D'Yquem Unique Case: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017 (375MLx6)

This special collector case features 6 outstanding vintages of Yquem in 375ml: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017.

2006 D’Yquem (375ml)

19 JR / 97 WA / 96 WS

Sweet crème pâtissière on the nose. Solid and very rich and impressive. Real depth and unctuousness and complexity. This is great stuff. Long and layered. So long! Complex. - JancisRobinson .com

Tasted blind at Southwold ’06 Bordeaux tasting. This is tightly coiled on the nose, honey, a touch of ginger, barley sugar and a touch of brown sugar. Quite complex but it needs time. The palate is excellent with crystalline, honeyed fruit, superb balance with hints of honeysuckle, beeswax, apricot and marmalade. Superb balance and poise towards the elegant, graceful finish with fine persistency. This is a fantastic d’Yquem that I fear may be overlooked thanks to the ’07 or ‘09. A regal Yquem. - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

Lovely flavors of apricot, dried tangerine, pineapple and papaya rush along, supported by hazelnut, frangipane and coconut notes. Despite the depth, this is very, very pure, with filigreed acidity carrying the long, long finish. Drink now through 2037. 7,500 cases made. - Wine Spectator

2009 D’Yquem (375ML)

100 WA / 100 NM / 98 WS / 97 DE / 18 JR

Pale to medium gold colored, the 2009 d'Yquem bursts from the glass with gregarious crème caramel, allspice, dried apricots, mandarin peel and pineapple upside down cake scents plus a fragrant undercurrent of fungi, acacia honey, candied ginger, musk perfume and frangipani. Full-bodied and full-on hedonic in the mouth, the rich, tightly wound layers are still amazingly youthful with bags of citrus sparks and an incredibly long, perfumed finish. Possessing a residual sugar of 157 grams per liter and 13.6% alcohol as well as a laser-focused line of freshness, the rock-solid structure and through-the-roof opulence here is simply mind blowing. Pure perfection. - LPB, Wine Advocate

Served from an ex-chateau bottle. The 2009 Chateau d’Yquem is one showstopper of a wine and perhaps it is only in a vertical that you realize this is up there among the legendary wines of the past – the 2001 included. It has a wonderful nose that expresses the Semillon component majestically: heady aromas of lemon curd, nectarine, jasmine and honeysuckle that all gain momentum in the glass. The oak is supremely well-integrated. The palate is extremely well-balanced with an unctuous entry. You are immediately knocked sideways by the palpable weight and volume in the mouth, which is almost “bulbous,” with layer upon layer of heavily botrytized fruit. It builds to a spicy finish with hints of marzipan and pralines in the background that lend it an untrammeled sense of exoticism. The 2009 is utterly fabulous and decadent, a star that will blaze brightly and undimmed for many years. Drink now-2060+. Tasted March 2014.- Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

The aromas are closed today, but the core is loaded with apricot, nectarine and orange notes, bolted by a citrus zest spine and backed by toasted almond and piecrust accents on the finish. A large-scale Yquem that shows the richness of the vintage.—Non-blind Yquem vertical (July 2014). Best from 2020 through 2050.  — JM, Wine Spectator

From a dry, hot year, this Yquem has retained all the freshness of a great Sauternes combined with massive intensity of ultra-ripe grapes. It lacks the additional complexity of more botrytised vintages but makes up for this with the wonderful balance of sweetness, orange zest notes and tingling acidity. Not a fat style of Yquem, the acidity makes this very refreshing. Can be enjoyed now but has the concentration to last at least another two decades. Drinking Window 2021 - 2045 - Andy Howard MW, Decanter

More grassy than the 2015 just tasted, with honey and golden syrup and plenty of volatile-acidity character. Fatter and richer than the 2015, and a burnt-sugar flavour dominates. An embarrassment of riches. (RH), JancisRobinson .com

2010 D’Yquem (375ML)

98 WA / 97 WS / 97 JS / 97 WE / 94 VM / 17 JR

Pale to medium lemon-gold color, the 2010 d'Yquem has retreated into its shell at this youthful stage, offering spritely suggestions of lemon curd, lime cordial and green mango with wafts of honeysuckle, spice cake, sea spray and beeswax plus a hint of gingerbread. The palate really comes through with super intense, tightly wound citrus, savory and mineral layers carried by a laser-precise backbone of freshness, finishing with crazy persistence that lingers a full three minutes and then some. This is going to be a very exotic, opulent Yquem! - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

A pure, racy, floral style, with bright white peach, heather and honeysuckle notes driving along. The core of fresh orchard fruit is unctuous, the finish long and lacy, with marvelous cut and finesse. This shows the balance and elegance of a cooler year with a longer harvest period.—Non-blind Yquem vertical (July 2014). Best from 2015 through 2045. 8,334 cases made. - Wine Spectator

The purity of Botrytis in this wine is so impressive with dried fruits such apple and mango. And then spicy character. Full body and very sweet but it is incredibly fresh and lively. Such class and elegance. Perfectly manicured wine. Everything in the right place. This shows a delicacy and intensity that are spellbinding. Drink in 2018. - James Suckling

96-98. Stunningly rich in character, a wine with great power to go with its acidity and sweetness. It is dense, powerful and concentrated powered by honey and by spice from the wood. The finish has dried apricots, very aromatic. Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

The 2010 Yquem has an attractive bouquet with marmalade, caramelized pear, orange pith and light puff pastry notes. It just needs a little more delineation. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced and impressive focus. Like the aromatics, I would have just liked a little more precision on the finish. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Tasted blind. Broad and spicy, fat apricot flavours. Really deep flavours but could do with a little more freshness to balance. Long bitter-orange finish, extreme depth but lacks zip. - Jancis Robinson

2013 D’Yquem (375ML)

98 WS / 98 JS / 95-97 WA / 94-96 AG

Lightly toasted marshmallow and macadamia nut aromas lead the way, followed by incredibly juicy mirabelle plum, green fig, and glazed pear and peach flavors. As big as this is, there are still plenty of honeysuckle, quinine and chamomile notes kicking the finish into yet another gear. This has purity and length to burn, which it will for a couple of generations. Best from 2020 through 2050. James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

Bright aromas of sliced mango, papaya, botrytis, and lemon follow through to a full body, medium sweet and phenolic palate that gives the wine structure and beauty. Electric acidity and freshness yet an impressive energy and length. A severe selection was made. 40% of the production was destined to the grand vin. About 80,000 bottles made. This is 70% semillion and 30% sauvignon. Better in 2018. James Suckling

Firstly, you notice the color, which is a touch deeper than recent vintages at this stage. The bouquet is quite honeyed and rich for Yquem at this early juncture, with subtle scents of peach skin, white flowers, and a puff of chalk and frangipane. The palate is viscous on the entry, all about the texture at first, coating the mouth with luscious botrytized fruit. There are touches of Seville orange marmalade, fresh apricot, a hint of spice and passion fruit. This is imbued with impressive depth and weight, perhaps an Yquem that is determined to make an impression after last year-s absence. It might not possess the finesse of a top flight Yquem, but it has immense power and persistency. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

The 2013 d'Yquem is rich, honeyed and voluptuous in the glass, but never excessively heavy. Creme brulee, candied lemon, apricot jam, orange marmalade, sweet spices and almond paste meld together in a Sauternes built on class and finesse What a gorgeous wine this is. Antonio Galloni

2014 D’Yquem (375ML)

98 WS / 98 JS / 97 VM / 97 DE / 95 AG

98 Points Wine Spectator: A stunner, sporting tropical mango and papaya notes that glide along beautifully, while heather honey, pineapple chutney and toasted coconut flavors fill in through the finish. Delivers an amazing mouthfeel that is both creamy and intense, presenting a pretty inner floral brightness that contrasts with the fruit. Best from 2020 through 2045” — James Molesworth

98 Points James Suckling: Very subtle Yquem on the nose with dried pineapple, lemons, green apples and hints of botrytis. The palate grabs you by the arms and shows you superb concentration of spices, dried fruit, phenolics and incredible energy. Nothing is like this from Sauternes this vintage! Drink whenever you like. Spellbinding.

97 Points Vinous Media: The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.  - Neal Martin

97 Points Decanter: Utterly great Yquem! My wine of the vintage – and the Decanter team’s top-scoring wine of 2014. A laser beam of acidity (3.6 pH) and lemony botrytis lifts and extends very pure aromas and sweet flavours (134g/l residual sugar) of tangerine, vanilla, pineapple and minerals. Less rich than the 2001 and '09, but purer and fresher. I wonder if 25% Sauvignon Blanc isn't just 5% too much? Drinking Window 2022 - 2075. - Ian d'Agata

95 Points Antonio Galloni: The 2014 d'Yquem is a wine of restraint above all else. Candied lemon, orange peel, apricot jam, graphite and almond are some of the many threads in a rich fabric that envelops all the senses. A wine of contrasts, the 2014 is at times delicate, while in other moments it is more powerful. Although striking, the 2014 falls just short of being profound. In exchange, readers will find an Yquem that will give up its charms on the earlier side.

2017 D’Yquem (375ML)

99 JS / 97-99 WA / 97 VM / 18.5 JR

This is a great Yquem, delivering thrilling purity and intensity. The nose offers intense aromas of fresh and dried apricot and peach pastry, as well as freshly baked creme brulee, candied and fresh orange and kumquat. Some marmalade, too. Smooth, glossy texture with flavors of grilled orange, dried apricot and an exceptionally long finish with a powerful, driving push to the end. A flicker of toasty-oak influence arrives late, but this wine has completely consumed the oak. The 2017 Yquem is a very powerful wine from a very rich and exceptional vintage. The acidity has a big hand in balancing the richness. Pithy finish. The phenolics deliver some great depth. Rain at the beginning of September prompted an extensive infection of noble rot. The harvest lasted from September 26 to October 13. Great quality and one of the best since the legendary 2001. Drink or hold.--James Suckling

There was no frost at d’Yquem in 2017, and botrytis was very regular and even this vintage. The nose opens with very pure notes of freshly sliced oranges, yuzu and lemon barley water with hints of white pepper, fresh ginger and lime cordial. The incredibly rich, unctuous sweetness (148 grams per liter of residual sugar) is beautifully marbled with bright, vivacious citrus fruit and spice flavors, while lifted by well-knit freshness, and it finishes with epic length and great depth. --LPB, The Wine Advocate

The 2017 Yquem is destined to be one of my favourite recent vintages. It has brilliant delineation on the nose with acacia honey, saffron, white flowers and a subtle crushed stone element. So much energy is palpable. The palate is supremely well balanced, surfeit with energy, spicy and feisty and yet paradoxically beautifully controlled and pixelated towards the extended finish. It’s not unlike the brilliant 2014 in style. Tasted at the château.--Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Tasted blind. Pale gold. Subtle, refined nose. Wonderful intensity and superb balance on the palate. The sweetness is matched by grip and subtly savoury spices. There is plenty of botrytis, but its earthy complexity is woven superbly into the wine. There is great potential here. (TP), Jancis Robinson