CHÂTEAU YQUEM

The 1988 Yquem is similar to the bottle I tasted two years earlier, one of my favorite vintages from that decade. Orange pith, quince, wax resin, and mandarin blossom on the nose, yet there is more control and focus than in other warmer vintages. The palate is underpinned by a wonderful frisson of acidity that cuts a swathe through the viscous fruit with Clementine and touches of crème brûlée on the finish. It’s firing on all cylinders, and I envisage it remaining there for some time. Drinking range: 2024 - 2048 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2024)

The 1988 Yquem is a vintage that I have drunk with enormous pleasure on numerous occasions. This last bottle was the perfect ending to a horizontal of 1988 Roumier wines at Noizé. It was a late harvest that lasted until All Saints Day (1 November). A total of 6 tries were necessary through the vineyard, each gifting plenty of botrytised fruit. Deep amber in hue, it offers wonderful aromas of mandarin, orange blossom, wax resin and a light adhesive scent. I was actually quite taken aback but the splendid delineation and life-affirming vitality of this example, hints of crème brûlée interwoven through the honeyed fruit, Clementine and hints of caramelised pear. It fans out wonderfully on the finish. Without doubt, this was the best bottle of 1988 Yquem that I have encountered. Drinking range: 2022 - 2050 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2022)

The 1988 is a more backward-styled Yquem than the 1989, built along the lines of the extraordinary 1975. With a honeyed, smoky, orange/coconut/pineapple-scented nose, this powerful wine possesses full body, layers of highly concentrated, extracted flavors, considerable botrytis, and a sensational finish. Drinking range: 1998 - 2050 Rating: 99 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 1995)