Chateau Yquem is the highest and finest winemaker in the Sauternes appellation. The 2005 is pleasingly rich and luxuriously textured. It has a impressively defined bouquet and a well balanced palate of honeyed apricot, pepper and nectarine ending on spicy kick.

The Wine Independent (98)

A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2010 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. After considerable aeration, it erupts from the glass with a powerhouse of flamboyant notes of crystalized ginger, honeydew melon, mango pudding, and lime leaves, followed by nuances of honeysuckle, white pepper, fennel seed, and crushed rocks. The palate is fantastically fruity, youthful and oh-so-rich, delivering citrus and tropical fruit layers with compelling tension, finishing very long and with wonderful purity.

James Suckling (98-99)

The tannins and phenolic tension are very impressive to this. Dried-lemon undertones and burning botrytis. Full-to medium-bodied, linear and racy. Beautiful fruit and intensity. Such clarity. Extreme but wonderful style.

Vinous - Neal Martin (98)

Owners LVMH took the decision to delay the release of the 2019 Yquem until spring 2022. It was tasted with winemaker Sandrine Garbay in London. After the summer drought when Sauternes received just 2.5mm of rain until 26 July, that day saw a 112mm deluge that replenished underground reserves and gave ripening the push it needed. Dry and warm conditions prevailed throughout September when there was no sign of botrytis infection. That was finally provoked by 38mm of rain between 21 and 25 of September, followed by warm clement weather. After minor picking of Sauvignon Blanc on 7 of October, the main harvest began in earnest on 10 October. Pickers worked over the following five days, including Sunday. Time was of the essence because, as forecasts predicted, the weather suddenly changed on 14 of October with 40mm or rain. After that, the picking teams skirted between showers between 17 and 22 of October, though by now the fruit had begun to deteriorate. Therefore, the key aspect of this Yquem is the extremely tight picking window. The final blend contains 138g/L residual sugar, which is slightly less than the previous vintage, with 5.5g/L total acidity and 14.4% alcohol. Tasting the 2019, I noticed that it has a slightly paler hue compared to recent vintages (though I never read too much into the colour of young Sauternes.) For certain, it has a highly-aromatic bouquet that is beguiling in purity, enticing aromas of honeysuckle and saffron, soon joined by camomile, white flowers and orange blossom. It has wonderful delineation and gains intensity with aeration. The palate is supremely well-balanced with fine bead of acidity. Very harmonious and armed with just the right amount of viscosity, this Yquem is surprisingly understated at first but gains presence, offering irresistible flavours of layers of honey, lemongrass, lemon thyme and orange pith. Yquem is so tempting in its youth, but I feel that this vintage will repay those with the nous to cellar for at least a decade.

The Wine Independent (97+)

The 2020 Château d'Yquem a blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. It has 135 grams per liter of residual sugar and a pH of 3.79. Pale lemon-gold colored, citrus and baking spice notes emerge slowly from the glass, rising to offer well-defined scents of candied ginger, orange blossoms, allspice, and almond tart, leading to a flamboyant core of peach cobbler, ripe, juicy pineapple, jasmine tea, and apple butter with a waft of saffron. The palate is full-bodied and characteristically rich, yet possesses impressive tension and therefore stunning harmony. Layers of exotic spices and fragrant white flower accents fill the palate, leading to a long finish with lingering chalk and mineral nuances. It’s a showy Yquem that is gregarious in youth but is reserving that extra something for those with the patience to wait twenty years or more.

Wine Spectator (95)

A monster in its infancy. Almost black in color, with intense cassis, herb and mint aromas and superrich, dense cassis and licorice flavors. May last forever.--Ducru-Beaucaillou vertical. -TM

Wine Spectator (92)

Delivers lots of tanned leather and spices, with very ripe fruit, from dried strawberry to raisin, turning to jam. Full-bodied, offering a very fresh palate of exotic fruit, currant and raisin as well as silky and polished tannins. So long and beautiful. Why wait? But it has a long life ahead. There is a lot of bottle variation in this wine due to TCA issues, but this is a beauty.¿'89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. -JS

The Wine Independent (100)

Composed of 36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot, the 2019 Figeac is deep garnet-purple colored. It needs considerable swirling to coax out its alluring perfume of redcurrant jelly, juicy blackcurrants, and blackberries, with underlying suggestions of candied violets, chocolate box, fragrant earth, and lavender plus a touch of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a mind-blowing array of layers with exceptionally ripe, fine-grained tannins and jaw-dropping tension, leading to a fantastically persistent mineral and floral-tinged finish that makes your heart stop. With its energy, structure, and incredible depth, truly, this is a towering triumph.

James Suckling (100)

A mesmerizing nose here with flowers such as violets and red roses, then shows cherries and currants with some mineral and black truffles. Full-bodied yet so refined and harmonized with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Flavors of perfectly ripened fruit (al dente) with a hazelnut character that comes from the seeds. Incredibly transparent young red. Breathtaking. 37% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028 and onwards. Magnificent.

An exclusive revelation to the discerning palate, the Gilette 1970 bestows an enriching canvas of flavours. It originates from Sauternes, a renowned wine region in Bordeaux, France, exemplifying the reputable tradition of winemaking in this terroir. This exquisite wine celebrates a half-century of maturation, proudly wearing its vintage heritage.

Claude Gilette, the esteemed winemaker, ensured an intimate, low-volume production, underscoring its rarity and uniqueness. Regarded for his expertise in Noble Rot, Gilette ensures the mold Botrytis cinerea meticulously infects the grapes, intensifying their sweetness, until hand-harvested at the perfect moment of ripeness. Consequently, the Gilette 1970 promises a profile that is intense, yet refined, with harmonious notes of honeyed fruit, ginger spice, and candied lemon, underpinned by a tantalising acidity that beckons a memorable finish.

In conclusion, Gilette 1970 captures the quintessence of Sauternes, truly a gem worth uncorking for those special moments. Savour this extraordinary wine revered by connoisseurs worldwide.

Wine Advocate (98)

A massive wine that is clearly of first-growth quality in this vintage, the 1982 Gruaud Larose remains a youngster. A broodingly dense, thick, unctuously textured, inky/plum/garnet/purple color offers up scents of beef blood, steak tartare, cassis, herbs, tobacco, and underbrush. One of the most concentrated wines of the vintage (as well as one of the most concentrated Bordeaux’s I have ever tasted), it is a huge, full-bodied, weighty, rich wine whose tannins are getting silkier and silkier. It appears set for another 30-40 years of life. This behemoth is a singularly profound example of Gruaud Larose that continues to justify its legendary status. Anticipated maturity: now-2050. Release price: ($140.00/case)

Wine Advocate (88)

The 1962 has always been a very fine Haut-Brion, scoring between the upper eighties and low nineties. In this tasting, it was spicy and sweet, with a tobacco, roasted herb, and red and black fruit-scented nose. The wine is lush, round, medium-bodied, and fully mature. The notes for this wine are taken from the description of Series IV - Flight D of the 1995 tasting conducted in Munich by Helga and Hardy Rodenstock. Many years after the tasting from which this note derives allegations were made concerning the authenticity of old and rare bottles of wine sold by Hardy Rodenstock to collectors around the world. The matter has been the subject of numerous articles, litigation and at least one book. Mr. Parker believes that the wines served to him at this tasting were authentic so this note and the others from that specific tasting continue to be posted on eRobertParker.com.

Wine Advocate (86)

At its apogee, the 1966 Haut-Brion has an attractive, earthy, moderately intense, fruity bouquet. In weight and richness, it is medium weight and bordering on being too lean and light. It is a satisfying, lighter-styled Haut-Brion that is quite attractive, but not really of first-growth proportions. Drink over the next 1-2 years. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 11/84.

Wine Spectator (96)

What a beautiful and complete wine, with dark chocolate, crushed blackberry, cedar and raspberry on the nose. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a beautiful licorice, tar and fruit aftertaste. Long and complex. Will improve with age, but delicious now.

Vinous (100)

The 1989 Haut-Brion commenced one of the most spectacular dinners that I ever attended, this representing one of the best bottles of a dozen tasted over the years. Deep in color with thin bricking on the rim, the haunting bouquet has heart-rending delineation – as profound as it has ever been. Scents of black olives intermingle with graphite, clove and cherry liqueur, underneath subtle gravel scents becoming more vocal with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and maybe not as powerful as it was a few years ago. Yet it is ineffably complex with layers of pure dark berry fruit, black olive, cloves and crushed violets. This particular example was one of the most youthful that I have encountered. The finish is so effortless and yet it changes constantly in the glass, revealing new facets, some attendees noticing a touch of greenness after 30 minutes although I could not detect that myself. It is an awe-inspiring Haut-Brion that is only just beginning to demonstrate the ethereal heights it can achieve. Tasted at the International Business & Wine First Growth Dinner at the Four Seasons.

Wine Advocate (100)

A blend of 50% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Haut-Brion is reticent to begin, languidly revealing crushed black cherries, ripe black plums and wild blueberries with sparks of cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg, espresso, unsmoked cigars, tapenade, crushed rocks and lavender. The full-bodied palate possesses wonderfully complementary contrasts of bold black and blue fruit richness and delicately nuanced cherry fruit, baking spices and floral accents, strutting ripe, finely pixelated tannins and seamless acidity that is placed firmly in the background, finishing very long and with plenty of attitude. This impeccably poised, exquisitely perfumed 2015 Haut-Brion possesses the most alluring yet seemingly effortless beauty. While it bears only a passing resemblance in its opulent personality to the now legendary 1989, like that vintage the 2015 cannot fail to hedonically satiate and intellectually edify all lovers of great Bordeaux who drink it. What’s more, it also has the blue-blooded tenaciousness to remain this jaw-droppingly impressive, throughout its many guises over time, and for a very, very long time.

The Wine Independent (100)

Composed of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.5% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Haut-Brion is deep garnet in color. The nose beings with simple licorice notes before slowly unfurling to deliver growing scents of creme de cassis, plum preserves, dark chocolate, and lilacs, followed by suggestions of crushed rocks, tar, black truffles and cardamom. The full-bodied palate is a tightly coiled spring, taut with black fruit preserves and earthy layers and framed by very firm, grainy tannins, delivering a burst of freshness to carry the long, long, long finish. This will need a good 7-10 more years to fully blossom, and it will be well worth the wait.