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Yquem 2006

Sauternes/Barsac, First Growth

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Units Size Case size GBP Price: Quantities Buy
12 75cl Bottle Case 12 £2,400 per Case Case [Add to shopping basket]
Tasting Notes

A monumental bottle of Sauternes despite a moderate level of residual sugar (122 grams per liter), the 2006 d'Yquem displays a singular, distinctive and elegant bouquet with aromas of thyme, sage, curry, baked pineapple and oregano. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it’s rich and concentrated, with superb acidity on the mid-palate as well as freshness, tension and crystalline texture, concluding on an endless, ethereal finish with a racy bitterness. Simply stunning!

Score: 98

Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023-2065 31 October 2023

The 2006 Yquem is initially tightly-wound on the nose before revealing enticing scents of mandarin, dried honey, quince and just a very slight adhesive scent. This is well-defined yet certainly demands more coaxing than its peers. The palate is well-balanced with fine delineation, a caressing viscous texture with desiccated orange peel and a touch of bitter lemon that counterbalances the richness. I noticed this 2006 becoming spicier with aeration. Excellent. Tasted at the Yquem dinner at Rick Stein's restaurant in Barnes.

Score: 94

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2050 01 April 2022

While no surprise here, this wine, which will be bottled in 2009, is certainly this estate’s greatest effort since their 2001. It completely outclasses everything from the appellation, but even when you’re number one, that’s often hard to do. This light gold wine offers up a sensational smorgasbord of aromas including huge honeyed pineapple and other caramelized tropical fruit flavors, massive richness, and a viscous, unctuous texture with the oak beautifully integrated. The wine has enough acidity to buttress its full-bodied mouthfeel, but this is not by any means the sweetest or most alcoholic of the d’Yquems I have tasted. In fact, in the range of d’Yquems, this is a powerful wine, but it is one built more on finesse and elegance, a la the 1988. Nevertheless, this wine will prove to have 50+ years of longevity. The finish, the mid-palate, the sensation of looking at a skyscraper of Semillon with a small dosage of Sauvignon, is impressive. Like all of the sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes, one can drink this young, but the nuances and complexities really don’t emerge for at least a decade, especially in the case of a wine such as this. Bravo!

Score: 96 - 98

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 March 2009

Unbelievable wine - with so much more concentration and richness than the other examples of 2006 Sauternes tasted immediately beforehand. Yet with no shortage of life either. Amazing smoothness, richness and depth spreads all across the palate - even better than I remember the 2005 at this stage. Edge of caramel already but the tingle of fresh green verdure. Great texture and lift and weight of sweetness. No volatility apparent whatsoever (unlike some others) - in fact Pierre Lurton said the VA levels were lower than in the last 30 years. Great finesse - wonderfully pure.

Score: 19

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2015-2035 26 April 2007

This is very long and intense. Really impressive. Full and very sweet, yet racy and fresh, with spicy botrytis character. Fantastic.

Score: 95 - 100

James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2007