A wine marked by its purity, freshness and honeyed, unctuous flavour as well as searing freshness and length. It has the breed of a great wine. 5 stars. Score: 19 Decanter Magazine, Decanter.com

A racy mix of lime and tropical fruits give a lovely fragrance on the nose. The palate has lots of charm, floral at the start with lush apricot, peach and candied peel fleshing out the middle. There is weight to the finish, the sweetness beautifully balanced by lemon peel. Score: 89-93 Derek Smedley MW
 
Green gold. Muted, almost dry nose. Very sweet start though a little on the hot barley sugar side rather than wonderfully fine and nuanced. A bit sugary. Astringent finish but massive sugar levels even if not fine. Chewy end. Gone for bust! Not quite as fine at this stage as I have come to expect of this property. Score: 17.5 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com
 
Solid baby sticky, with a core of apple pie, honey and spicy fruit on the palate. Medium- to full-bodied, with medium sweetness and a lively finish. 92-95. Score: 92-96 James Suckling, WineSpectator.com
 
(90% semillon with 10% sauvignon blanc) Bright yellow-gold. Subdued but powerful nose offers fresh stone fruits, grapefruit zest, ginger and honey, all lifted by a floral topnote. Lush, thick and honeyed, but with superb acidity framing the flavors of mandarin orange, pineapple, honey and chalk. Finishes very long and subtle, with a saline nuance and terrific fruit penetration. A good bit of the estate's sauvignon blanc went into the dry S de Suduiraut in '07, noted managing director Christian Seely. Score: 92-95 Stephen Tanzer, Intl. Wine Cellar
 
From a blend made one month ago (in two barrels.) This has a well-defined nose, complex with touches of clear honey, acacia, hints of orange-blossom. Very well focused on the palate, with superb marriage of nervosité (from the first two tries) and the botrytis concentration of the later tries. Citrus fruits, a touch of orange zest towards the finish. Not a rich, weighty, viscous Suduiraut, this is more about tension and vibrancy. An understated Suduiraut for the vintage but well-crafted. Drink 2010-2030. Tasted April 2008. Score: 91-93 Wine Advocate

The 1994 has intense aromas of petrol, spice and honey, with dried apricot.  It is full-bodied and very sweet with a green apple and honey character.  Drink now. Wine Spectator

90 Points Robert Parker Bordeaux Book (4) December 2003

Sauternes is a tiny appellation, only about 2% of the Bordeaux vineyards, located 20 kilometres southeast of Bordeaux. It is difficult to understand with any certainty, due to the lack of written documents, what originally motivated winegrowers to let their grades "rot" on the vine to produce a different kind of wine. Apparently, late harvest wines already existed in the 16th and 17th centuries. This sort of wine became widespread in Sauternes in the 18th and 19th centuries due to the interest shown by connoisseurs such as Thomas Jefferson and Grand Duke Constantine, who induced winegrowers read more...to wort their grapes in order to single out those most affected by "noble rot".

Sauternes is different from other sweet wines for two reasons. First of all, Sauternes has a unique interplay of soil, topography, and microclimate which promotes the regular growth of Botrytis cinerea perhaps more than anywhere else. Second, the vineyards are harvested in several "waves" in order to pick only the most botrytised grapes each time. The wine starts out quite assertively on the palate with mineral flavours and a rich, complex flavour profile. Perfectly balanced, this wine's incredible complexity will become more accessible in a few more years' time.

The 1999 was particularly impressive for the vintage. It was superbly focused and beautiful on the nose, with sugared lemons, tropical fruit and maple syrup character. Full-bodied and thick, yet very fine, it was extremely sweet and long. 94/100 JS, Wine Spectator

Chateau d’Yquem have just released the 1999 vintage, at a very enticing price. Having taken advice from the negociant trade in Bordeaux, Pierre Lurton, the new Managing Director at d’Yquem, who also heads up Chateau Cheval Blanc, has released the 1999 at a lower price than the 1998, a vintage of similar quality. Lurton is keen to see Chateau d’Yquem generate excitement among wine lovers and be consumed and enjoyed, and not just treated as a trophy wine being traded at high prices. The price is at a similar level to the release price of the 1993 vintage, and it is a great opportunity for people to get some d’Yquem at a reasonable price. I would also mention that the quality of the 1999 Rieussec is extremely good, and d’Yquem are legendary for making excellent wines in less classic vintages, due to their severe selection process in the vineyard. We have secured good stocks but the demand at this price is likely to be very healthy, so please do not delay!

The 1999 was particularly impressive for the vintage. It was superbly focused and beautiful on the nose, with sugared lemons, tropical fruit and maple syrup character. Full-bodied and thick, yet very fine, it was extremely sweet and long. 94/100 JS, Wine Spectator

Chateau d’Yquem have just released the 1999 vintage, at a very enticing price. Having taken advice from the negociant trade in Bordeaux, Pierre Lurton, the new Managing Director at d’Yquem, who also heads up Chateau Cheval Blanc, has released the 1999 at a lower price than the 1998, a vintage of similar quality. Lurton is keen to see Chateau d’Yquem generate excitement among wine lovers and be consumed and enjoyed, and not just treated as a trophy wine being traded at high prices. The price is at a similar level to the release price of the 1993 vintage, and it is a great opportunity for people to get some d’Yquem at a reasonable price. I would also mention that the quality of the 1999 Rieussec is extremely good, and d’Yquem are legendary for making excellent wines in less classic vintages, due to their severe selection process in the vineyard. We have secured good stocks but the demand at this price is likely to be very healthy, so please do not delay!

Very aromatic and unctuous with a lovely point of freshness coming through at the end. On the palate there is a great concentration and richness (130g residual sugar in this sample). Very unctuous yet complex and fresh. A touch of alcohol shows through on the finish but these are early days and this is only a marker for the finished article. This will be one of the great Yquem vintages, though on the day Climens was even more impressive. 5 stars. Score: 19 Decanter Magazine, Decanter.com
 
The nose is floral with behind the fragrance a complex mix of pineapple and lime blended in with candied orange peel. It is rich, voluptuously lush but not over heavy as there is a racy lime freshness that lifts and brightens the fruit. Layers of flavour add to the complexity and this wonderful mix of different fruits is there on the long fragrant finish. Score: 94-98 Derek Smedley MW
 
Deep golden with an orange tinge. Very tangy. And thick. At the same time. Massive weight! Extraordinary fullness. An edge of something a bit corrective - almost bitter. Very big and hits you between eyeballs. Citrus pith. Needs to settle down and become more gentle. Big and round. Almost over the top. So rich!!!!! But definite bitterness on the finish. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay, who has been there an incredible 14 years, thinks the 2001 has more finesse. I agree. Score: 19 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com
 
This is amazing. Full of spicy botrytis character, with smoke and piecrust underneath. Full and rich, yet not cloying or too dense. It's lively and long, finishing with intensity and powerl. A unnerving combination of wild ripe fruit and intense botrytis, with lively acidity. Really powerful. Should be a perfect wine. 97-100. Score: 97-100 James Suckling, WineSpectator.com
 
(14% alcohol with 140 g/l r.s.; 70% semillon and 30% sauvignon blanc) Pale gold. Knockout nose of mirabelle, pineapple, spices and honey. Dense and thick but with racy acidity leavening the wine's liqueur-like flavors of peach, apricot and pineapple and imbuing it with superb energy. With aeration, this showed captivating notes of vanilla, toast and fresh and exotic herbs, plus a saline aspect on the very long finish. Still an infant, but already boasts terrific cut and purity of fruit. Director Pierre Lurton was thrilled to have a large quantity of wine at this high level of quality. Score: 95-98 Stephen Tanzer, Intl. Wine Cellar
 
A sample blend excluding the 7th passage (80% of the blending). The Yquem '07 was cropped at 18hl/ha, reportedly similar to the 1967 in the middle of the harvest and 188 towards the later picking. This has a very concentrated nose although it is less showy at the moment. But there is tremendous power here, touches of marmalade, honey, peach and orange zest. Superb delineation. The palate is striking but its sense of urgency and nervosité, real vibrancy in the mouth even at this early stage. Pure clear honey, a touch of spice, orange cut marmalade and supreme focus on the almost Zen-like finish that will be bolstered with the later tries are added. Lovely touch of quince paste and dried lychee on the finish, which has 130gms/L residual. Superb Yquem, though not in the class of the '01. Drink 2012-2050. Tasted April 2008. Score: 96-98 Wine Advocate

Very aromatic and unctuous with a lovely point of freshness coming through at the end. On the palate there is a great concentration and richness (130g residual sugar in this sample). Very unctuous yet complex and fresh. A touch of alcohol shows through on the finish but these are early days and this is only a marker for the finished article. This will be one of the great Yquem vintages, though on the day Climens was even more impressive. 5 stars. Score: 19 Decanter Magazine, Decanter.com
 
The nose is floral with behind the fragrance a complex mix of pineapple and lime blended in with candied orange peel. It is rich, voluptuously lush but not over heavy as there is a racy lime freshness that lifts and brightens the fruit. Layers of flavour add to the complexity and this wonderful mix of different fruits is there on the long fragrant finish. Score: 94-98 Derek Smedley MW
 
Deep golden with an orange tinge. Very tangy. And thick. At the same time. Massive weight! Extraordinary fullness. An edge of something a bit corrective - almost bitter. Very big and hits you between eyeballs. Citrus pith. Needs to settle down and become more gentle. Big and round. Almost over the top. So rich!!!!! But definite bitterness on the finish. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay, who has been there an incredible 14 years, thinks the 2001 has more finesse. I agree. Score: 19 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com
 
This is amazing. Full of spicy botrytis character, with smoke and piecrust underneath. Full and rich, yet not cloying or too dense. It's lively and long, finishing with intensity and powerl. A unnerving combination of wild ripe fruit and intense botrytis, with lively acidity. Really powerful. Should be a perfect wine. 97-100. Score: 97-100 James Suckling, WineSpectator.com
 
(14% alcohol with 140 g/l r.s.; 70% semillon and 30% sauvignon blanc) Pale gold. Knockout nose of mirabelle, pineapple, spices and honey. Dense and thick but with racy acidity leavening the wine's liqueur-like flavors of peach, apricot and pineapple and imbuing it with superb energy. With aeration, this showed captivating notes of vanilla, toast and fresh and exotic herbs, plus a saline aspect on the very long finish. Still an infant, but already boasts terrific cut and purity of fruit. Director Pierre Lurton was thrilled to have a large quantity of wine at this high level of quality. Score: 95-98 Stephen Tanzer, Intl. Wine Cellar
 
A sample blend excluding the 7th passage (80% of the blending). The Yquem '07 was cropped at 18hl/ha, reportedly similar to the 1967 in the middle of the harvest and 188 towards the later picking. This has a very concentrated nose although it is less showy at the moment. But there is tremendous power here, touches of marmalade, honey, peach and orange zest. Superb delineation. The palate is striking but its sense of urgency and nervosité, real vibrancy in the mouth even at this early stage. Pure clear honey, a touch of spice, orange cut marmalade and supreme focus on the almost Zen-like finish that will be bolstered with the later tries are added. Lovely touch of quince paste and dried lychee on the finish, which has 130gms/L residual. Superb Yquem, though not in the class of the '01. Drink 2012-2050. Tasted April 2008. Score: 96-98 Wine Advocate