2001 d'Yquem, Sauternes (Pre-Arrival)
SKU #1018254
100 points
James Suckling
This is so layered and intense on the palate with lemons and dried pineapple, mango and honey. Full body, very sweet, but it remains tangy and vibrant. Shows such amazing balance and intensity. Crazy finish. Hints of vanilla and apple purée. One of the greatest Yquems ever. All about purity here.
(7/2013)
100 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
You may ask: what is the point? Another perfect score for the 2001 d'Yquem. Oh well, why not? This bottle, served blind, reinforced the sheer unadulterated brilliance of this legendary Sauternes now at 15 years old. Doesn't time fly. It seems to be aging at a glacial pace, hardly changed since I last tasted it. The nose is like the throbbing engine of an Aston Martin Vantage, ready to go. It is so packed with intensity, perhaps a little more resinous than I recall, but with almost crystalline delineation. The palate is perfectly balanced and laden with botrytis, not as unctuous or as rich as say, the 2009 d'Yquem, yet with heavenly focus and a crescendo of flavors that take your breath away: acacia honey, yellow plum, white peach and orange sorbet. The startling things is ... this is just the opening act. (NM)
(10/2016)
98 points
Decanter
Voluptuous yet vibrant nose, with aromas of peach, mandarins, honey and crème brûlée. It’s markedly sweet, with 150g/L of residual sugar, but exquisite acidity keeps it taut and textured. Very elegant, no trace of heaviness, and the finish is lifted, poised and very long. (SB)
(4/2021)
Jancis Robinson
Berry Bros' cellars seem to be awash with this great wine, to judge from the number of times I have been lucky enough to taste, nay drink, it chez eux. Sumptuous, glorious with richness, concentration yet no heaviness and quite enough freshness to see it through for decades. Thank you. 19/20 points (JR)
(6/2017)
K&L Notes
100 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown for Wine Advocate: "I have had the very good fortune to taste the 2001 d'Yquem perhaps a dozen times since its release and have never been less than absolutely floored by its combination of poise, purity, precision and layer upon intricate, jaw-dropping layer of flavor nuances. It is among a very small clutch of incredible wines that crash through the 100-point ceiling and rocket beyond the stratosphere! A testament to that magic that can be created when an uncommonly great vintage for Sauternes brings out the best of an extraordinary vineyard and is skillfully, sensitively crafted, the 2001 is a true wine rarity that must be tried to be believed." (08/2019)