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Château d'Yquem
Bordeaux France
  • 96
    Points
  • The 970 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 15 Pros of
    15 recommend
    this wine
1164 96
  • Taste
  • Moment

d'Yquem 1998

Château d'Yquem, Bordeaux, France

  • Country ranking ?

    849

  • Producer ranking ?

    50

  • Decanting time

    3h

  • When to drink

    now to 2040

  • Food Pairing

    Meringue Pie

Food Pairing

Meringue Pie

Top vintages From 1787 to 2023

1945 ›  100 Tb
1811 ›  100 Tb
1928 ›  100 Tb
1906 ›  100 Tb
2023 ›  100 Tb
2009 ›  100 Tb
2001 ›  100 Tb
1921 ›  100 Tb
2015 ›  100 Tb
1929 ›  100 Tb
Average 96.87 Tb
Sweet wine, d'Yquem 1998
d'Yquem 1998, Château d'Yquem,
Bordeaux, France, Sweet wine

  • Users

    94p

  • Pros

    94p

  • Fine

    95p

  • Users

    94p

  • Pros

    94p

  • Fine

    95p

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The 1998 Château d'Yquem is a highly refined, classic, and beautifully balanced Premier Cru Supérieur Sauternes from a vintage characterized by an exceptionally hot August followed by crucial September rains that sparked an abundant, high-quality botrytis development. Boasting a residual sugar level of around 124 grams per liter, it reveals a rich, highly expressive bouquet of dried apricots, orange zest, acacia honey, and exotic spices, beaut...

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The Story

The pleasure derived from tasting Yquem is difficult to describe.

It offers a myriad of well-balanced, complex flavours that generate even more harmonies over time. The impression that remains is reminiscent of a quote from Frédéric Dard "the silence that follows a piece by Mozart, in which the listener remains suffused with the music". This reflects the fact that Château d'Yquem stays on the palate for a remarkable long time, providing a u...

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Wine Information

The weather was not very sunny, but especially warm, with drought conditions and a heat wave that brought on early bud break. Rain in the first two weeks of September gave rise to botrtyis in grapes that became concentrated thanks to easterly winds. Showers nevertheless interrupted picking for an entire month. The second pass was as plentiful as the first. 1998 Yquem is very seductive and it is said that it is two vintages in one.

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Average Bottle Price

Year Price Change
2026 385€ +24.2%
2020 310€ +40.9%
2015 220€ -
2026 2020 2015
385€ +24.2% 310€ +40.9% 220€ -

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Medium, Gold and Clear

ending

Long, Gentle and Lingering

flavors

Mint, Licorice, Vanilla, Apricot, Cherry and Waxy

nose

Intense, Complex, Seductive and Opulent

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Warming, Perfectly balanced, Complex, Developing, Medium-bodied, Jammy, Ripe, Elegant and Sweet

Verdict

Outstanding and Well-rounded

Written Notes

The Château d’Yquem 1998 is a sleeper vintage that has matured into a model of balance and "Sauternes classicism." In the glass, it has evolved into a deep, luminous amber-gold. The nose is incredibly expressive and honeyed, leaping forward with aromas of caramelized pineapple, dried apricots, and orange marmalade, all cut by a sophisticated streak of saffron, beeswax, and toasted coconut.

On the palate, the wine is characterized by its remarkable "lightness of touch" despite its inherent richness. It is unctuous and oily, yet driven by a piercing acidity that slices through the residual sugar. Flavors of barley sugar, lemon curd, and candied ginger dominate the mid-palate, leading into a finish of immense length. It leaves behind a ghostly, saline mineral note and a hint of crème brûlée, proving that Yquem’s greatest strength is its ability to remain fresh even as it gains profound weight.


-
  • 98p

The Château d’Yquem 1998 is a sleeper vintage that has matured into a model of balance and "Sauternes classicism." It has evolved into a deep, luminous amber-gold. The nose is incredibly expressive and honeyed, leaping forward with aromas of caramelized pineapple, dried apricots, and orange marmalade, all cut by a sophisticated streak of saffron, beeswax, and toasted coconut.

On the palate, the wine is characterized by its remarkable "lightness of touch" despite its inherent richness. It is unctuous and oily, yet driven by a piercing acidity that slices through the residual sugar. Flavors of barley sugar, lemon curd, and candied ginger dominate the mid-palate, leading into a finish of immense length. It leaves behind a ghostly, saline mineral note and a hint of crème brûlée, proving that Yquem’s greatest strength is its ability to remain fresh even as it gains profound weight.


-
  • 96p

Golden. Apricots, peach, rich, layered, intense and dense and complex, lovely. Fresh acidity, detailed, intense, apricots, peach, gorgeous texture, bright and refreshing with a gentle creaminess.  96

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  • 96p

Pale gold. Knockout aromas of creme brulee, coconut, vanilla bean, honey and orange peel. Lush and seductively silky in the mouth; its creamy, seamless texture makes it seem deceptively accessible today but sound acid structure should keep it going for 20 years or more. Not hugely sweet or tropical but very complex and fine. Firm, hazelnutty finish offers great length, if not quite the grip of the '89.

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  • 95p
Pale yellow. Nose was very elegant with well-shaped noble rot, and had a lot of sweetness on the palate with mango, apricot and acacia honey. This was a wine with pure style, much finesse and long aftertaste, but at same time also "light-footed". Give it 15-25 years.
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  • 96p
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Information

Origin

Sauternes, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Below Average

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

Be Cautious

Glass time

2h
Incorrect Information
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