x
  • Country ranking ?

    271
  • Producer ranking ?

    15
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now to 2050
  • Food Pairing

    chocolate & Dessert

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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Such are the risks of tasting blind. Against its peers, the brilliance that Chateau 2010 d'Yquem showed from barrel seems to have become lost. This is still a wonderful Sauternes wine, yet this showing suggests that is it not "best in class". The nose demands coaxing in the glass compared to its peers, but it is worth the patience as it unfurls to reveal quince, beeswax and honeysuckle aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous entry and well-judged acidity. There is a touch of orange peel lining the citrus fruit, with an effervescent finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is an excellent d'Yquem, but it needs to keep an eye on the competition. Drink 2018-2035+.

Score: 93 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (212), May 2014
 

The purity of Botrytis in this wine is so impressive with dried fruits such apple and mango. And then spicy character. Full body and very sweet but it is incredibly fresh and lively. Such class and elegance. Perfectly manicured wine. Everything in the right place. This shows a delicacy and intensity that are spellbinding. Drink in 2018.

Score: 97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2013

There is a lovely mix of fragrances sweet fruited but not over lush. Botryirs is very much in evidence on the palate backed by lots of apricot and peach. The richness of caramelised peel enriches the middle but towards the back citric freshness lifts the fruit and lightens the finish. This is a very elegant but not a heavy weight d'Yquem.

Score: 93/96 Derek Smedley MW, April 2011

 

Score: 95 Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2011

'2010 was a cool year for us.' Winter and autumn cold, good dry, warm summer. Very healthy grapes, though quite a bit of rain on the flowering, A bit of coulure on Sauvignon so less than usual in the blend, just 13% compared to the usual 20%. Pale gold with slight greenness. Gorgeous, classic nose. Pear juice a go-go. Absolutely stunning freshness as well as all the botrytis. Classic. Real punchy perfect savoury Sauternes. Zesty and lovely with some chew on the end. No shortage of botrytis. Very distinctive and much less sweet than 2009. (155 g/l in 2009, 141 g/l in 2010). Refined finish. Finished 5 Nov. Five passes. Real punch and zest. Grapefruit peel. But not a massive sweet bomb. 13.55%

Score: 18.5 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2011

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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 unique, prolonged pleasure. There is a lovely expression in French to describe Yquem's tremendously long aftertaste: il fait la queue du paon, which means that it spreads out like a peacock's tail.

 

It is always difficult to describe wine-tasting experiences with any precision. The senses of sight, smell, taste and touch are all stimulated virtually at the same time. While gifted tasters can identify some of the aromas and flavours in a glass of Yquem in an effort to define its complexity, they never really succeed in communicating its essence or explaining its mystery. Mere analysis, whether chemical or organoleptic, is not sufficient to account for Yquem's greatness. Yquem tells a unique story... It starts with the bouquet. Although not always very outgoing in young vintages, it is marked by fruit (apricot, mandarin, and occasionally tropical fruit) and oak (vanilla and toasty aromas). Older vintages, on the other hand, have an extraordinarily complex fragrance as soon as the bottle is opened, with hints of dried fruit (dried apricot, prune, stewed fruit, and marmalade), spice (cinnamon, saffron, and liquorice), and even flowers (lime blossom, etc.). The first impression of Château d'Yquem on the palate is always very silky, and often sumptuous. It then fills out, "coating the palate". This fine wine has a strong, but never overbearing character, with great elegance and poise. It always maintains a balance between sugar and acidity (sweetness and freshness). A touch of bitterness can also contribute to the overall harmony. Château d'Yquem's aftertaste is legendary, and it tells another story, which lasts and lasts…

Certain connoisseurs consider it outrageous to drink a young Yquem and believe that opening such a monumental wine before its thirtieth birthday is tantamount to a sacrilege. Others, on the contrary, think that Yquem can be enjoyed at all stages in its life.

 

Chateau d`Yquem is often described as the greatest sweet wine in the world. After centuries of family ownership, Yquem was was bought by Louis Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy in 1999. Its former owner and director Alexandre de Lur-Saluce remains in charge. Yquem is located on the highest hill in Sauternes and enjoys the best growing conditions in the whole appellation. The 110-hectare vineyard is planted with 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Only fully botrytized fruit is picked by the 150 highly skilled pickers and yields are so low that each vine produces only one glass of wine. Yquem is fermented in oak barrels (100% new) and is left in barriques to mature for up to 36 months. Intensely opulent when young, Yquem develops an extraordinary complexity and exotic richness when fully mature, with the best vintages lasting for over 50 years. Château d'Yquem is classified as a 1er Cru Classé supérieur.

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Vintage 2010

Drought and cool temperatures contribute to optimal ripeness

The sum of summer temperatures in 2010 was close to that of summer 2009 (962°C compared to 982°C), but decidedly chillier than those of 2005, which totalled 1052°C. These cool temperatures had a substantial influence on the balance of our wines, preserving a good level of acidity and attractive aromatic freshness. 

Very little rainfall (only 267 mm) from March to August 2010 generating a drought of similar intensity to that of 2005, when only 227mm of rain fell. 

Another feature of the 2010 vintage is the low temperatures above all in the first three weeks of August, which made for the preservation of good levels of acidity in the grapes while also maintaining attractive aromatic freshness.

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2020 2016
270€ -5.6% 286€ +6.3% 269€

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

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Written Notes

Châteay d'Yquem 2010/  Golden. Rich, fruit driven nose, intense, apricots, spices, pineapples, detailed and layered nose. Fresh acidity, juicy, rich and intense, creamy and layered, detailed and intense, pineapples, peach and apricots, smooth and just goes on and on, incredible length. 98

  • 98p

"This is a super balanced and racy Yquem with nuts. light pineapple and apple ccharacter. Full and dense but bright and fresh. Love the spicy botrytis with light apple tart and nuts on the finish. Not a great vintage for Sauternes, but Yquem stays on top."

  • 95p
It had freshness, multiple aromas, depth, sophisticated touch, astonishing intensity, depth and balance. Yquem's winemaker, Sandrine Garbay, likes this vintage for delicacy, freshness and astonishing balance. Fantastic stuff.
  • 100p
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Origin

Sauternes, Bordeaux
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