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Yquem 1996

Sauternes/Barsac, First Growth

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Tasting Notes

RS 130 g/l, TA 4 g/l. An academic vintage - Sandrine’s first. Guy Latrille left in 1997. Great balance. Mid copper. Very firm barley-sugar nose. Very rich and so concentrated. Lovely firmness. Brilliant fruit without being that sweet. Wax and depth and great tanginess. Very flexible with food, I should think. Medium weight and very very appetising, with a touch of chew on the end. Orange peel, muscularity. This one goes to the gym. Real lemony interest.

Score: 18 - 19

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2006-2036 08 June 2011

Half bottle. Deep gold, savoury/sour apricot and orange peel aromas. Intense, viscous, dense and there's a slightly grippy texture on the palate still. Great depth, notes of almond and baked apple and all that sweetness counterbalanced by bracing acidity. Still seems so young, and promises more.

Score: 18

Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2012-2035 20 May 2011

This performed brilliantly at the Roberson's vertical, even outclassing the lauded 1997! A moderate golden hue. The nose is closed at first, very muted as it was before. But the palate is where it is all going on: honey, white peach, excellent levels of botrytis with a touch of barleysugar and spice towards the finish. Very long, blossoming in the glass with the reluctant nose eventually offering some lovely coconut and almond aromas. This could be a really great Yquem in another couple of decades. Patience is needed. Drink 2025-2050. Tasted November 2006.

Score: 96

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2025-2050 01 March 2008

Compared with the flamboyant aromatics of the 1997, Yquem's 1996 plays it closer to the vest, although there is a lot going on. Light gold with a tight but promising nose of roasted hazelnuts intermixed with creme brulee, vanilla beans, honey, orange marmalade, and peaches, this medium to full-bodied offering reveals loads of power in its restrained, measured personality. There is admirable acidity, weight, texture, and purity in this impeccably made Yquem. However, patience will be a virtue.

Score: 95

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2012-2060 01 April 2003