1983 d'Yquem
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Bright, deep gold. This bottle is in its most mature phase, with dried, preserved fruit and a lifted acetic character that gives a sharpness to the palate. Perhaps not the most brilliant bottle, but there is still enough to love. (RH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 1983 Yquem has a complex bouquet with dried honey, quince and Seville orange marmalade aromas. There is a subtle floral element at play, with saffron and yellow flower scents emerging with aeration. The palate is very well balanced, with a tang of marmalade on the entry and a killer line of acidity. It's vibrant and poised with an overly spicy finish that lingers in the mouth. Arguably the best Yquem of the decade until the 1989, the 1983 shows that there is still plenty of gas in the tank. Tasted at the Yquem vertical at the château.
The 1983 Yquem is one of the standouts from the decade. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay brought a bottle to our London tasting but unfortunately it was obviously corked. Fortunately, a friend opened another that chimed with my previous encounters. This underwent a long harvest thanks to the clement weather from 29 September until 19 November. It has a dense, marmalade, quince and orange rind-scented bouquet with just a hint of burnt toffee. The palate is very intense and concentrated, powerful with that marmalade theme continuing, flanked by Manuka honey, crème brûlée and tinned apricot. It comes across slightly Germanic towards the finish that fans out gloriously. Divine. Tasted blind at a private dinner in Bordeaux.
Paler than the 1997 tasted alongside , oddly. Musty nose with reticent primary fruit and lots of dried citrus on the palate. Starting to show a savoury, mushroom twist to the finish. (RH)
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.