Château d'Yquem Sauternes 2016 - 1er Cru Classé Supérieur (37,5cl)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

The estate has built its blend mainly from the mid-harvest selections, so astonishing for their airiness, and has once again succeeded in combining power, purity and drinkability to a level unique in the Sauternes region. There will be a little more power in the 2015. The 25% Sauvignon contributes to the freshness of the aromas.

About the domain :

Yquem enjoys a unique status in Bordeaux production, virtually beyond critical judgment. The hundred or so hectares farmed are divided between Semillon and Sauvignon, on gravelly hilltops with a more clayey subsoil. There are no small or even average vintages for this cru, which is uncompromising. In fact, the 2012 vintage was not produced, as the quality was not deemed high enough for the cru. The LVMH group (which took it over in 1999 with Pierre Lurton at the helm, having arrived in 2004), like the Lur-Saluces family (now at Château de Fargues), can't even imagine the possibility of taking the easy way out! Now more than ever, Yquem has earned its place as the Premier des Premiers vins du Sauternais. The arrival of Sauvignon in the blends, the flexible adaptation of ageing to the nature of the vintage, and of course a unique agronomic know-how make each vintage an even more precise and balanced feast than in previous decades, satisfying both our senses and our intelligence.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

A superb 17th-century fortified manor house surrounded by vines, set at the top of hills overlooking the Garonne valley, Château d'Yquem has - uniquely for a grand cru - remained in the same family, the Sauvages and then the Lur-Saluces, for almost four hundred years. By the 18th century, the estate had become the jewel in the crown of the Sauternes region. In addition to its stability, the estate benefits from an extremely varied and nuanced terroir, made up of a multitude of small hills, with vines at the top of the plateau and others in the middle and at the bottom of the slope. This diversity makes it possible to adapt to the vagaries of the climate, and is the source of the great complexity of Yquem wines. Classified as a Premier Cru Supérieur in 1855, the only one in its category, it has belonged to the LVMH group since 1999, which entrusted its management to Pierre Lurton in 2004. Conversion to organic farming is scheduled for 2019.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

It has left behind the viennoiserie notes of its youth to refocus on a touch of citron and mandarin. Its power settles in confidently, with pure fruit nourished by a fleshy liqueur. It gives it masterly balance.

About the domain :

Recognized as the world's most famous sweet wine, Yquem has been owned since 1999 by the LVMH group, headed by businessman Bernard Arnault. The château is now run by Pierre Lurton, also head of Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Émilion. Before him, from 1967 to 2004, Alexandre de Lur Saluces wrote some of the finest pages in the history of the only premier cru classé supérieur in 1855, following in the footsteps of his forebears. For this wine has been perhaps the most consistent in Bordeaux for a hundred years. Even in small vintages and difficult periods, Yquem has held its ground through to its incomparable ageing. It owes this to its unique terroir, which reacts to botrytis development like no other, and to the men who have understood and exploited its qualities. If Yquem doesn't necessarily impress when young, it irreparably widens the gap with its neighbors after a few years of ageing. Tasting an old vintage of the château is an experience every sweet wine lover should have.

James Suckling

About the wine:

A very classic Yquem. A breathtaking spectrum of floral aromas of honey, exotic fruits (passion fruit, mango and pineapple), caramel and marzipan. But none of this is too much. In fact, the wine is extremely precise and finely nuanced. Wonderful freshness and textural complexity, despite high concentration and extravagance. Very suave, sensual finish that goes on and on. To drink or to keep.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Château d'Yquem 2016 is a pure delight, an exceptional dessert wine. Pale gold in color, it offers an exuberant bouquet of honeyed mandarins, tart apricots, mineral notes, white flowers and honeysuckle. On the palate, it reveals ample, generous richness, opulent texture, lively acidity and remarkable minerality, without lacking in sweetness or richness. This 2016 vintage is a classic blend of 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon, titrating 14.2% alcohol and containing 135 grams of residual sugar. Already complex and accessible, it will keep for 3 to 4 decades. 2019-2054

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Aged for 2 years, 100% new barrels. Bottling took place in early September 2018. Golden yellow. Lots of freshness in the Yquem bouquet, with notes of white pepper and chalk. It reveals itself slowly, revealing scents of cocoa beans, lemongrass and mirabelle plum. On aeration, I also detect hints of dried apricots, toasted almonds, crème brûlée and a delicate floral sensation with a hint of lily of the valley. The palate is ample, creamy and marked by a beautiful aromatic intensity. On the palate, the wine is multi-faceted, with sweetness, breed and vivacity. The aromatic expression is intense, right from the start and right through to the finish. I find the minerality and olfactory characteristics in the finish. The finish is lively, rich, balanced and persistent. I'm not mentioning the notion of balance on the palate, and this is indeed the key word for this Yquem. It lacks a certain return, a touch of acidity on the finish to further underline the freshness and fruit, but this takes nothing away from Yquem's greatness. 2026-2066

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is fruity, fresh and elegant. Notes of candied lemon, kumquat and candied pear are combined with delicate touches of peach in syrup, hints of white flowers and discreet hints of sweet spices, fresh almond and a very discreet hint of honeysuckle. The palate is fruity, nicely balanced, elegant, precise and offers a nice suavity, a nice roundness, a nice definition, tension, a nice freshness, delicacy and a fine grain. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of candied vine peach, candied pear and, more lightly, lychee, combined with fine hints of exotic fruit/pineapple in syrup, almond, dried fruit and very discreet hints of flowers. Good length. Very fine, greedy persistence. A hint of pink lychee, exotic fruit and a discreet hint of nuts on the finish. A hint of almond on the finish (2024+).