1983 d'Yquem, Sauternes
SKU #970041
98 points
Wine Spectator
Super-intense and full-throttled, elegant and stylish. Dark amber in color and rich in complexity, this '83 coats your mouth with butterscotch, dried apricot, fig and spice flavors. Made to age for decades. *Top 100 Wines of 1988, #9*
(4/1995)
96 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1983 is among the most concentrated wines from this property over the last 20 years, with a staggering display of extract and a mind-boggling amount of glycerin. The vintage commenced early for Yquem, beginning on September 29 and finishing on November 18. Most observers feel the 1983 will mature more slowly than the 1986, and will last for almost 100 years. Given Yquem's unbelievable aging potential, such comments do not seem far fetched. At present, the 1983 is enormous, with huge, honeyed, pineapple, coconut, and caramel flavors, massive extract, and an unctuous quality barely framed by acidity and new oak. I do not feel the wine has changed since bottling … (RP)
(12/1997)
94 points
John Gilman
The 1983 vintage of Yquem is drinking beautifully and has reached a lovely, tertiary stage of its evolution that still retains the vibrancy of youth to go along with all of the additional layers of complexity that bottle age brings. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a refined blend of apricots, honey, barley sugar, chalky soil tones, new leather and a topnote of tea leaves. On the palate the wine is deep, long and focused, with superb depth at the core, lovely balance and a long, complex and still very zesty and energetic finish. A very tasty vintage of Yquem.
(1/2018)
Jancis Robinson
Really rather wasted on us all, in 14th position on the menu, but the sheer quality shone through and was still marvellous. Rich and reverberant with considerable but not excessive sweetness. Too much! (JR) 19/20 points
(7/2014)
K&L Notes
94 points, Neal Martin's Wine Journal: "The ’83 Yquem retains that Barsac-like bouquet with hints of barley sugar, quince, honey and a touch of marmalade. It has very fine definition and a greater sense of exuberance than hitherto encountered. The palate is very intense, superb vibrant acidity, great sense of tension with honey, marmalade, creme-brulee and apricots. This maybe the best Yquem ‘83 that I have tasted; the length extraordinary with an almost petrolly finish and yet it does not have the breeding of the ’89 or ’01. (12/2008)"