1990 d'Yquem, Sauternes

“This is exuberant, concentrated and luscious. Full of blood orange, nectarine, saffron, touches of carmalised ginger, truffle and crème brûlée. A seesaw of zesty acidity and luscious sweetness, this is a beautiful wine that still has decades ahead of it. Owned by the Lur Saluces family at the time, this clearly shows why Yquem stands in its own category in the appellation. (JA)” (04/2021)

“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)” (08/2019)

“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)” (06/2024)

“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.” (04/2025)

“A hot, dry vintage. Four tries. A little pale compared to the other older vintages, a good sign, perhaps? But there is obvious volatile acidity on the nose, with delicate ripe white fruits behind it. This is surprising in view of the vintage, although with time the nose builds intensity to show orange and apricot notes. Another bottle assessed, however, was much cleaner with no VA. Full, rich, balanced, slightly oily palate. Peaches and apricots. Lovely, with elegance alongside the richness. This is very stylish once you get past the volatility, and there is potential here too. I suspect it would cellar for decades. 18+/20 points (CK)” (11/2004)

“Half-bottle. Almost tawny. Creamy texture – very luxurious. This stood up manfully to Mrs Beeton's Christmas pudding but definitely finished drier than it. I'd say half-bottles anyway are ready to drink now. 18/20 points (JR)” (12/2024)