Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes, France 2016 375ml

Sauternes

The 2016 Chateau D’Yquem is pure magic and dessert wines don’t get much better. Offering a pale gold color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of honeyed tangerines, tart apricots, liquid rocks, white flowers, and honeysuckle, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, an opulent texture, vibrant acidity, and again, an incredible sense of minerality, despite having no shortage of sweetness or richness. The 2016 is a classic blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon that hit 14.2% alcohol with 135 grams of residual sugar. It’s already complex and approachable yet will keep for 3-4 decades.
99 points
Jeb Dunnuck (June 2019)

Critic tasting note: "The nose is fruity, fresh and offers a beautiful elegance. It reveals notes of candied lemon, kumquat, candied pear associated with fine touches of peach in syrup, hints of white flowers as well as discreet hints of sweet spices, fresh almond and a very discreet hint of honeysuckle. The palate is fruity, beautifully balanced, elegant, precise and offers a beautiful suavity, a beautiful roundness, a beautiful definition, tension, a beautiful freshness, delicacy as well as a fine grain. On the palate this wine expresses notes of candied vine peach, candied pear and small notes of litchi associated with slight touches of exotic fruits / pineapple in syrup as well as slight hints of almonds, dried fruits and very discreet hints of flowers. Good length. Gourmande and very beautiful persistence. There are a hint of pink lychee, exotic fruits and a discreet hint of nuts on the persistence. There is a hint of almond on the aftertaste.