Chateau d’Yquem holds just under 300 acres of vineyard land on gravelly, well-drained soil, but only uses about 250 to make wine in any given year. The remainder is due to a program of continual replanting which ensures that producing vines are always in their prime. And the vineyard is planted only to Semillion (75%) and Sauvignon Blanc (25%), eschewing Muscadelle which is commonly used in the area but makes less distinguished wine.

Within an hour of harvest, the grapes of Chateau d’Yquem are in the winery and being pressed. Unlike most white wines, quality actually improves with multiple pressings as that extracts more sugar and flavor intensity. Chateau d’Yquem three or four times, with the initial effort yielding about 75% of the total volume.

Chateau d’Yquem does all its fermentation in new French oak barrels. This is unsual for Sauternes, but results in the most flavorful and pristine wine. Although there is variation from one vintage to the next, the typical Chateau d’Yquem wine finishes fermentation at 13.5% alcohol with 150 grams/liter of sugar.

All the barrels age for six to eight months after fermentation. At that point, under-performing barrels are set aside. The remaining barrels go to the aging cellar for 20 months, where they are topped up twice weekly to maintain freshness. For pure flavors and clarity, the wines are also racked 15 times and then fined before the final, blind tasting which determines the blend that will go into bottle.

Although not always very outgoing when young, Chateau d’Yquem is marked by fruit (apricot, mandarin, and occasionally tropical fruit) and oak (vanilla and toasty aromas). Older vintages, on the other hand, have an extraordinarily complex fragrance as soon as the bottle is opened, with hints of dried fruit (dried apricot, prune, stewed fruit, and marmalade), spice (cinnamon, saffron, and liquorice), and even flowers (lime blossom, etc.). The first impression of Chateau d'Yquem on the palate is always very silky, and often sumptuous. It then fills out, "coating the palate". This fine wine has a strong, but never overbearing character, with great elegance and poise. It always maintains a balance between sugar and acidity (sweetness and freshness). A touch of bitterness can also contribute to the overall harmony.

Château d’Yquem 1990 is a mature Sauternes that continues to draw top-tier praise for its concentration, aromatic breadth, and staying power. It’s also a wine with unusually complete technical detail on record for the vintage: Robert Parker’s *Wine Advocate* notes “a relatively modest 12.7% alcohol and 126 grams per liter of residual sugar,” supported by “3.9 grams per liter of total acidity,” a set of numbers that helps explain why this wine can feel both rich and surprisingly tense.

Several reviewers frame 1990 as a year that shouldn’t have been a given for great sweet wine, yet delivered. In *Wine Advocate*, Parker reports that “dry, warm winds in the autumn contributed to the level of concentration,” while timely rain allowed botrytis to “flourish well in the end,” calling the result an “extraordinary expression.” His 98-point review is one of the wine’s standout evaluations, emphasizing “unabashed opulence” and a finish of “epically long-lingering honey nut and earth-inspired notes.”

At 96 points in *Vinous*, Neal Martin focuses on how well the wine is aging at 35 years, describing a bouquet of “wild honey, barley sugar, crème brûlée and figs” and a palate that is “vibrant and poised…with plenty of botrytised fruit.” He finds it “more opulent than the ’89” aromatically, even if “not quite at the level of the ’89,” and notes it has “gained a little more elegance” recently.

Jane Anson (96 points) provides historical context—Yquem as the Sauternes estate “named 1st Growth Supérieur in 1855”—and calls the 1990 “insanely good,” highlighting “opulent pineapple, apricot and tangerine…butterscotch, creme brulee, saffron and finessed fresh acidities.”

Wine Spectator’s 95-point note is emphatic on vitality: “intense spice honey and dried orange peel aromas…very sweet and very alive,” concluding it “goes on and on.” Even in half-bottle, Jeff Leve (98 points) finds it “rich, round, sweet and lively,” “just starting to show its secondary development.” Overall, the consensus is a fully mature Yquem with sustained freshness, deep botrytis character, and a long runway ahead.