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2001 Chateau d'Yquem #216800049
Reviews 100 points Wine Advocate "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. (LP)" 99 points Vinous "Limpid gold in color, as you would expect, it looks quite youthful for a Sauternes of this vintage. The intense, well-defined bouquet features dried honey, beeswax, quince and touches of Seville orange marmalade. The palate is beautifully balanced, powerful and extraordinarily harmonious, delivering layers of botrytized fruit. There is a crescendo toward the finish of compelling white peach and quince mixed with apricot, becoming spicier with aeration and revealing hints of creme caramel in the background. Absolutely regal. (NM)"
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About Chateau d'Yquem
For most collectors, Chateau d'Yquem needs no introduction as it is highly regarded as one of the world’s finest sweet wines (and dare we say, white wines). It boasts the only Premier Cru Superior status in Sauternes and only makes two wines: their world-famous sweet wine, and a dry white wine named “Y” (Ygrec).
The esteemed Estate is situated in Graves and is surrounded by 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc vines near the river Garonne. These humid, cool conditions create the perfect environment for botrytis, or “noble rot,” to transform these juicy grapes into shriveled, concentrated liquid gold.
Despite the wines being outrageously delicious upon release, they can age for a remarkable amount of time. Jancis Robinson describes them as “immortal” with the potential to age for not only decades, but generations. The Sauternes is only made in vintages where growing conditions are absolutely perfect, and the results have consistently been rated near perfect (and perfect!), with critics describing the golden nectar as, “simply mind-blowing … [p]ure perfection,” and a “rarity that must be tried to be believed” (WA).
The esteemed Estate is situated in Graves and is surrounded by 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc vines near the river Garonne. These humid, cool conditions create the perfect environment for botrytis, or “noble rot,” to transform these juicy grapes into shriveled, concentrated liquid gold.
Despite the wines being outrageously delicious upon release, they can age for a remarkable amount of time. Jancis Robinson describes them as “immortal” with the potential to age for not only decades, but generations. The Sauternes is only made in vintages where growing conditions are absolutely perfect, and the results have consistently been rated near perfect (and perfect!), with critics describing the golden nectar as, “simply mind-blowing … [p]ure perfection,” and a “rarity that must be tried to be believed” (WA).