d'Yquem
Château d'Yquem
Château d’Yquem displays its name, Sauternes and the vintage. Make no mistake, the King of Sauternes could display its classification on the label, especially given its ranking as the single Premier Cru Supérieur in the entire region. Whilst the flurry of excitement surrounding the 1855 classification of the Médoc’s great red wines was ongoing, the numerous brokers of the region set about forging their own system for the sweet wines further south.
Chateau d’Yquem was owned by the King of England. It is now no less regal; widely considered the best Sauternes and arguably the world’s best sweet wine. LVMH bought half its shares in 1996 and the rest in 2004, naming Pierre Lurton as manager. Nine First Growths were created, but only one “Superior First Growth” was anointed - Château d’Yquem. Clearly, the powers that be at this mythical estate decided long ago that displaying their unchallenged superiority for all the world to see was beneath them.
As much passion and commitment the great red wine producers of Bordeaux pour into their craft, none will ever match the sacrifice and unrelenting dedication required to produce this most famous of sweet white wines. Located in the heart of Sauternes, perched atop the highest hill in the area, the team at Yquem have a Herculean task every year. Of the 189 hectares of land which comprise the estate, 64 are fallow at all times. Of the 125 deemed worthy of vines, only 100 are used for the Grand Vin – only half of Yquem is actually used to produce its Sauternes, even before the stringent selection process. In fact, so stringent is this selection process, and so aggressively are the vines pruned, that whereas a red wine producer will make around a bottle per vine, Yquem makes a single glass!
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (VN (NM)) | HK$90,640.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (99)At 126 years old, this elixir effortlessly shrugs off its age. Iridescent amber in color, it has a beguiling bouquet of dried honey, rosehip, stewed peaches and just a suggestion of Tokaji Azsù. The delineation is enthralling and difficult to reconcile with such a hot growing season. The palate is blessed with exquisite balance and an electric wire of acidity that slices through what must once have been very intensely botrytized fruit. This is still viscous and caressing, offering caramelized oranges, honeycomb and just a hint of yellow plum towards the ineffably complex finish. Maybe because of its venerable age, the 1893 does not quite possess the persistence of the very greatest d’Yquems that I have tasted, but it remains a truly fabulous Sauternes from a remarkable growing season. Tasted blind at the end of the Pétrus dinner at Hide in London. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - | HK$71,805.00 | |||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (VN (AG)) | HK$72,715.00 | |||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)What can I say about the 1921 Chateau d'Yquem ? It was a wine I will remember forever because it was a legendary wine served at the perfect moment, and that is all anyone can ask from a wine at this profound height of achievement. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96.0 | HK$33,245.00 | |||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 2 | - | HK$61,550.00 | |||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - | HK$56,445.00 | |||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 94 (VN (NM)) | HK$51,320.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (94)The 1955 Yquem is a vintage that I have not encountered for many years. It has a fully mature, complex, delineated bouquet of dried honey, fig syrup, Satsumas, pumpkin and a light adhesive scent that emerges with time. The palate is clean and fresh, slightly viscous in texture though not as rich as the 1959 (for example), with mandarin, quince, Clementine and flecks of toffee on the finish. This is an impressive Yquem that I suspect flies under the radar in the cognoscenti's minds, and should be consumed in the next 15 to 20 years. Tasted at the mature Bordeaux dinner at Arbor restaurant, Hong Kong. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 3 | 99 (WA) | HK$51,320.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (99)Deep gold in color, the 1975 d'Yquem gives up initial notes of cashew butter, manuka honey, dried apricots, musk perfume and fallen leaves over a core of spice cake, applesauce, fungi and lemongrass. The palate is laden with bright, vibrant stone fruit and preserved citrus fruit flavors, laced with honey-nut accents and finishing provocatively earthy. While intense and hedonically satisfying, this beguiling vintage has so many nuances emerging as it unfurls, it stops you in your tracks. Make sure it is the very last wine of the evening, because once you taste this, everything else will pale into insignificance. Although this wine is currently well within its ideal drinking window, there's certainly no rush to drink well-preserved bottles. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 90 (VN (NM)) | HK$9,415.00 | |||||
Vinous - Neal Martin (90)The 1981 Yquem is a wine that I first tasted around 2004, when it amazed an entire crowd with its definition and focus. It was a tricky picking apart from a straightforward first trie between 5 and 10 October. Now at 40-years, it had lost some of its energy and verve, quite resinous at first though it improves with aeration. The palate still has the finesse and poise that maybe the 1980 Yquem lacks, surprisingly concentrated on the finish given the growing season. Drink bottles in the near future. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 6 | 98 (WS) | HK$39,975.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (98)Super-intense and full-throttled, elegant and stylish. Dark amber in color and rich in complexity, this '83 coats your mouth with butterscotch, dried apricot, fig and spice flavors. Made to age for decades. - |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 98.3 | HK$24,265.00 | |||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 98 (WA) | HK$34,840.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98)A warm to hot vintage ideal for producing outstanding reds does not necessarily make for a great Sauternes vintage, but in the case of 1990 it did. Dry, warm winds in the autumn contributed to the level of concentration that this wine exhibits. Fortunately, a little rain in late September and early October ensured that botrytis flourished well in the end, the final factor necessary to achieve this extraordinary expression. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 5 | 98.3 | HK$19,215.00 | |||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 98.3 | HK$19,360.00 | |||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 18 (JR) | HK$16,420.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (18)Lift and richness and electrified raisins! There's a lot of energy here. Medicine? Sinewy. Not the sweetest. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) | HK$29,400.00 | |||||
The Wine Independent (100)The 2001 Yquem has a pale to medium gold color. The nose is a little closed to begin, slowly emerging with a complex array of notes of mango preserves, baked peaches, saffron, salted almonds, and candied ginger, followed by wafts of jasmine, honeycomb, and crème caramel. The palate is super-sweet, concentrated, and multi-layered, delivering wave after wave of opulent stone and tropical fruit flavors, supported by amazing tension and a satiny texture, finishing with epic length and lingering mineral notes. This is a wine I've tasted many times and it has never been less than the epitome of a Sauternes experience that is as cerebral as it is hedonic. The residual sugar is 150 grams per liter, which is on the high side, yet, incredibly, it wears this richness with such energy. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) | HK$29,710.00 | |||||
The Wine Independent (100)The 2001 Yquem has a pale to medium gold color. The nose is a little closed to begin, slowly emerging with a complex array of notes of mango preserves, baked peaches, saffron, salted almonds, and candied ginger, followed by wafts of jasmine, honeycomb, and crème caramel. The palate is super-sweet, concentrated, and multi-layered, delivering wave after wave of opulent stone and tropical fruit flavors, supported by amazing tension and a satiny texture, finishing with epic length and lingering mineral notes. This is a wine I've tasted many times and it has never been less than the epitome of a Sauternes experience that is as cerebral as it is hedonic. The residual sugar is 150 grams per liter, which is on the high side, yet, incredibly, it wears this richness with such energy. |
|||||||||
|
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 98 (JS) | HK$14,530.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98)A massive Yquem, this has a dense palate that is almost chewy like a red. Full and very sweet, with notes of dried apricot, pineapple, and papaya on the palate. Long, with a vanilla-coconut tart finish. What a wine, voluptuous, sexy, and luscious. 147 grams of RS. Pull the cork after 2015. |
|||||||||
