2016 Chateau Yquem 15000ml

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Producer
Château Yquem
Varietal
Botrytis Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Region
Bordeaux
Alcohol
14.0%
Volume 15000ml
Vintage 2016
Closure type Cork

The 2016 Chateau Yquem 15000ml from Sauternes, Bordeaux, France is a true masterpiece. This vintage, produced by the renowned Château Yquem, is a shining example of the quality and complexity that Sauternes is known for. On the nose, aromas of honey, apricot, and orange blossom mingle with hints of vanilla and toasted almonds. The color is a dazzling golden hue, with a slight amber tone. On the palate, this wine is rich and luscious, with flavors of ripe peach, candied citrus, and a touch of caramel. The sweetness is perfectly balanced with a refreshing acidity, leading to a long, lingering finish. This 2016 Chateau Yquem is a true gem that will only continue to improve with age. A must-have for any serious wine collector.

Critic Reviews

99 POINTS

Stuart Pigott - JamesSuckling.com

A very classic Yquem. Breathtakingly wide spectrum of floral honey, exotic fruit (passion fruit, mango and pineapple), caramel and marzipan aromas. But none of this is a jot too much. In fact, the wine is extremely precise and finely nuanced. Wonderful freshness and textural complexity, in spite of the considerable concentration and extravagance. Very suave and sensual finish that goes on and on.

98 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Containing 135 grams per liter of residual sugar, the pale lemon-gold colored 2016 d'Yquem leaps from the glass with honeyed apricots, pineapple, green mango, crushed rocks, candied ginger, coriander seed and citrus peel with hints of orange blossom. The palate is very tightly wound, vibrant and refreshing with layer upon layer of minerals and spices, finishing with epic poise and persistence.

98 POINTS

James Suckling

What a sexy and moreish wine that makes you want to drink the whole bottle. Flavors and aromas of cooked apples, grilled pineapple, pie crust, apricots, dried mushrooms and flan. Full-bodied, yet tight and reserved. Very long and powerful. Lasts for minutes. Another great wine. Points: 98-99

98 POINTS

Bettane & Desseauve

La propriété a construit son assemblage surtout à partir des tries du milieu de vendanges, si étonnantes par leur côté aérien, et a une fois de plus réussi à allier puissance, pureté et buvabilité à un niveau unique dans le sauternais. Il y aura un peu plus de puissance dans le 2015. Les 25 % de sauvignon contribue à la fraîcheur des arômes.

97 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Fat, sweet, tropical fruits, apricots and Mandarin oranges slathered in honey, vanilla and flowers. This is quite rich, Powerful and concentrated. It has more freshness than the 2003, but not as much freshness as you find in 2013. Still, this is complex, deep, log and intense, yet remarkably light on its feet. This will age much longer than I will.

97 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

Despite a rich botrytis character, this balances impact with delicacy. Clear citrus on the nose with a hint of flint and smoke, allowing the soft white flowers and lime blossom to steal up on you slowly. There are caramel notes through the mid-palate and great persistency, as ever. Extremely elegant. This was the driest summer since 1898, and the harvest at Yquem lasted a full two months, from 4th September (for the dry white Y d'Yquem) through to 4th November for the final selection of botrytis berries. The final yield is 20hl/ha, the highest in recent years against their average of 9hl/ha, with 40% going into the grand vin compared to 50% last year. 135g/l residual sugar and 3.9pH. 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. The 2015 will be released this September.

96 POINTS

Tim Atkin MW

This is very good rather than a great Yquem, but that still makes a very special Sauternes. The botrytis came late,so this is not an especially exotic or decadent wine, with 135 grams of sugar,plenty of citrus and grape fruit acidity, some nectarine and white peach notes and a dusting of vanilla spice. 2022-32

96 POINTS

Neal Martin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2016 Château d'Yquem was picked over four tries through the vineyard, commencing on 27 September and finishing on 4 November. The crucial pass through the vines took place between 18-22 October when over half the crop was picked. In fact, 75% of the crop was picked during the final two weeks of the harvest. It has 14.2% alcohol and a residual sugar level of 135 grams per liter, a pH of 3.80. A classic blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, it has a comparatively nuanced bouquet compared to Yquems that I have encountered at this stage. It opens gradually with light honeyed aromas, white flowers, apple blossom and just a touch of honeysuckle, although it does not possess the bravura personality of the astounding 2015. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening, a subtle spice note leaving the mouth tingling. This is a fresh Yquem, tensile with moderate weight and delivering, perhaps belatedly, fine attack on the finish lined with subtle lemongrass notes. It will be interesting to plot the progress of this Yquem throughout its barrel maturation. This is an excellent Yquem no doubt, though I was missing that nerve, the labyrinthine complexity that can mark a top-tier Yquem even at this premature stage. I suspect that this will drink earlier than others, but age in(more...)

Winemakers Notes

Yquem, a myth, a miracle of nature and a unique wine. Yquem has a universal compelling power. It goes straight to the heart, soul, and senses of anyone tasting it, whether seasoned or inexperienced. Château d’Yquem is an extraordinary place, at the very heart of Sauternes, with a hundred hectares of vineyards are planted on a mosaic of different soils. All the conditions are there to grow exceptional grapes and achieve the finest noble rot, the famous botrytis cinerea. Only the best grapes sublimated by botrytis cinerea are picked, because this is the golden rule at Yquem: never look for simplification, or shortcuts, and accept the risk of losing everything. This is the price to pay to achieve excellence. For centuries, Château d’Yquem has been served at the most lavishing celebrations and for the world’s greatest figures: from Europe’s kings to Japanese emperors. The best international chefs offer Yquem in their restaurants and they even create specific dishes to match Yquem. Yquem’s aura reaches even beyond the cuisine arena. Indeed, it has been dear to great statesmen, such as George Washington, first president of the United States, and it was named the only “Premier Cru Classé Supérieur” during a classification process requested by Napoleon III, but it has also inspired artists. The 2016 vintage The winter of 2016 was very mild and wet. Spring rainfall was close to the seasonal average, except for late May and early June, when the weather was unsettled. Average temperatures were also normal, although fluctuations between hot and cold were much greater than usual. A hot and totally atypical summer featured drought conditions that exceeded any ever recorded at the château, but which did not have a negative effect on the vines thanks to water reserves in the estate's clay terroirs. Extremely cool autumn weather was conducive to the slow, but thorough botrytisation of the grapes. Encompassing 4 passes, the 2016 harvest was very long and about 75% of the crop was picked in the last two weeks.

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2016 Chateau Yquem 15000ml

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