Château d'Yquem 1989

The favorite sweet wine of millionaires, Chateau d'Yquem has, not unexpectedly, turned in a brilliant effort with their newly released 1989. It is a large-scaled, massively rich, unctuously-textured wine that should evolve effortlessly for a half century or more. It does not reveal the compelling finesse and complexity of the 1988 or 1986, but it is a far heavier, richer wine than either of those vintages. It is reminiscent of the 1976, with additional fat and glycerin. The wine is extremely alcoholic and rich, with a huge nose of smoky, honey-covered coconuts and overripe pineapples and apricots. As with most young vintages of Yquem, the wine's structure is barely noticeable. These wines are so highly extracted and rich yet approachable young, it is difficult to believe they will last for 50 or more years. The 1989 is the richest Yquem made in the eighties, and it has an edge in complexity over the powerhouse 1983. It remains to be seen whether this wine will develop the extraordinary aromatic complexity possessed by the promising 1988 and 1986 Yquems. Last tasted 11/97

Very classy and beautiful, packed with botrityzed flavors. Marvelous blend of vanilla, cream, tobacco-box notes, with a lot of oak on it for now but also loads of pure, clean and elegant fruit. An infant that will age for a long time.--Yquem vertical. Best after 2020. 12,500 cases made.

A remarkable, profound example of how top Sauternes wines age, with intense notes of marmalade on the nose. Although it seemed there were some hints of passerillage, Sandrine Garbay confirmed no dried grapes made it into the blend. A subtle note of botrytis adds even more to the aromatics. Amber in hue, the palate is laden with complex flavours of tropical fruits, citrus notes of lime and orange zest, all supported by cleansing acidity and an intriguing mineral undertow. This still has at least 20 years ahead of it, perhaps a lot more. From a year where the growing season was very warm, before a cool and rain-affected September and much cooler October. 80% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Residual Sugar: 127g/L.

Half bottle with a label so cellar-weary that it's impossible to see the alcohol, or much at all – except the vintage. Deep tawny. Butterscotch and crème brûlée. Really lovely! Fresh but with a dry finish after immense, beguiling sweetness. Very long and with waves of richness. Such life and class to this! (JR)

To finish, back on “home turf” with the 1989 Yquem. It is a vintage I have drunk many times in recent years: quince, apricots, honey and saffron burst forth on the nose with brilliant delineation. The palate is a little tauter than in previous bottles, with marmalade and quince to the fore and an energetic, poised, intense finish that lingers in the mouth. It's not the best bottle I’ve had, but it's not far off!

Freshness, purity, and more layers of roasted, apricots, pineapples, yellow plums, nuts, caramel, and spice slathered in honey and butterscotch are only part of what you will encounter here. It is the racy lift, and vibrance on the palate that makes it all work, finishing with its lively endnotes. As good as this is, it is only getting started. I imagine this will drink well for at least another 50-75 years if well stored. That is why d'Yquem is d'Yquem.

Amber colour. This is a warm vintage with dried fruit notes from passerillage. Highly concentrated. There are gorgeous and varied aromas of potpourri, musk rose and vanilla pod and on the palate a bitter tea-tree note with hints of quinine and sandalwood and rich gingerbread flavours, treacle, dried apples and saffron. RL

The bouquet is still a little reserved. Delicate notes. Toasted almonds, coffee, pineapple, passion fruit, linden blossom. A sweet and fresh attack on the palate. A racy wine with a lively structure, plenty of opulence and extract. An intense finish with an endlessly long aftertaste.

New arrival (19/20): Expansive, luscious bouquet; the botrytis is wrapped in a gently jammy quince and apricot sweetness, with a hint of curry and coriander drifting over this multi-faceted nose. Mouth-filling, aroma-explosive palate; the acidity feels peppery and, for the moment, still a bit polarising—melting on the outside, with a spicy Tokaj-like touch within—finishing on an endlessly intense, buttery sultana note. A rich, lavish, Rubens-like Yquem, very similar to the ’76. 1998: When freshly poured, the bouquet seems almost cloyingly sweet; only after about 5 minutes does a hint of botrytis appear, and with every minute the interplay becomes more nuanced and layered, while the enormous density remains. On the palate too, rich and unctuous, plenty of melt, not overly exotic. This wine will need a great deal more time to show its true potential. 99: Medium yellow. Lots of vanilla on the nose, with an underlying aromatic framework that almost recalls Meursault, plus concentrated, nearly jammy fruit—starfruit, nectarines, light caramel. Rich, overflowing palate; fatty, almost oily. From the overall constellation, it really could be the ’76; riche et ronde! 01: Medium, bright golden yellow. Rich, imposing sweet-wine bouquet; peppery and tremendously complex—kumquats, cake-like fruits, toasted almonds, vanilla and candied oranges. Imposing, fat palate; the peppery, long-lived acidity is still polarising against the immense sweetness, showing light malt, again vanilla and dried apricots. At this stage it recalls the equally brilliant 1976 Yquem in its youth. A Rubens-shaped sweet wine with an immortal ageing potential. Given the richness, probably better drunk cool; otherwise it can feel almost overwhelming (19/20). 03: Enjoyed at Moritz Zürcher’s, in the restaurant des Bains in Avenches: fat, buttery, and still traces of vanilla. Pure Rubens! (19/20). At a Wine & Dine with Sepp Schriber in autumn 2005 at the Waldheim in Risch: a thick, rounded affair, currently almost with too much sweetness to be pulling the cork already. Enjoy. Waiting is worth it! 07: From Urs Ratschiller’s cellar, alongside a Lou-Lou-Vullykuchen as the finale to a major Tuscany 2003 tasting. That really was a Rubens Sauternes, rich and opulent. An immortal wine—especially from this magnum! 09: On Luigi Zanini’s birthday at Castello Luigi in Besazio, the head sommelier came roaring in with an Impériale 1989 Château d’Yquem. As a starter for the peach trilogy, everyone was poured a good decilitre. I noted a Tokaj-like sweetness studded with raisins, overripe apricots and freshly spun autumn honey. And then I took a big gulp, which didn’t escape the waiter. Even though I don’t mind drinking Sauternes at cellar temperature, this one warmed very quickly after being poured beyond that limit, so I always finished the rest of the glass at around 15°C. The waiter noticed immediately each time. And so, in high summer, I enjoyed this Rubens-like, certainly rather winter-ready, almost thick nectar à discretion in a cadence I’d never experienced. It’s not my fault Luigi Zanini was born 70 years ago in summer, at the outbreak of war. Tanti auguri Luigi! 09: In a quartet (1999, 1989, 1959, 1949) on Walter Platzer’s birthday at the Attersee. Hot, raisiny, Tokaj-like, fully sweet. Heavy and rich on the palate, with aromas of freshly spun honey. 10: WHAT DOES AN OPENED BOTTLE OF 1989 CHÂTEAU D'YQUEM TASTE LIKE AFTER 134 DAYS? A chance discovery recently gave me a truly powerful refrigerator experience. My friend Lucien opened a bottle of 1989 Château d’Yquem on New Year’s Eve. The table enjoyed the first glass, but somehow the bottle simply wouldn’t get finished. In June I visited him in Ste. Maxime and found the opened bottle in the fridge. He told me the story and I was already considering whether I could work the rest of this Yquem into a fine sauce as a last tribute. But none of the possible pairings with the planned dishes seemed to fit. Still, my curiosity was immense as to what a Sauternes left open for 134 days would taste like. Since we tasted the wine last autumn as part of a major 1989 tasting, I knew how it presents when opened and then drunk straight away. So we each poured ourselves a sip—with relatively low expectations. The surprise was huge! True, the primary aromas of a just-opened wine were missing, but they were compensated by lots of raisin tones, light malt, dark apricot jam, a touch of curry and sweet, weighty Malmsey Madeira. It simply couldn’t be true what we were experiencing—four and a half months after pulling the cork. In disbelief we rubbed our eyes, looked at each other in astonishment, murmured a few words of surprise, and then each poured ourselves a generous portion of this brilliant “air retiree”. Just to make absolutely sure we weren’t imagining it… 11: Back in the same place (Ste. Maxime—at Lucien’s), but with a freshly opened bottle with panna cotta or crème brûlée. Both wonderfully homemade. A sweet, almost heavy nectar. The lush sweet-wine impression was probably also partly due to the summer temperature. (19/20). 22: Magnum. Fairly dark orange-gold. The intense bouquet delivers an intense contest between pale dried apricots and candied orange peel, a touch of butter, and freshly melted caramel as well. On the second pass: honey and quince jelly, plus pale raisins, completed by hints of bast wood. On the palate, jelly-like to almost liqueur-like, it documents an intense sweetness with substantial reserves for further decades. A noble bitterness lingers on the tongue. The finish offers reflections of a great Beerenauslese, or rather of a truly great Sauternes. In this superb magnum, this Yquem seems almost immortal! (19/20).

A fine, opulent, complex bouquet with notes of apricot, honey, almonds and marzipan. A dense, creamy, full-bodied palate with concentrated, multi-layered aromatics, a creamy texture, pronounced sweetness, fine acidity and a very long, full finish. 19/20 drink – 2050

Saffron, tobacco leaf, cold ash, black tea, at this point the perception of sweetness decreases, and the gorgeous interplay of spice and bitterness increases, colour deepened to an orange rust, think bitter orange peel, kumquat, saffron, oyster shell, still fresh peach juice, the intensity of this is perfectly pitched, creme caramel, mango, mint leaf, so good.

Medium gold-amber in color, the 1989 d'Yquem prances out with showy notes of crème brûlée, preserved orange peel, jasmine tea and saffron, leading to hints of hazelnuts and tree bark. The palate delivers a racy backbone and layers of burnt sugar and earthy flavors, finishing with a pleasant touch of bitterness. The residual sugar is 126.5 g/l.

The bouquet of Yquem 1989 immediately shows great stature. It wants to sweep everyone along with it, and isn’t yet fully able to master its own grandeur. I note malty nuances, naturally reminiscent of Islay, followed by aromas of gentian, Corinth raisins, nougat, apple compote and a few rooty touches that underscore its freshness. On the palate, the wine is refined, dense and creamy, perfectly underpinned by its acidity and a very fine bitterness that gives length and character to the finish. A brilliant wine that is still at the beginning of its career.

I bought it for the pleasure I got from its exuberance. To describe that sensation in their selection of noble-rot berries, Alsatians use the word “baroque”. Today this wine has changed. The old hands would say it has “eaten” its sugars. It has become less showy and therefore more food-friendly (by food-friendly, I mean a wine that leaves room for the dishes). I’ve changed the way I serve it, moving it from aperitif duty to the table with pan-seared foie gras or similar. And it’s brilliant—easy to digest and it won’t interfere with the red or white wines that follow. Will it change again? Probably. In 25 to 30 years, a day will come when it will give off a note of pumpkin jam with orange zest—the ultimate stage of aromatic evolution for botrytised Sémillon in Sauternes when wines are between 50 and 100 years old.