apricot, spice, pineapple, orange peel and vanilla bean profile. Low acid and fat in style, this glass of sunshine and pleasure hits the sweet spot.
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7/12/2014 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
nice - started with hazelnuts, moved into honey, peaches with time.
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7/6/2014 - winemanintheden Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at O Chateau in Paris.
Goldish colour. Not deep amber or dark brown hues like a normal aged dessert wine. Notes of apricots, orange peel, tangerine.
On the palette, an echo of tangerines, oranges, lots of layers of dried fruit, tea and other floral notes that I've never detected in a Sauternes. Tannins are still a little grippy. Very well balanced. I liked it.
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5/29/2014 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vertical tasting 2003, 2000 & 1996 in HK Vinexpo. 1996 is deep 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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4/19/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 96 Points
Colour deep gold. Glorious bouquet of honey, burned toffee, passionfruit, smoke and caramel. On palate, gorgeous texture with incredible viscosity. Very fresh and clean on palate, glycerol flavours of burnt toffee, quince, creme brûlée, tropical fruit, honey, the layers of flavour go on and on. Huge structure, more about structure than opulence. Crystalline, framed with beautiful, lively acidity, unbelievably poised. A great food wine, could pair with a wide range of food, from oysters to dessert. Incredibly long, finishes on a lovely note of apricot kernel bitterness. Not the biggest d'Yquem, but a beautiful example.
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4/10/2014 - LFCHALA wrote: 92 Points
Confraria - Abril (Le Chef Rouge Restaurant - São Paulo - Brasil): Even in less celebrated vintages, produces a great wine. This bottle is, however, with the acidity a little lower than desirable.
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3/29/2014 - -E- wrote: 94 Points
Klar, gyllen gul. Dyp, intens nese med moden fersken, tørket, mørk, aprikos, lavendelhonning og nøtter.
Fyldig, bløt, viskøs og konsentrert frukt. Intens. Frisk syre. Sitter utrolig lenge i med toner av nøtter og tørket frukt
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2/21/2014 - grafstrb wrote: 90 Points
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted a couple glasses non-blind over approx. one hour --
NOSE: waxy; Crayola crayons; hint of V/A; dark/spicy marmalade; not complex
BODY: golden yellow color; medium-full bodied
TASTE: rich, strong botrytis spice; sweet; not complex; very good/low-level excellent.
B: 50, 5, 12, 16, 7 = 90
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2/18/2014 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Drank at the RAC
Rich thick with a nose of burnt sugar, caramel, toffee apple and honey. Wonderful stuff that is not too sweet and has a nice balance on the palate. Amazing length.
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2/11/2014 - smkl123 wrote:
Papaya and mango,
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1/25/2014 - Prinsen wrote: 95 Points
Very good and drinkable right now. Last for ever in the mouth.....
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12/26/2013 - CManthei Likes this wine: 96 Points
96 points for 1996! Actually only because it deserves it... This wine is so rich, viscous, and elegant, it made me wish I poured it from a bigger bottle than 375! The great d'Yquem vintages to me are marked by an otherworldly balance between acidity and the fresh, rich fruits that are usually associated with d'Yquem. Not sure if many people would consider '96 to be a great vintage, but I certainly love this wine. The finish and mouthfeel set it aside from other vintages I have tried, certainly from vintages like '98. So long lasting, round on the palate, the apricot flavors are loaded with carmel and butter. Delicious.
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12/23/2013 - pdemaio wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Excellent balance. Not overly sweet. Great noble rot. Very impressive.
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12/20/2013 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 97 Points
Confraria Dezembro 2013 (Agnelo - São Paulo - SP - Brasil): Another level. See previous commentaries (11/12/2012)
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12/4/2013 - Blair Curtis wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful young Yquem. This is not one of the most acclaimed vintages, but I seem to enjoy the "lesser" vintages better. For me, the ones that get the most acclaim I find cloying and a bit overdone. The "lesser" ones seem often fresher to me with better acidity (I find the same with other dessert wines too, like Kracher). In any case, this is a beautiful, fresh wine filled with pitted fruits, decent botrytis character, and lots of length. Nice!
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12/2/2013 - godx wrote: 90 Points
MNF Dinner at Tommy's (Vancouver, BC): Loads of saffron on the nose with hints of vinyl and botryis notes. Rich and weighty profile with lush tropical fruit flavours and a long wooly/vinyl finish. For such a young Yquem, this was showing quite well, although I do prefer less weighty/higher acid dessert wines (Climens comes to mind). Excellent. 90+
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12/2/2013 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Nose is magnetic. My nose keeps coming back to it. Beautiful nose.
Palate is rich up front, fades a little in the middle and then picks up for a long beautiful finish. Lovely wine.
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11/22/2013 - Pacalet Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pretty good and still youthful overall, but not even close to the much more complex and lusher 97, good but not great.
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11/8/2013 - robertdtwo wrote: 95 Points
The beauty of a golden sunset in a glass with an intoxicating nose of honey, citrus, apricot, pineapple, peach, vanilla and spring flowers with the palate of a tropical fruit smoothie from heaven. Viscous and thick, with legs that go all the way up to her…well, you know! Finishes with a delightful toffee/creme brûlée that attaches itself to your entire mouth and won't let go.
The group of four couldn't empty the bottle, so brought about 4 oz. home to sustain me through writing the night's tasting notes. (As Mel Brooks succinctly put it, "Work, work, work.")
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11/2/2013 - Soereide wrote: 96 Points
This is the first D´Yquem i ever tasted, and not the last one. I only have one more bottle of the 96 in my Cellar. I will save this 10-20 Years from now. This will be better i think. But a fantastic wine to drink now.
I cant stop thinking about the acidity and freshness in this wine, included the fruitconcentration who is perfectly balanced, and it never ends. A good dessert after a big meal.
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10/28/2013 - Ludi Likes this wine: 95 Points
Oro ramato. Al naso iodio, salamoia, albicocca, zafferano, anice, fiori gialli, frutti tropicali, pepe bianco. In bocca è dolce, sapido, splendido nell’intensità minerale e nella incredibile lunghezza
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9/11/2013 - AV2012 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dense and complex. Finish that lasts forever. Loved it. (A)
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9/8/2013 - WillersC wrote: 94 Points
Really nice sauterenes. Went really well with almond based dessert. Long,complex, delicious!
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8/31/2013 - jonanator wrote: 95 Points
Really enjoyed this. Not your typical Yquem, and lacking some acidity compared to better vintages, but this was still an amazing wine. The nose just lures you in. Very satisfying. Would buy this again if I had the chance.
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8/25/2013 - Cheungtp Likes this wine: 97 Points
Didn't think would pop another bottle this soon, but with a delightful dinner in place, there is no better sweetener than this. One sniff, and you'd be gently seducted, soaked in the aromas of refreshing honey, citrus, apricot, vanilla and spring flowers. When the golden liqueur hits the palate, the impeccably balance of tropical fruits sweetness and acidity is a treat in heaven. Never thought would finish the only two bottles I have in such a short period of time, but it's worthwhile, because it's so enjoyable.
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8/11/2013 - Cheungtp Likes this wine: 97 Points
First ever d'Yquem, and by far the best sweet white wine I've ever had. Gentle, seductive nose of apricot, pineapple, vanilla and a bit of citrus. It all gets even better when the golden-looking liqueour hits the palate, it's amazingly rich, superbly balanced, the spot-on acidity level is so refreshing, makes you wanna just keep sipping it. Long, refreshing finish is extremely satisfying, a crowd pleaser =)
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8/2/2013 - S1 Likes this wine:
Still at the Mountain House--Tim Strikes Again: One of the most forward-drinking vintages I have tasted of this wine. Very rich honeyed apricot and peach with a little white floral quality. Acidity is there, but fruit still dominates. A powerhouse.
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7/11/2013 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 97 Points
Gold. Rich honeycomb and white flower, lightly toffee.
Powerful, ringing finish. Enormous length. Pure and fine. Rich golden honey, white flowers, pineapple and toffee. Classic taste profile, darkening from its youth but still with great depth and youthful zest. A great wine.
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7/8/2013 - d'Artagnan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dégustation d'un Pétrus: La bouche est bien grasse et d'une grande complexité en milieu de bouche, avec une dimension minérale étonnante, une finale puissante et racée. Il me semble avoir besoin de temps encore, mais c'est un vin d'une grande profondeur. 95 pts
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6/29/2013 - alanh13 Likes this wine: 90 Points
First Yquem. Seemed muted. Quite a burnt toffee feeling to this. Showing some mustiness of age. It actualy reminds me a little of a Greek sweet Muscat from Samos that I had a few months ago. Very weighty on the palate, thick, luscious. Long finish. This is good but it lacks some freshness. Ive had far better Sauternes before. Perhaps its a vintage issue - or even too young?
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6/15/2013 - JamesTye Likes this wine: 94 Points
From 750ml. Served at the Orrery in London. Opened and served 30 mins later. Colour is burnt gold, perhaps a little darker than I would expect of Yquem at the tender age of 17. Incredibly bright and vibrant in the glass. On the nose plenty of caramel,strong botrytis, burnt orange and a whiff of nuttiness. Complex and unmistakably Yquem. The palate is wonderfully composed, lots of toffee, pineapple, caramel but with good balancing acidity. A long finish of course, but without the never-ending presence of a great vintage.
This is lovely Yquem and a real pleasure to drink now. It's more about the caramel and toffee now rather than tropical fruits. It will be interesting to see where this heads in future but it's evolved some way since my last bottle. Probably a little underrated and well-priced (even now) for Yquem, given the quality. This reminds me of a weaker version of the 67 but I suspect it won't stay the distance quite as well.
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6/13/2013 - -E- wrote: 94 Points
1979 Bordeaux horisontal (Oslo): (Halvflaske) Klar, dyp gyllen gul med oransjestikk. På nese mørk aprikos, voks, harpiks, mandel og hasselnøtter. Konsentrert og fyldig, viskøs frukt med høy sødme. Intens som pokker. Frisk,avdempet syre. Lang så lang ettersmak med toner av mandler og karamell.
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5/22/2013 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
gorgeous nose, orange, marmalade, botrytis, spicy
viscous
vanilla, honey so rich but beautifully balanced, layers of flavour
lots of acidity
long, long, long
Just perfect.
a wine that makes you think
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5/4/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 97 Points
Château d'Yquem tasting (Stockholm): Appearance: deep golden yellow
Nose: dried apricots, botrytis, noticeably spicy, honey, saffron, some solvent notes (definitely not disturbing). Some development, good balance.
Palate: very sweet, viscous, loads of honey, dried apricots, spice, good acidity, good concentration, long and fresh aftertaste.
Summary: rather mature, a perfect combination of some youthfulness and mature notes, without excessive oxidation. Can take more but has probably peaked, 97 p
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4/27/2013 - mfreddi wrote: 97 Points
Amazing. Should last for at least another 10 years.
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3/22/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Pineapple, apricot and tropical fruits coated with honey and nuts in the perfume, there is a sweetness and intensity of overripe orange and spicy tropical fruits coated with honey, with enough acidity to keep the wine fresh. This already drinking well and should for decades.
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3/16/2013 - Tavastgatan wrote: 95 Points
Classic d'Yquem. Rich, sweet and fat. Liquid gold as usual.
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3/12/2013 - St Paul wrote: 94 Points
Quite creamy and fat with the typical d´Yquem almond notes present. Not as good as the 98 which it was up against but very nice even though.
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3/7/2013 - d'Auvenay Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vertical 67, 75, 86, 88, 90, 96 and 97. Preference as follow: 67, 75, 86, 90, 97, 88, 96.
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2/12/2013 - matfoulidz Likes this wine: 98 Points
Highly seductive and decadent. On the nose so many beautiful exotic aromas of pineapple, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. On the palate it is liquid heaven ... sweet and yet so balanced with a nice acidity. Its finish literally (and I kid you not) goes on for minutes. This is the best dessert wine I've ever had. As wine lovers we so often hear of legendary wine labels, well ladies and gentlemen this 1996 Chateau d'Yquem definitely lives up to reputation as being a nectar fit for the gods. Expensive @ 363 CAD but worth every penny. Will age well for over 50 years.
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2/8/2013 - smkl123 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Medium straw color. Truly fabulous. Balanced sweet...like a perfect honey. This is a winner among losts of winning d'yquems. Winner among a vertical of 88,96, 07.
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1/23/2013 - njc2o Likes this wine: 95 Points
Flavor explosion. Wow, jaw dropping wine.
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1/19/2013 - David_T Likes this wine: 95 Points
Columbus, OH offline 1/19/13 (Nick C's house): Thanks to Nick for the opportunity to try this. My first d'Yquem and a very special wine. Thick, rich aromatics of honey, peach, apricot and a whisper of citrus. The palate is a touch viscous but not at all cloying. The flavors mirror the aromas perfectly, paired with a full body, good acidity, fantastic balance and a finish that went on and on. Truly a pleasure to drink.
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1/19/2013 - prof b wrote: 96 Points
Nick was kind enough to open up a 375 of this at the end of our tasting in Columbus. This deep gold yellow liquid was quite amazing. The complexity is difficult to summarize, but I picked up on wildflower honey, sweet apricots, and peaches. It reminding me of drinking nectar straight from the flower. A complete wine, coating the mouth in a wonderful sweetness balanced by plenty of acid. This was just a baby - a yummy, tasty baby with nothing but upside in front of it.
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12/31/2012 - emmanuel13 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Second-time of Yquem after a 2003 in 2010. Half bottle tasted with foie-gras and the other tasted with chocolate. Perfect and very rich. It smelled Yquem in the all dining-room ! 220 €.
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12/25/2012 - kidsmurf2000 wrote: 93 Points
Perfectly constructed
, without world-changing complexity.
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12/18/2012 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 97 Points
The first time is unforgettable. Difficult to describe the magnitude of this wine. What most impressed me is persistence: endless.
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12/18/2012 - drjb wrote: 96 Points
Dom's graduation dinner. Same note as previous dinner - perhaps a bit more lively with quince notes and great cumquat/honey character. Delicious with beautiful balance and drive.
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12/6/2012 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
A delicious yquem with a great nose of honey and stone fruits. In the palate it is viscous and smooth missing just a bit of oomph to be a great yquem but substantial enough to be delicious.
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11/17/2012 - InflationHedge wrote: 97 Points
This isn't a dessert wine, it is dessert! Honeyed orange & apricots scream, and the texture coats your palate and lingers seeming for minutes.
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10/22/2012 - BigJul wrote: 92 Points
D’un 375 ml. Les attentes étaient élevées face à cette étiquette mythique, et malheureusement je suis demeuré légèrement sur ma faim. À l’exception de sa magnifique finale puissante, racée et interminable, rien dans cette bouteille ne laissait présager que nous étions en présence d’un géant. Mais attention, c’était tout de même drôlement délicieux, tout était en place, avec un équilibre impeccable et une matière d’une grande richesse. On en voulait simplement davantage! Davantage de complexité et de profondeur, mais surtout, on espérait obtenir le petit je-ne-sais-quoi qui nous fait chavirer lorsqu’on ouvre une bouteille de cette stature. 92
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9/26/2012 - acheng wrote: 93 Points
Ex Chateau. Rich gold. Fabulous elegant nose of orange marmalade. Nutty counterbalanced by minerality. Well balanced acidity. Wine of the night.
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9/13/2012 - Rupert wrote:
Pebbles Dinner (Chez Bruce, Wandsworth, London): Has an acrid tone, but the texture is gorgeous, and there's a strong acid spine here - very enjoyable
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8/27/2012 - chbeaumont wrote: 96 Points
Polished, powerful, intense, poised. Almost perfect balance. Lingering finish.This will age splendidly. Towers above the '93 (served along side). Glorious. A great d'Yquem.
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7/30/2012 - basquey wrote:
This wine sucks. Over the top. Cloying as hell. Incredibly powerful. Where's the focus? Overrated, but that's the power of MONEY for you... Suckers. Keep on following sheeple!
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6/23/2012 - sutzinger wrote: 95 Points
Still outstanding!
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6/23/2012 - Yme wrote: 96 Points
Lunch at The Fat Duck (The Fat Duck, Bray): Our first d'Yquem. Heavenly nose of apricots, jackfruit, cinnamon with floral notes and a touch of citrus fruits. Nectar like palate with honey, dried apricots, stem ginger and cinnamon. Good balance between the acidity and sweetness of the fruits. Very long length. Lovely.
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5/20/2012 - pacificoast wrote: 93 Points
A serviceable vintage for Yquem, but not one of its better recent ones. Noticeably improved over its immediate predecessor, the 1995, but I think the 1998 may top this one. Compared very unfavorably with the 2001 tasted the same evening. That's hardly a fair comparison to put it up against one of the greatest Yquem's of the past 4 decades, but nonetheless revealing of the 1996's shortcomings and the 2001's magnificence. A very pretty and elegant nose is not supported by a rather harsh element experienced in the front-to-mid palate. The experience is one of a somewhat awkward construction; all the notes of apricot, honey, pineapple, etc. but rather harshly put together in comparison with some other recent vintages.
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3/26/2012 - NewFrenchClaret wrote: 97 Points
No detailed note- tasted over dinner. Great sweetness, great acidity. Everything in perfect harmony. The only way to describe it is "like D'Yquem". Delicious with Foie Gras, and the other half was delicious with Baked Alaska.
My wife says this is a perfect 100 for her, on the basis that she can't imagine anything could taste any better. I think a 94, but I have less of a sweet tooth. Either way I'm going to have to get some more.
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3/1/2012 - mmh wrote: 94 Points
Intense and beautiful. Big but elegant. Fresh and balanced. Loads of pineapple and other fruits. Great acidity. Very long. Excellent! (@ the Sampler from a bordeaux glass).
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2/18/2012 - Aenie wrote: 96 Points
Smooth clean and clear , ready , purfume , enjoy
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2/10/2012 - dicehk wrote: 98 Points
Pure joy and well worth the monicker of liquid gold. The wine closed a dinner in which we enjopyed some beautiful whiotes (76 Corton Charlemagne, 01 Pavillion Blanc, 78 Latour, 95 Mouton Rothschild and 86 Mission Haut Brion). The first bouquet was full of apricot , honey and lemon creating a an amazing experience of sweet smells that waft through your senses. The initial taste draws a golden creamy draw which hits your palete beautifully with citrus fuits and hoeny balanced in a slight acidity that keeps it all together. The draw and taste lingers on for a long time in a classic D'Yquen manner that no other suaternes quite manages. The wine was a true vision of perfection. Whilst far younger than the the three clarets I enjoyed that evening, this was without a doubt the best of the evening.
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1/21/2012 - LWI wrote: 95 Points
A Weekend in Excess; 1/20/2012-1/21/2012 (Trondheim, Norway): Oranges and marmalede, some spiciness and varnish; rich sweetness, fine acidity to balance, intense long, deep and complex.
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1/9/2012 - BigJul wrote: 94 Points
Un format 375ml ouvert le 31 décembre en regardant les émissions de fin d’année. Bouquet plus ou moins complexe, mais envoûtant, sur les abricots, le zeste d’orange, accompagné d’une pointe de fumée. Bouche d’un équilibre magistral, riche, opulente, mais également élégante et digeste. Ce vin se révèle, se définit même, par sa finale digne des plus grands, d’une puissance comme on en rencontre rarement, rappelant un volcan qu’on croyait éteint, faisant éruption, explosant à la toute fin, avant de s’étirer très longuement sur des arômes de marmelade. Le cliché de la main de fer dans un gant de velours prend tout son sens avec ce vin. 94
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1/1/2012 - Krugsters wrote:
Served in Riedel Sauternes Sommeiler glassware. Strong nose of candied orange, honey, apricot and citrus. Not as much botrytis as previous offerings. Shorter finish as well.
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12/31/2011 - Dubie wrote: 94 Points
A big rich imposing wine. There is no avoiding it. It is a happy self-confident smiling wine. Will last a life time!
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12/29/2011 - smkl123 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank with foie gras salad. Amazing. Liquified honey and apricots. Golden straw color. Made my day.
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12/27/2011 - Giggs wrote: 94 Points
Cabin Dinner II (Cleveland, GA): Opened and tasted 4 days prior, recorked, and kept cool, allowing it to unwind a bit in the meantime. Obviously concentrated, the nose is still tight; blood orange, wax, chalk, and sweet white flowers. Palate has bright tangerine, mint; again, very tight, almost delicate in its honeyed citrus feel, with lovely white chalky mineral texture carrying along with the fruit. An excellent but exceptionally young wine.
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12/18/2011 - drjb wrote: 96 Points
Julias Graduation Dinner. Delicious and stood out in a strong field. Color showing some development. Nose pungent orange, apricot, pineapple, honey and creme brûlée are all there. Palate medium intensity with weight and grip. Long multi faceted palate. Plenty of acid, fine tannin leads a long aftertaste. Bravo !
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12/13/2011 - pjaines wrote:
Aaaah Yquem. Coconuts, creme brulee and 120 second finishes. Butter, honey, lemon and lifted finish. What wonders a man can make with a few grapes.
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11/28/2011 - thewineoceros wrote: 94 Points
Incredibly viscous, and oozes power, the nose is thick with oranges, honey,lemon curd and zesty licks. Really creates a cloud of aroma out of the glass. The palate is equally full and captures the imagination, sending thoughts of deeply flavoured citrus fruits, dipped in stickie sweetness and supported all the while by the refreshing acidity that keeps it all together. Not as subtle as perhaps this wine can be, however Really could have kept this all night, as it gives something new on each nose and sip. Delicious. 94
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11/25/2011 - KeyMaster Likes this wine: 92 Points
Souper "à la bonne franquette" Novembre 2011 (Jean-Pierre et Jannick): J'ai eu un peu de difficulté à le reconnaitre. Légèrement différent des autres années que j'ai bu de ce vin. Très bon, mais plus simpliste.
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11/24/2011 - ADiamond wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful rich wine. Peach and honey balanced with a mild acidity.
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11/23/2011 - vespasian wrote: 96 Points
Golden amber coloured; intense complex botrytised nose of very fine quality set honey and creme brûlée, caramel, floral notes. Incredible richness; magnificent build of complex floral intensely honeyed notes on th palate. Very long and intense right through the palate. Fresh and dances despite richness.
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11/23/2011 - Cinsault86 wrote: 94 Points
Yquem 96 - rosiner, pære, aprikos og kritt. Pasjonsfrukt som alltid. Ekstrem intensiv i munnen, men et svært markant chili bitt. Litt mye synes jeg, men det var jeg ganske alene om å synes. 94p
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11/22/2011 - BradKNYC wrote:
Bill Lawrence hosts the Tuesday Supper Club (Bill's): Bill felt we hadn't had enough wine so he whipped out a half bottle of this. Thank you, Bill! Just popped and poured, it shows a little bit of VA on the nose with orange blossom and butterscotch. It's reflective of the vintage in that it's not particularly heavily botrytized, or viscous, but it has a very pleasant deftness to it. It's sweet and has richness, but it's fresh with nice acid levels and displays a pleasant leanness. On the palate there's orange blossom, pineapple and crème brûlée flavors with a pleasant bitter candied orange peel note on the finish. A wonderful way to wrap up a very nice evening. A/A-.
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10/29/2011 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
with D, K, E at Jaan. Lovely
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10/22/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote:
Bunny dinner with Peter, Robert, Ken, wives and kids (Bunny's home): from half bottle. never a big fan of sweet wine. too sweet and overly rich for the foie gras.
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10/9/2011 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
Football and Cabs from around the world @ Howards (Old Greenwich, CT): Honey and apricots. Good acidity. A nice, well-mannered sauternes. Medium finish; well balanced.
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10/7/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 92 Points
From .375. Butter, roasted almonds, some acidity, quince, long sweet finish.
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9/21/2011 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Mixed Barolo and Barbaresco 1958-1990 (River Café, Hammersmith, London): High-toned, polishing, lots of acidity - nice enough, but one expects something a bit more special from Yquem
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8/7/2011 - g-man wrote: 94 Points
Still very young. Immediate nose of hazelnuts and briouche. While the 97' is showing well now the 96' is a few years from really strutting itself. This is enjoyable now but I's wait another 5 years at least.
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7/31/2011 - kthornton78 wrote: 92 Points
my first y'quem. good sauternes, nice aromas of honey, peach, apricot, roasted almonds. viscous, with sweetness that is balanced by nice structure. a lingering finish. however, not a revelation for me. perhaps other vintages are a little more profound?
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7/23/2011 - RussK wrote: 93 Points
RUSSK WW@Boulud in Mia 95+Pinot and Chard By&CA. Liked slightly better than the 2003 (same night).
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7/21/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
1996 Chateau d'Yquem opens to exotic scents of honey coated, apricots, vanilla, white peaches, flowers, roasted nuts, orange rind and pineapple. This rich, sweet, thick, full bodied wine is filled with honey drenched, tropical fruit with the perfect amount of acidity to give it lift. Still young, another decade will add a lot to this stunning Sauternes.
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6/24/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 94 Points
This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The (half) bottle was kindly provided by Frank Noble. Medium gold, it shows a very intense nose of honeysuckle, white flowers, minerals and (a whiff) of caramel. Full-bodied and quite viscous on the palate, with medium acidity and flavors in line with the nose. The full middle leads to a very long, unctuous finish. This is certainly beautiful now, but I cannot appreciate the Botrytis that characterizes the great vintages. That said, time in the bottle will likely result in a higher score. Drink 1/15-12/30.
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6/24/2011 - beachbum wrote: 94 Points
very aromatic, solid Yquem, honey and flowers not too much caramel, nice end to a meal, never will be a blockbuster.
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6/3/2011 - Rupert wrote:
8th Annual Blind Challenge (The Square, Mayfair, London): Burnt and spicy, nice enough, but not special - identified as Sauternes, but thought it older and frankly not as grand as this
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6/2/2011 - NomadicEntrepreneur wrote: 99 Points
OMG you must have with creme brûlée. Phenomenal as usual.
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5/26/2011 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Pierre Gagnaire (Pierre Gagnaire, Rue Balzac, Paris): As always with d'Yquem, this was a really nice wine, but I certainly would not put this alongside the better vintages of recent times. It started off a bit strange, with a whoosh of volatile, high-toned scents, a bit of glycerine there too. With a bit of air and a few gentle swirls, this died down and the wine began to show lots of candied orange scents, some pineapples, sultanas, figs, lots of honey, a touch salted caramel, tiny bits of earth, some coconut, all-in-all a lovely, complex nose, just on the cusp of maturity. The palate had a lovely, almost Barsac-like freshness to it, a reflection of the vintage perhaps, along with nice flavours of sweet baking spices, Christmas-cake-like stuff - cinamon, nutmeg, cloves - and lots of lovely dried fruit tones, some figs, apricots I thought, and then bits of caramel and toffee. Definitely not the richest or most opulent of d'Yquems, but it did have a nice sense of energy and focus, and a fresh, bright finish with lots of spice, dried flowers, maybe pear, all lingering away in the mouth. An early drinking vintage, very approachable, but I would give this at least 5 more years to put on a bit more complexity. Overall, excellent without quite being exciting or profound - quite an achievement though when one considers the vintage. Very enjoyable.
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5/10/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 96 Points
Le vin titre 14%. La robe est d’un doré très alléchant. Le nez est très complexe sur des arômes de pêches jaunes et d’abricots. En bouche, c’est d’une densité inouïe, superbe rétro-olfaction avec en prime de belles notes crème brûlée. C’est au niveau de la finale que ça se passe… C’est définitivement la signature du Château d’avoir cette finale aérienne qui survole tout et qui persiste à tout rompre. Si je m’aventure dans le jeu des comparaisons, j’oserais peut-être dire au risque de me tromper à y regoûter qu’il est moins dense que Climens 2003 mais nettement plus long. Finale vraiment incomparable. Pour avoir bu 2002, 1998 et maintenant 1996 tous en demie bouteille, j’oserais le mettre devant le 1998 pour sa plus grande puissance et sa finale qui persiste davantage encore et j’aurais de la difficulté à départager 2002 et 1996 puisque le 2002 bénéficiait sûrement de l’aura de la première expérience. Grand vin sur toute la ligne. 96-97.
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4/29/2011 - coremill wrote: 92 Points
My first Yquem. Pale gold color. Great range of fruit to the nose, apricots and lemons most strongly, but also orange, pear, peach. There's some creamy vanilla/caramel too, and just a hint of botrytis. In the mouth this has nice weight and is quite pure. Nicely balancing acidity, with a lovely creaminess underneath. Very nice finish. Lacks a bit of power/intensity I would have imagined in a Yquem. This still drinks quite young and I imagine it will improve.
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4/4/2011 - winenuts wrote: 95 Points
Lovely sauternes, bottle decanted for 1 hours, smelling really fantastic ! d'yquem is d'yquem !
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1/1/2011 - InflationHedge wrote: 95 Points
Way too young, but had to try it. Truly excellent, once the heat & petrol blew off. Drank over two ads and was magnificent on second day. Honey, peach, & cream, this wine is dessert.
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12/8/2010 - ADiamond wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely delicious, smooth, tasted peach and creamy. Everyone enjoyed it was the hit of the night
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12/7/2010 - emkc wrote: 75 Points
The worst of the night and the worst d'Yquem I have ever tasted! Disappointing! Medium gold colour. Full body. Too sweet and apart from the sweetness there were hardly any other things in it. Don't know why.
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11/28/2010 - Caudalie wrote:
Superbe, fin, moins intense que ce à quoi je m'attendais, mais plus élégant, d'une jeunesse encore insolente. Impec
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11/20/2010 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
A wine bursting with exoticism (think mangoes, honey, rockmelon and paw paw), there are notes of marmalade and a little wood spice. It is quite a lush, forward Yquem with excellent length and as delicious as it is now you just feel its decades from its apogee. It went beautifully with a pre-dessert of concentrated passionfruit jelly and Sauternes foam AT London’s Ledbury restaurant.
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8/27/2010 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
This bottle was in pristine shape; opened about 30 minutes prior to service. A beautiful light yellow-gold color. Aromas of candied white fruits, orange marmalade, flowers, and creme brulee. Medium-bodied, with off the charts levels of concentration, richness and flavor, but certainly no sense of heaviness. Excellent purity, focus and grip on the everlasting finish.
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8/12/2010 - jlimberg wrote: 96 Points
Enjoyed at our wedding anniversary. Powerful nose. Finish was extremely long. Need another bottle...
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8/4/2010 - stephanm wrote: 92 Points
Perhaps served a tad too warm, which enhanced its more treacly features, not the light feel associated with finer Yquems - fared poorly versus its 1997 brethren but still a delightful glass.
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7/31/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Ripe peach and tropical fruit aromas and flavors, with very honeyed, textured palate. Long and assertive finish, without anything cloying or unbalanced.
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7/31/2010 - psmith wrote:
Rich, spongy, and viscous body. Tropical fruits leaning more towards orange notes. Well textured with deep but precise flavors. Very nice.
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7/31/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 95 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Another great Yquem with little to no signs of age.
Nutty, petrol, classically styled.
Such great purity and length. Lip smackingly good.
White peach apricot. So good. What more can I say. This IS the best dessert wine in the world.
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7/22/2010 - ttholst wrote: 98 Points
Hmm, Dette var for meg nærmest en ubeskrivelig opplevelse. Noen inntrykk er likevel på sin plass. Farge mørk gull/lys karamell på farge. Lukt av tropisk frukt dominert av godt moden ananas Smak av intens fruktighet med en vanvittig konsentrasjon (Her la jeg bort "notatblokka" og lot meg forføre av vinen). Munnfølelse og lengde var overveldende. Smaken satt i en time+, og det selv etter espresso og snus... Servert til Selbu blå, rugbrød og valnøtter i akasiehonning
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7/4/2010 - obmoen wrote: 95 Points
Ikke notater ved drikking men: gullgul, aprikos og annanas muiddelbart. Etter en stund mer brente elementer. Mandler og fat. Deilig harmonisk i munn. Lang. Luktet på dråpene i flasken flere dager. Utviklet seg. Mer mot brente aromaer. Likte den best den første stunden. 95 p etter minnet.
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6/30/2010 - Bibabassie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose: marzipan and orange peels
Mouth: Enormously long, again marzipan and orange peels. Delightful freshness combined with a beautiful unctuousness.
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5/22/2010 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Lots of botrytis funk, along with apricot marmalade. Very rich, full bodied, and exquisitely balanced with good acidity. Good spice as well. Still painfully young and I think it has its best days ahead of it. An excellent and intense but not mind-blowing sauternes.
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5/14/2010 - Greg Munyard wrote: flawed
Aaaaaaaaaagh! The first corked Yquem that I've ever had, and may it be the last. Bought from a wine shop in Australia, I had not tried the 96 so I decided to try a half bottle. Baggy and corked, I kept coming back to it, hoping that breathing would improve it. Of course it did not. Obviously Yquem underneath but so contaminated that I kept shaking my head in disbelief. Mamma mia!
[Top marks to the wine shop for replacing the wine without hesitation]
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5/9/2010 - BrandonLewis wrote: 95 Points
Still a little young but amazing. Full of rich fruit flavour, will be amazing with frois gras.
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4/21/2010 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Bubendum 2009 EP tasting
You show up expending to try very young very difficult primeurs and in a nice corner lies liquid gold. How nice of them to show up with lots of 1996 nectar. Hats off.
Ok still young for an yquem but still the quality shows. Very elegant and not overly sweet. Give it time.
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3/9/2010 - hutch wrote: 92 Points
Store Four Cooking Demo (Store Four): Rich, low acidity. A very nice dessert wine. Tastes pretty much like a good Sauterne. Maybe this was a case of having too high of expectations. 92-93
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2/20/2010 - MatthewF wrote:
Honey, vanilla, and ripe tropical fruits on the nose. White pepper as well. Great richness on the palate with a long finish. Medium weight, very nice balance, though I would like a touch more acid. Very nice as always.
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2/20/2010 - psmith wrote:
Great as always. Super balanced yet powerful at the same time. Exotic tropical fruits. Great acid but still weighty. Really good.
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2/6/2010 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Where to begin. Even on the initial pour the aromas are shocking. It is difficult to describe, besides being Yquem. Notes of caramel and egg custard, the muskiness of Yquem, hints of caramelized sugar. On the palate, dried tropical fruit, brown sugar, caramel, and an immense sweetness that is perfectly counterbalanced by the (somehow) intense acidity. The mouthfeel isn't quite as round as the '95, and this one feels a little more angular. The finish goes on to eternity.
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12/31/2009 - KeyMaster wrote: 100 Points
Réveillon du jour de l'an 2009 (St-Nicolas): Toujours aussi exceptionnel, ce millésime est foudroyant!
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12/28/2009 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
deep honey and nutty oak nose.
rich and powerful.
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12/27/2009 - JJL wrote: 88 Points
Lots of petrol and rubber tire on nose. Honeysuckle on front palate, but then turns to burnt sugar and strong maple syrup. Over the top sweet, but not cloying thanks to the acidity.
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12/25/2009 - BrandonLewis wrote: 92 Points
A superb finale to Christmas day lunch with the pud and alter with sweets. Shared with family.
So RICH yet light and syrupy all at the same time, so much full flavour of almonds and honey with the nougat there too, just delicious. Still young and poss too early to fully enjoy, but a wonderful treat.
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12/22/2009 - MauriceE wrote: 94 Points
After 4 weird bottles (2 oxidized, 2 corky) finally a very fine wine. Typical Yquem: tropical fruit, honey. Lovely wine.
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12/11/2009 - Biggsy wrote: 98 Points
Vibrant gold colour. Dense fruity nose with apricot, vanilla and marzipan. Viscous, sweet succulent palate perfectly balanced by the lively acidity. Excellent botrytis flavours that develop for minutes in the mouth: intense sweet apricot, barley sugar and golden syrup. A lovely spicyness at the back of the throat. Incredibly long lingering honeyed flavour in the finish.
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11/10/2009 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Rousseau Clos St Jacques 1986 to 2006 (The Ledbury, London): Burnt, creamy, quite simple to start with, but the precision and citrus bite became more evident in the glass
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10/12/2009 - eschuldt wrote: 93 Points
Very enjoyable, but as others have noted it is a little leaner than other d'yquem.
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9/6/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Cindy's 30th Birthday Party (Chicago IL): Slightly dark golden color. Lots of vanilla up front with honeyed/burnt sugar with grilled pineapple. Notes of honeysuckle and lemon custard as well. Very lush on the palate with great minerality and refreshing acidity. A leaner style Yquem that I enjoy best when paired with a dessert rather than on its own.
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8/22/2009 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
A Jeroboam of this is nearly not enough, it is just so scrummy. There's coconut ice, mango and tropical fruits. It is honeyed yet so precise and detailed. Those who like timing length may struggle with this one, as the batteries in the stop watch may run out before the last of the flavour disappears.
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7/18/2009 - Terkel wrote: 94 Points
10-15 years old Bordeaux blends from around the world (My place): Amber golden color. Delicious nose with dried fruits, apricots, raisins, sultanas, honey and coconut shavings. Very sweet on the palate with loads of dried and exotic fruits, apricots, pineapple and sultanas. An oily or syrupy mouth feel that hangs for a long time with some spicy notes. However what really brings this around is the cleansing and refreshing acidity that balances out the sweetness.
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6/25/2009 - cgrimes wrote: 98 Points
NSMFOW June '09--Thirtheeth Anniversary Dinner (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Color light brown sugar. Beautiful nose and palate of tropical fruits, marmalade, creme brulee, spices that all seemed to swirl around at the same time with incredible density. It was so good it was almost overwhelming. Beautiful acidity to balance. This seems in a good place between some of the secondary characteristics while still possessing some of its youthful sweetness. My first D'Yquem. Brought by Craig & Margaret.
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6/20/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Golden color. A more advanced nose than I would have expected, but still classic Yquem aromas. Honeyed tropical fruits, primarily pineapple, some guava, with white flower. Very rich palate with a medium plus body. Not a lot of acid. A very good Yquem, but not profound.
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6/20/2009 - psmith wrote:
Some more mature caramel-type overtones starting to emerge, and losing the brightness a younger wine would have. Characteristic tropical fruits. Viscous, gummy quality though not as much of the botrytis character as d'Yquem sometimes shows. Very good.
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11/6/2008 - Goldstone wrote: 93 Points
White Truffle Dinner (Chez Patrick Sun Street, Hong Kong): Light gold colour. Restrained nose of warm hazelnuts, creme brulee and vanilla with emergent hints of honey and burnt orange marmalade. Gorgeous on the palate- it is incredibly well made and promises a lot for the future. I have never drank a reticent D'Yquem before.............but I'd love to try this again in a few more years.
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7/22/2008 - ginfizz wrote: 94 Points
Needs time and coaxing. From a half bottle. Try again in 5 years, but this is very good considering it was thought of as an "OK" vintage. Has the balance to gain a couple more points with time.
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6/28/2008 - cmbond wrote: 97 Points
Drank with Camille for anniversary dinner, and paired with Lobster roll, prawn dumpling and scallop, as well as Brie and dried fruit. Paired well with everything, but best with seafood, especially lobster roll. Deep golden color. Powerful nose of botrytis, lemon curd, pineapple, caramel and mango. Tasted just like it smelled, with marmalade, and lemon curd flavors being predominant, with a long finish of caramel and lemon curd ~60s. On the second night, the nose was very much pineapple driven, with lots of creamy caramel and less lemon curd than before. Huge acidity expands on the mid palate, with a demererra sugar finish.
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6/14/2008 - hsacks wrote: 96 Points
Much better than a bottle I had in 3/05. Golden yellow in color. Aromas of almonds, burnt sugar, acacia flowers and tropical fruits. Silky, tongue-coating fruit in the mouth with great depth and very fine acidity. Superb structure and length. A wine of extraordinary balance and a joy to drink.
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4/14/2008 - br wrote:
beautiful, alive, fresh. lighter in weight than I would have imagined, but wonderful texture. a finish that doesn't quit.
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2/13/2008 - Siggy wrote:
Tasting Group Dinner - Cheval Blanc at Heidi's (Heidi's, Minneapolis): From half bottle. Deep amber color. Nice flavors of apricots and butterscotch. Nice botrytis. Good minerality and length, but the acid comes across as a touch high. This too was closed down and tough to evaluate.
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2/13/2008 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 90 Points
Cheval at Heidi's: Popped and poured. Classic Yquem nose of citrus fruit and honey. Very reserved and lacking the exotic tropical fruit notes of the best Yquems. On the palate this is thick and mouth-coating with good flavor intensity but compact flavor expression. Pretty well balanced but maybe lacking a bit of acidity (the wine tasted flat).
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12/31/2007 - jc-mmb wrote: 93 Points
good golden color. nose full of glycerine and orange-tangerine. some burnt honey, as well. palate is smooth and not overly sweet - a plus. just a little harshness on the back palate. finish is wonderful and comes together nicely with wood, fruit and glycerine. just a little short on the finish.
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12/5/2007 - balassis wrote: 96 Points
Yellow in color, with a golden core.
Very aromatic nose with scents of candlewax, tropical and candied fruits. A hint of burnt sugar also.
Full-bodied, rich, silky, plenty of glycerin and spicy botrytis.
Flavors of abricots, nectarine, orange marmelade, honey and almonds.
The finish lasts over 50 sec.
Still young and powerfull!!!
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2/23/2007 - Stephan O wrote: 95 Points
Though my experience with Yquem is limited to this and the '99, this bottling seems unbelievably focused by comparison to the '99 and to the other Sauternes that I've had. There's a lovely spine of acidity that holds together all of the candlewax, honey, orange citrus, and the other tropical fruits. It has that slight snap of peppery petrol that I like so well. (Or maybe it's engine oil, as the Baron says. Either way, I love it.) This just shows great balance and precision throughout; it's never over-the-top. The finish may be slightly shorter than the one on the '99, but overall I'd give this vintage the clear edge. Pure excellence.
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2/3/2007 - Wine Bill wrote: 91 Points
Y2 day in the Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands. (Yquem tasting) (De Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands.): Light gold yellow. Strong bouquet with sweet flowers. Sweetness dominates this wine. Harmony is lacking. But there is good bitterness and almonds. The aftertaste is long, but this wine needs some more years in the bottle.
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12/2/2006 - Baron Samedi wrote: 94 Points
medium yellow colour. nose of apricots, honey and something even resembling engine oil (!). More honey and orange marmelade on the palate. Exquisite. One can only imagine what this will be like in, say, ten or fifteen years´ time.
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11/24/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 92 Points
Yquem Tasting (Robersons Wine, London): Light-medium gold, showing clear oak on the nose, sweet ripe pear tarte tatin. Very rich with fat fruit, fresh with tight acidity, much more layered than the 1991, just a little brash and wild now. Shows great potential.
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9/29/2006 - redpine42 wrote: 94 Points
My first d'Yquem, this was very good, loads of glycerin, with a long finish.
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10/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
1.5L - gift from Dad, Christmas 2004
Full yellow color. Forward aroma of briary yellow fruit. Spciy white/yellow fruit with good stuffing. Strong botrytis note on the very long finish. Will improve greatly with time. 10/05
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3/21/2005 - Winetex wrote: 93 Points
Following Paul here but we were at the same dinner. This wine was medium yellow without any golden tones. It did not have the weight and seamless structure of the great d'Yquems but it drinking very well now. It lacks the acidity to hold for the very long term. On the other hand a day with d'Yquem is a very good day. Served with a lovely foie gras dish. I just love the stuff.
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3/19/2005 - PaulH wrote: 92 Points
Wine Cask Futures Off-line Dinner (Wine Cask, Santa Barbara, CA USA): Medium yellow-straw color. Mild nose of botrytis and apricots. Pleasantly sweet and moderately viscous with a medium long finish, but seems to lack the acidity and structure necessary for greatness. An early-drinking d'Yquem, not one for the ages.
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1/23/2005 - Lowine wrote: 94 Points
Very viscous. Dark straw color. Lichee, fruity and well balanced.
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10/7/2004 - IanL wrote: 92 Points
Wine Icons tasting with Sarah Ahmed/Oddbins Fine Wine (Alba Restaurant, London): Medium-deep yellow-gold/amber, distinct legs. Quite restrained nose with notes of marmalade, honey and a floral hint of honeysuckle. Incredible mouthfull of intense, candied fruits, caramelised apple, great acidity, long cutting finish. Not quite as concentrated as expected.
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3/29/2004 - Nuray wrote:
Setting: University Club / Clive Coates - post dinner - post Clive
Appearance: bright, medium intensity liquid gold core, green flecks
Nose: clean, medium-high intensity, honeycomb, caramel notes, vanilla, nectarine (AKA white peach - Bellini), concentrated and very unctous, some VA lift
Palate: medium+ sweet, higher acidity, average+ alcohol, lower-medium oak level with medium tannin level, full fat and round body with long finish, tons of fruit with very good balance, flavour profile of light toffee
Comments: we waited until Clive Coates retired for the evening before committing infanticide.....this wine is only about 50 years shy of maturity! "like an angel peeing on your tongue" - thanks again to Tim!
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10/20/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 92 Points
Medium yellow. Notes of burnt walnuts and lemon peel. Also hints of melon. Great oily feel in the mouth, with abricot flavours and impressions of grated orange peel. There’s a nice beam of acid right up the middle, and this preserves the freshness of the wine. The finish is medium long.
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