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  • Country ranking ?

    623
  • Producer ranking ?

    35
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • 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

This year was strongly marked by hot weather starting in mid-May, building up to record temperatures in August. The summer of 2003 was totally outside the norm. 35 mm of rain in early September brought on an overwhelming and all-encompassing attack of botrytis that resulted in a unique phenomenon: the entire crop was picked in one single pass! The wine is as elegant as it is atypical. It is said that this vintage is reminiscent of the conditio...

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Vintage 2003

2003 was the hottest vintage ever seen in Bordeaux. The most successful châteaux have passed their exceptional 2000s and some claim to have made their greatest wines in living memory.

Very dry and extremely hot summer days and nights (16 days > 95°F compared to 2 in 2000, 6 in 2005, 4 in 2009). Need to eliminate the superscript here. I can't figure out how to do it.) The deeply colored reds, low acidities and high tannins are a departure fr...

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

15 tasting notes

Tasting note

flavors

Apricot

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Balanced, Multi-dimensional, Full-bodied, Rich and Sweet

Verdict

nice but not special and Full-bodied

Written Notes

It doesn't get more famous when it comes to sweet wine; actually, it doesn't get much more famous when it comes to wine. To butcher Johnson, if you are tired of Yquem, then you really are tired of living. 2003 was a much hyped vintage, and deservedly so but coming so close on 2001 and then followed by 2005, it was in tough company. All brilliant, brilliant wines. 2001 remains for me the benchmark – best young wine I have ever tried and I believe that there is every chance that with time, it will become the greatest Yquem ever made. 2003 was a hotter, fuller, richer vintage. And so is the wine. It is a big, rich, plush, fat, soft, opulent Yquem. Just delicious. Very intense. It won't live as long as the 2001 but it will still live longer than most of us. Flavours of pineapple, apricot, honeycomb and tropical fruits abound. A joy. If 2001 is Audrey Hepburn, then this is Marilyn Monroe. 97
  • 97p

A massive Yquem, this has a dense palate that is almost chewy like a red. Full and very sweet, with notes of dried apricot, pineapple, and papaya on the palate. Long, with a vanilla-coconut tart finish. What a wine, voluptuous, sexy, and luscious. 147 grams of RS.

  • 98p

Golden. Rich nose, apricots, pineapples, intense, fruity, vanilla, honey, pure and detailed, layered. Fresh acidity, fruity, lush, intense, detailed, creamy, rich, some liquorice, pineapples, apricots and peach, detailed and layered, stunning! Long. 95

  • 95p

One of the weakest Yquems I have tried over time.Light golden color, extremely closed on the nose,tiny scent of marmelade , orange peel, peach, light to medium body, not very sweet and low acidity(extremely hot year).Disappointing finish.Either just in a sleeping phase or just not great.Will give it another chance in 5-10 years.

Tried it blind versus the Rieussec 2005, which was more appealing.

  • 85p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2014. Consistent notes. 80% of the harvest into Grand Vin. Residual sugar 8.3%, alcohol 13.5%, acidity 4.2 g/l H2SO4.. Harvest ended on record breaking erliest date of 26th September and lasted only 9 days! I'm totally in heaven. Extraordinary concentrated aromas of dried fruits, candied orange peel, mango, guava, candied apricot. Phenomenal purity and intensity. Wow! Incredibly long ongoing aftertaste which lasts for more than one minute. Paradise in heaven.
  • 100p
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Information

Origin

Sauternes, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Investment potential

Very Good

Fake factory

Be Cautious

Glass time

2h
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