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Yquem Half 2001
HED2313
37.5 cl
13.5%
£375.00
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The 2001 Château d’Yquem is undoubtedly one of the greatest Sauternes ever made and has near limitless potential longevity. It is kaleidoscopically complex and incredibly powerful, with simply staggering balance, precision and detail. On the nose it is utterly beguiling, offering intricate layers of honeyed stone fruits, citrus peel, almond paste, crème brûlée, toasted nuts and liquidised stones. The palate achieves levels of richness and intensity very rarely possible, with laserlike acidity providing remarkable levity and drive through to the brilliantly long, multi-layered finish. Once tried, the 2001 is never forgotten.
100 Robert Parker
I have had the very good fortune to taste the 2001 d`Yquem perhaps a dozen times since its release and have never been less than absolutely floored by its combination of poise, purity, precision and layer upon intricate, jaw-dropping layer of flavor nuances. It is among a very small clutch of incredible wines that crash through the 100-point ceiling and rocket beyond the stratosphere! A testament to that magic that can be created when an uncommonly great vintage for Sauternes brings out the best of an extraordinary vineyard and is skillfully, sensitively crafted, the 2001 is a true wine rarity that must be tried to be believed. Pale to medium lemon-gold, the nose is simply WOW—an absolute show-stopper, delivering vibrant, youthful lime cordial, pink grapefruit and lemon meringue pie scents followed up by suggestions of chamomile tea, saffron, cassis and nutmeg plus wafts of marzipan, crushed rocks and beeswax. The palate is beyond-belief intense, offering a myriad of decadent citrus fruit preserves and earthy/mineral-inspired nuances, instilling incredible depth, all punctuated by profound freshness and finishing epically long and exquisitely delicious. The alcohol this vintage is 13.6%, while the residual sugar is a whopping 150 grams per liter, beautifully balanced by a total acidity of 4.5 grams per liter of H2SO4. Obviously, the longer readers are willing to cellar this, the more they will get of that ethereal tertiary complexity/experience. This said, for those who love great Sauternes in its youthful/primary flushes, even at this very early stage in its evolution, the multifaceted 2001 d`Yquem will not disappoint. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown
100 Vinous
Just weeks after tasting the 2001 Château d’Yquem at the estate, another bottle was served at a lunch in London and it was perfection. The aromatics are practically identical and likewise the palate, but this bottle, which had been decanted, displays a scintilla more tension, perhaps more "vibrancy" that so effortlessly counterbalances the richness. Irrespective of points, it is simply one of the most magnificent wines of any kind that can pass your lips.Neal Martin1st September 2021
100 The Wine Independent
The 2001 Yquem has a pale to medium gold color. The nose is a little closed to begin, slowly emerging with a complex array of notes of mango preserves, baked peaches, saffron, salted almonds, and candied ginger, followed by wafts of jasmine, honeycomb, and crème caramel. The palate is super-sweet, concentrated, and multi-layered, delivering wave after wave of opulent stone and tropical fruit flavors, supported by amazing tension and a satiny texture, finishing with epic length and lingering mineral notes. This is a wine I've tasted many times and it has never been less than the epitome of a Sauternes experience that is as cerebral as it is hedonic. The residual sugar is 150 grams per liter, which is on the high side, yet, incredibly, it wears this richness with such energy.Lisa Perrotti-Brown4th September 2023
19.5 Jancis Robinson
Medium depth of slightly greenish gold and obvious density so that it was not by any means translucent. Quite exceptionally rich, heady and unctuous on the nose. Extremely round and complete with just a hint of bitter orange/Oxford marmalade that gives it spine – though a very slight edge of bitterness at this early stage. A deeply reverberating wine with all the layers of super-ripe pears one would expect in a heavy botrytis year and the most magnificent satin texture. But this sample, I swear, even had a hint a roquefort in its undoubted depths. This is an incredibly long wine that caresses the palate – so why am I not giving it 20 out of 20? Because of that little note of bitterness on the finish which may very well dissipate and I`d be delighted to re-taste this on an annual basis so that I can review that score. This is a great Yquem – perhaps not quite as absolutely massive nor as unapproachable as I would imagine the 1967 was in 1971 – but which should enjoy a long, long life. (JR)
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