Geoffrey Binder, JJ Buckley, April 2012

80% semillon, 20% sauvignon blanc. Barrel fermented and aged in 100% new oak. Vibrant orange gold color. A powerful, but tightly wound nose of orange rind, citrus, white flowers, cloves, and saffron. This is exceptionally complex and powerful, hitting the palate with a luxurious texture undercut by vivacious, crisp acidity. This shows loads of ripe stone fruit, quince, and mango flavors, along with a background snap of ginger, all enfolded in striking, chalky minerality. Drink now and over the next 30 years.

98 points,

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, April 2012

A Sauternes with incredible purity and beauty. Full body, with lovely character of mangos, pineapple, papaya, and honey. Goes on for minutes. The purity in this wine is phenomenal. Spicy with dried mushroom and ash undertones. Gorgeous and clean. Bright. A more balanced 2001?

96 -98 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, April 2012

The 2011 has a clear silvery gold hue, perhaps not quite as deep as I recall the 2010 last year. The bouquet is very fragrant and well-defined, with scents of wild honey, honeysuckle and a touch of vanilla. It is a refined, sedate and beautifully focused bouquet that does not need to show off. The palate displays superb weight in the mouth, even though at first it seems almost understated. Yet there is clearly a high level of spicy, botrytized fruit with notes of honey, orange zest and a touch of mandarin. There is no explosion on the finish; the 2011 is rather a lesson in control, complexity and nuance. It is utterly seductive. Drink 2016-2040+.

The 2011 commenced with picking on September 6, the fourth earliest in its history, although they waited until September 12 to really get going in the vineyard. The harvest was over four tries until the October 5, peaking on the last day of the second trie on September 23. There is a very low level of volatility compared to the level of residual sugar, which at 144 grams per liter is almost the same as 2010.

97 -100 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, August 2012

Bright yellow-gold. Captivating nose is marked by sexy lemony botrytis, white peach, mango, guava and saffron. Enters the mouth very dense but remarkably vibrant and pristine thanks to lively acidity, then turns richer and more unctuous in the mid-palate, displaying knockout flavors of fresh tropical fruit, white peach, white flowers, beeswax and wet stone. The finish is pure and extremely long. This amazing young Yquem, one of the finest in the last dozen years, perfectly combines elements of the fresher, more refined Yquems of the recent Dubourdieu years with the more exotic, opulent personality of the wines made under Alexandre de Lur Saluces. The harvest began on September 6 (only in 1893 did it begin earlier) with the young sauvignon blanc vines and even some semillon to preserve freshness. There were four tries in total, ending on October 5. General Manager Pierre Lurton told me that picking practically all the botrytized grapes very quickly in September was the key to guaranteeing a pure, fresh botrytis component. Sandrine Garbay, who has been maitre de chai at d'Yquem for 18 years, also believes this to be one of the top Yquems in recent memory, though it really doesn't remind her of any previous Yquem vintage with possible exception of the 2001.

96 -99 points,

Wine Spectator, April 2012

Blazingly pure, with pineapple, white peach, yellow apple and melon flavors that are remarkably light on their feet. Blanched ginger root, cherry blossom and light citrus notes dance through the finish. Displays awesome range and purity in a very stylish frame. Tasted non-blind.-J.M.

About Winery

Château d'Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur (Fr: "Great First Growth" or "Great First Vintage") wine from the Sauternes, Gironde region in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards known as Graves.

In the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Château d'Yquem was the only Sauternes given this rating, indicating its perceived superiority and higher prices over all other wines of its type. Wines from Château d'Yquem are characterised by their complexity, concentration and sweetness. A relatively high acidity helps to balance the sweetness. Another characteristic for which Château d'Yquem wines are known is their longevity. In a good year, a bottle will only begin to show its qualities after a decade or two of cellaring and, with proper care, will keep for a century or more, gradually adding layers of taste and hitherto undetected fruity overtones.

Since 1959, Château d'Yquem has produced a dry white wine called Ygrec (Fr: the letter "Y"), made from an equal proportion of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is not produced in every vintage.

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