2001 d'Yquem, Sauternes

This has taken on a golden amber color, with fantastic intensity and complexity of aromas. Mushroom, candle wax, white truffle, chamomile, honey, vanilla bean, marmalade, smoke, toast, apricot and pineapple. Powerful, rich and intense, yet sharp and almost savory, demanding attention. Goes on and on.

The 2001 Yquem is often considered as good as wine gets—one of those singular, reference-point wines that cannot be denied. Over the years, it has become increasingly scarce as more people seek to experience it for themselves and corks are popped. I’ve had the good fortune to encounter it a few times, and while my expectations were sky-high, this is a wine that lives up to every one of them. It has aged glacially over the past twenty years, maintaining a freshness and liveliness that belies its age. At the same time, it is unmistakably Yquem—always delicious and complex. Aromatically, you couldn’t ask for more: a panoply of florals, stone fruit, honey, wax, pineapple, and more emerges as it evolves in the glass. The flavors are endless, but the true joy lies in the texture, depth, and electric acidity, all working in harmony through a remarkable and balanced finish. The 2001 Yquem is surely a bucket-list wine, deserving of all its acclaim. It stands at the pinnacle of its category—something few wines in the world can claim—and I hope everyone has the chance to taste it at least once.