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  • Country ranking ?

    465
  • Producer ranking ?

    27
  • Decanting time

    1h
  • When to drink

    now to 2050

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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 decade culminated with the hot year of 1949, when Bordeaux was hit by an unprecedented dry spell. Cold, rainy weather had hindered germination, which resulted in an exceptionally uneven distribution of pollen. This, in turn, made for a record small crop. With the arrival of summer, Bordeaux was subjected to a heat wave the likes of which it had never seen before. Temperatures as high as 43°C were recorded at Médoc. Early September brought ...

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Vintage 1949

"This year had record temperatures as well as drought conditions that caused the biggest forest fire France has ever known. Showers in May and June limited water stress, and light showers in early September gave rise to botrytis. The whole crop was brought in thanks to just two passes. Yields were low, but quality high. This Yquem is larger than life and has enormous potential."

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2015 2010 1995
1 560€ +28.9% 1 210€ +39.1% 870€ +155.9% 340€

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

11 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Light

ending

Long, Lingering and Gentle

flavors

Vanilla and Honey

nose

Open, Refined and Seductive

recommend

Yes

taste

Perfectly balanced, Rich, Ripe, Full and Sweet

Written Notes

The last flight was comprised of three of the greatest vintages of Yquem…ever. In fact, I think if you took a five year window, you would not find a better trio of Yquem…ever. We began this climactic finish with the 1949 d’Yquem. There was a divine nose here with amber love, butterscotch and butter rum. Its nose was perfectly suntanned, and there was that caramel greatness a la the ’59, but this was heavier. In the end, I preferred the cleanliness of the ’59 by comparison, but that would be splitting hairs. The 1949 was like a bottle of rum raisin with a side of yo ho ho (97).
  • 97p
Pale mahogany. Seemed more forward in development than 1945 and didn't have the latter's elegant and refined touch. There was however delightful sweetness and delicate taste with honeyed character. Will doubtfully live so long compared to 1953.
  • 93p
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Information

Origin

Sauternes, Bordeaux
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