1981 d'Yquem
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Tasting notes
The 1981 Yquem is disappointing after a surprisingly fine bottle in 2021. Still very resinous on the nose, it lacks botrytis and doesn't really improve with aeration. There is a flatness here. The palate is better with orange rind, tangy marmalade and light apricot notes, along with a slightly acrid finish that feels short. Maybe I was just lucky with the previous bottle. Tasted at the Yquem vertical at the château.
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Robert Parker
Neal Martin
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The 1981 Yquem is a wine that I first tasted around 2004, when it amazed an entire crowd with its definition and focus. It was a tricky picking apart from a straightforward first trie between 5 and 10 October. Now at 40-years, it had lost some of its energy and verve, quite resinous at first though it improves with aeration. The palate still has the finesse and poise that maybe the 1980 Yquem lacks, surprisingly concentrated on the finish given the growing season. Drink bottles in the near future.
The 1981 is certainly an outstanding Yquem, but it will not be considered one of this property's greatest efforts. Light golden, with a moderately intense bouquet of spicy, vanillin oak, fresh melons, and tropical fruit, this full-bodied Yquem has average acidity and a plump, viscous, somewhat precocious feel on the palate. Remarkably long and clean in the finish, it will develop relatively rapidly. Anticipated maturity: Now-2015. Last tasted, 3/87.
About the producer
The undisputed finest sweet wine in the world, Château d'Yquem is the only Premier Cru Supérieur estate in Sauternes, classified in 1855. With a long history stretching back to the Middle Ages, the château is entwined with that of the Lur-Saluces family – who remain involved today.