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1990 d'Yquem, Sauternes

1990 d'Yquem, Sauternes

98RP
97TWI
96JA
96VN
95WS
$529.99

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98

Wine Advocate

Reviewed August 2019
Medium to deep golden colored, the 1990 d'Yquem opens with unabashed opulence, giving expressive notes of dried apricots, toffee, candied walnut, tree bark and sandalwood with nuances of preserved mandarin peel, lemongrass and fallen leaves. The palate is entering that stage where it still has bags of fruit and yet appears quite dry, with a lively line contributing jaw-dropping tension and finishing with epically long-lingering honey nut and earth-inspired notes. Pure. Hedonism. The multilayered intensity perhaps makes this appear a much bigger, sweeter Yquem than it is, and yet it possesses a relatively modest 12.7% alcohol and 126 grams per liter of residual sugar with 3.9 grams per liter of total acidity (H2SO4). Well into its ideal drinking window, there is no real rush to drink this beauty, as it should remain suspended at the heavenly plateau for another 25+ years. (LPB)
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Professional Reviews

97

The Wine Independent

Review Date: 06/2024
Pale to medium gold-amber in color, the 1990 d'Yquem charges out with powerful notes of cigar box, toffee, honey-coated walnuts, and dried apricots. After a little swirling, the nose reveals fragrant scents of sandalwood, candied orange peel, and nutmeg. The palate is rich and unctuous, packed with spicy layers and a decadently oily texture with plenty of freshness to balance, finishing long and opulent. The alcohol is 12.7% and the residual sugar 126 g/l. (LPB)

96

Jane Anson

Review Date: 04/2025
The estate that led the way in Sauternes, producing only sweet wine from 1847 onwards, owned by the Lur Saluces family since 1785, and named 1st Growth Supérieur in 1855, in reflection of prices that were regularly 4,000 francs and above, the highest in Bordeaux. Today in the hands of LVMH (although still Alexandre de Lur Saluces in 1990), this is a stunning wine full of fleshy opulent pineapple, apricot and tangerine fruit laced with butterscotch, creme brulee, saffron and finessed fresh acidities. Insanely good at 45 years old, and no question that it will keep on delivering from here. Even better than when I last had it three years ago.

96

Vinous

Review Date: 06/2025
Strangely, this is my first note on the 1990 Yquem, a vintage tasted many times. Now 35 years old, it has an enticing bouquet of wild honey, barley sugar, crème brûlée and figs that billows with aeration, certainly more opulent than the '89 but quite irresistible. The palate is vibrant and poised, weighty with plenty of botrytised fruit. This has captivating purity of fruit and in recent years has gained a little more elegance, perhaps less bold than it used to be. Not quite at the level of the '89, yet it appears to be improving with age. (NM)

Notes

99 points Robert Parker for Wine Advocate: "1990: An extraordinary effort, Yquem's 1990 is a rich and fabulously superb, sweet wine. This wine also possesses lots of elegance and finesse. The wine's medium gold color is accompanied by an exceptionally sweet nose of honeyed tropical fruits, peaches, coconut, and apricots. High quality, subtle toasty oak is well-integrated. The wine is massive on the palate, with layers of intensely ripe botrytis-tinged, exceptionally sweet fruit. Surprisingly well-integrated acidity, and a seamless, full-bodied power and richness have created a wine of remarkable harmony and purity. Certainly it is one of the richest Yquems I have ever tasted, with 50-100 years of potential longevity. An awesome Yquem! Anticipated maturity: 2003-2050+." (04/1999)

Details

TypeDessert Wine
VarietalSemillon
OriginSauternes, Bordeaux, France
Bottle Size750 mL
SKU170009