D'Yquem 1989 Case (750MLx12)

100 DE / 99 VM / 97 RP / 97 WS / 19 JR / 96 WI

The 1921 Yquem probably has the best backstory of any wine that I have tasted, this glass purloined from the decanter being served to pop star Madonna at the adjacent table in the salad days of my career. I had to rustle back in the original Wine-Journal archives for my tasting note. Botrytis came after 38mm of rain on 1 September following a severe summer drought. Potential alcohol levels apparently ranged from 14% to 30%. Refulgent deep golden in colour, the nose bursts forth with pure honey, orange peel, crème brûlée and quince (actually, not a million miles away from the 1967). Incredibly youthful and full of vitality, this 1921 possesses incredible intensity, its richness counterbalanced by a killer line of acidity. Just a sip is sufficient to leave you in awe of this magical wine. Tasted at Mirabelle restaurant in London in November, 2000.. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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. - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

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.  - Wine Spectator

Two halves tasted towards the end of the JancisRobinson.com Christmas dinner were surprisingly different. They were both deep golden amber hue but with different intensities. The paler one was definitely simpler than the darker one. The former had an intense impact of sweetness beautifully counterbalanced by just the right amount of acidity and the special depth of Yquem with glossy satin texture. Candied-lemon flavour. The darker one, on the other hand, was much more intense and savoury in flavour with more complexity. Really intense and long. The score applies to the darker example, which continued to reverberate on the palate for minutes. - Jancis Robinson

1989 was a very dry, very hot vintage - similar to 1929 or 1947, according to Yquem president, Pierre Lurton. It is also the year that the vines were hit by a violent hailstorm in July, which damaged the western half of the vineyard. Since the berries were still quite small and hard at that stage, the impact was minimized to about 20% overall crop loss, giving a small yet concentrated harvest this year. The 1989 Yquem is pale to medium amber in color and wafts from the glass with notes of dried pineapple, preserved mandarin peel, sultana cake, and praline, opening out with a powerful perfume of jasmine tea, chamomile flowers, and apricot preserves. The palate is completely coated with layers of rich, powerful stone fruit preserves and baking spices, lifted by a seamless backbone of freshness, finishing epically long and spicy. The residual sugar is 126.5 grams per liter. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent