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Country ranking ?
70
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Producer ranking ?
5
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Decanting time
3h
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When to drink
now to 2035
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Food Pairing
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Food Pairing
Traditional Apple Pie
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 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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In 1945 the Sauternes wine area was tormented by a severe cold that continued till late spring. In April the weather rapidly warmed and the short spring that followed was warm and dry. The first vines bloomed at Yquem as early as May 15th (like in 1990) and that presaged an early harvest, especially when the particularly dry and hot summer months kept this advantage of early growth. In September the rainfall at Yquem was only 13 millimeters (a...
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The world’s best wine vintage – 1947 or 1945? Tastingbook tasted all the best wines from these two great vintages.
If the wine producers from different regions were asked to name the best vintages from their winemaking history, the most would name 1947 or 1945 as one of the great ones. If we then compared them together there would be most likely only one vintage that the most if not every producer had named on list – 1947.
We wanted to t...
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Average Bottle Price
| 2023 |
2020 |
2017 |
2015 |
2014 |
2010 |
2005 |
2000 |
| 3 890€
+19.7%
|
3 250€
+2.2%
|
3 180€
+2.9%
|
3 089€
-2.9%
|
3 180€
+34.1%
|
2 371€
+32.2%
|
1 794€
+25.3%
|
1 432€
|
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.
Latest Pro-tasting notes
26 tasting notes
Tasting note
color
Full, Gold and Clear
ending
Medium, Smooth and Extensive
flavors
Apricot, Creamy and Honey
nose
Mature and Ripe
recommend
Yes
taste
Well-structured, Complex, Full-bodied, Full, Rich, Ripe and Sweet
Written Notes
In 1945 the Sauternes wine area was tormented by a severe cold that continued till late spring. In April the weather rapidly warmed and the short spring that followed was warm and dry. The first vines bloomed at Yquem as early as May 15th (like in 1990) and that presaged an early harvest, especially when the particularly dry and hot summer months kept this advantage of early growth. In September the rainfall at Yquem was only 13 millimeters (average 72 mm).
The harvest could already commence on September 10th, and it continued uninterrupted for the next six weeks, except for Sundays, which now could exceptionally be taken as rest days thanks to the perfect harvest weather. When the harvest was completed there were 440 casks of new wine in the cool cellars of Yquem.
Tasted only three times, but on every occasion it was a perfect 100 points wine. Most recently tasted at The Vine Club’s 1945 Sauternes tasting, where it was tasted blind along with 14 other Sauternes. Nine tasters out of ten rated it as the best wine of the evening – the lowest score being 97 points, and four times it got full, well-earned 100 points. Bottle was in mint condition with base neck level. Decanted one hour. Brilliant deep gold, tempting colour. Fabulously rich, ripe and fragrant, honeyed bouquet with flavours of apricot and orange. Still sweet with enormous depth and complexity. Full and creamy texture – almost beefy and very fragrant. Surprisingly youthful. Has excellent balance and exquisite finish, with another twenty years to go. For me, clearly the best of the 1945s. Very special!
The 1947 d’Yquem took it up a notch, even though there wasn’t much room to grow. Candle wax, potpourri, straw, beef and almost some lime thai kink graced the nose. The palate was all about caramel and sex. Its acidity stood out, and it was so sexually texturally, I had to check myself. There was a kiss of orange to its ridiculously good flavors (98).
The 1945 d'Yquem is consistent with the two previous bottles that I tasted. I will not say anything other than that it is a perfect bottle of Sauternes. It still has that ethereal delineation on the nose of vivacious Seville orange marmalade and quince aromas, if maybe just a little more nuttiness compared to previous bottles. The palate is brilliantly poised, offering tangy marmalade mixed with satsuma, mango and crushed stone, just so crystalline and pure. A magnificent wine at the peak of its almighty powers. Tasted at Koala's 1945 dinner.
Rich, opulent concentrated and full-bodied. Medium gold with a honeyed, oaky, flowery, tropical fruit bouquet, magnificent and unique.
Orange brown. Even if this wine couldn't match 1947 fantastic effort, it had sufficient amount of ingredients to make you extremely satisfied. There was crème brulée, candied apricots, catching elegance and refinement. It will surprise me, if this wine can't last for additional 10-15 years.
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Information
Origin
Sauternes, Bordeaux
Vintage Quality
Outstanding
Value For Money
Good
Investment potential
Very Good
Fake factory
Serious
Glass time
1h
Other wines from this producer
"Y"
Inside Information
eRobertParker.com #213
Jun 2014 |
Neal Martin |
100 |
Drink: 2014 - 2040 |
$4598-$6286 |
| Served from an ex-chateau bottle. As the old saying goes: there are perfect bottles but not perfect wines. True. But there is absolutely no question that this was a perfect bottle of Sauternes. The 1945 Chateau d’Yquem got off to an inauspicious start when a rare frost (-2 degrees) on May 2 miraculously only affected two or three leaves at the top of the vine and left the nascent buds unscathed. Chateau records detail that the 1945 was picked during six pickings that spanned six weeks from Monday to Saturday. It would seem that observance of the Sabbath led to God’s blessing upon the resulting wines. Harvest commenced on September 9 (after 41mm of rainfall on August 29 provoked widespread botrytis) and finished on October 20. The 1945 Yquem is loaded with 164 grams per liter residual sugar with 4.41 grams per liter total acidity, but statistics are a moot point. Do not let its tawny port appearance put you off. The bouquet is so ridiculously delineated and pure that it will make any other Sauternes within its ambit look ordinary. The aromas race from the glass: Seville orange marmalade, quince, wilted rose petals and an old antique bureau. The palate is perfection. The balance is extraordinary, the acidity effortlessly slicing through the candied orange peel and quince notes, a subtle saline tang delivered on the shimmering, crystalline finish. Returning to the bottle two hours later it has lost absolutely none of its energy. I might one day drink a Sauternes equal to the 1945 Yquem, but I will never drink a Sauternes that is better. Drink now-2040+. Tasted March 2014. |
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