Château d'Yquem 1983

The 1983 is among the most concentrated wines from this property over the last 20 years, with a staggering display of extract and a mind-boggling amount of glycerin. The vintage commenced early for Yquem, beginning on September 29 and finishing on November 18. Most observers feel the 1983 will mature more slowly than the 1986, and will last for almost 100 years. Given Yquem's unbelievable aging potential, such comments do not seem far fetched. At present, the 1983 is enormous, with huge, honeyed, pineapple, coconut, and caramel flavors, massive extract, and an unctuous quality barely framed by acidity and new oak. I do not feel the wine has changed since bottling, and I would not want to start drinking it for at least another 10-15 years. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2050. Last tasted, 12/90.

Super-intense and full-throttled, elegant and stylish. Dark amber in color and rich in complexity, this '83 coats your mouth with butterscotch, dried apricot, fig and spice flavors. Made to age for decades.

Really rather wasted on us all, in 14th position on the menu, but the sheer quality shone through and was still marvellous. Rich and reverberant with considerable but not excessive sweetness. Too much! (JR)

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 color seemed more developed than previous bottles, with its orange, honey and copper hue. The nose grabs you as soon as the wine hits the glass. Honey coated tropical fruit, pineapple, apricot, vanilla custard and orange marmalade flavors are in full force, culminating with a sweet, spicy, fresh layer of fruits slathered in honey. From a 375, the bottle was popped and poured.

Brilliant golden-orange hue. A delicate, incredibly fine bouquet—peppery and elegant—with perfumed sweetness, orange blossom, kumquats, honey and lemon balm. The palate is a dancing, great, intense experience, with a refined dryness, almond flour, so fresh, so elegant. Lafaurie-Peyraguey from the same vintage actually has more richness, but class makes all the difference.

From the very beginning of my notes, it has always scored between 19/20 and 20/20 points. Now that it has reached its first drinking plateau and has repeatedly delivered an intoxicating, delicate Sauternes experience, I grant it the title of “wine of the century”. Not least because 80 lucky millennium New Year’s Eve guests, whom we had the pleasure of hosting at the Hotel Monopol in Lucerne, can attest to this perfect score in the form of a gigantic Impériale bottle. Tasting impressions around 1990: nutty, toasty bouquet. On the palate, nut aromas again, a marked yet finely articulated tannic structure, covered by richness and creamy texture; full, fat finale with good balance. A beautiful harmony makes this wine the d’Yquem one appreciates and loves. 1995, drunk from a half bottle at Paul Kunz in Meisterschwanden: a unique experience! The small bottle shows how great this wine will one day become. The little voice tipping the scales had long been asking me whether I shouldn’t upgrade this wine. Now the time has come: 20/20 points! With regular bottles, I would definitely wait longer. In the meantime, drink the 75 or 37 until the 83 is ready! 02: Enjoyed with dessert at Bruno Meneghin’s birthday in Basel: even the nose was a true Sauternes explosion; peppery orange play. On the palate, sheer perfection. I assume there have been only very rare “century” Yquems that revealed themselves so “vulgarly” already in youth. 03: Semester tasting in Zurich: maturing gold-orange; brilliant. Delicate, extremely fine-boned bouquet; peppery and elegant with a perfumed sweetness of orange blossom, kumquats, honey and lemon balm. On the palate a dancing, grand, graceful experience; intense, a fine dryness, almond flour—so fresh, so elegant. Lafaurie actually has more fat, but in the end it’s class that counts! 20/20. In Vienna in April 06, to close a great Haut-Brion dinner at the Coburg. Simply brilliant and perfect. 08: A magnum from Martin Stoevesandt’s cellar after a wonderful dinner (with a brilliant duck…) and many vintages of Cheval Blanc at the restaurant les Quatre Saisons in Basel. Simply perfect!!! (20/20). 12: Dark gold-orange, shimmering brilliantly. Right from the start it shows an insane bouquet: bitter orange, Turkish delight, Cointreau. On the palate with great pedigree, dramatic concentration, orange pulp, candied fruits; in the finely peppery freshness it even shows mandarins, and again orange liqueur, echoing endlessly. Among the truly great, legendary Yquems. (20/20). 16: Unfortunately a bottle with a very slight, nasty cork taint! 17: A little half bottle at Kurt and Marlis Steger’s. Extremely sweet and—thankfully—showing an extremely elegant, fine supporting acidity within. Somehow more Tokaji than Sauternes. But still brilliant. (20/20). 17: Magnum. Beautifully glowing golden. The bouquet is dreamy, showing an intense, gently dry sweetness that underscores the enormous concentration. It smells of dried figs, raisins, Bual Madeira, dried apricots and candied honey. A crazy sweet parade! On the palate it comes with tremendous intensity; a true nectar that seems almost over-concentrated, then gradually releases aromas minute by minute. It also gives the impression of a gigantic Beerenauslese. Which it—technically speaking—exactly is. A still-young Yquem legend with an immortal future. (20/20). 18: Unfortunately a slightly corked magnum at a rarities tasting on Sylt. 19: Magnum. For an almost 40-year-old Sauternes, it shows exactly the right colour: ochre gold with orange reflections. The nose delivers caramelised orange peel, bitter orange marmalade, Grand Marnier and a wonderful ration of nougat. On the palate complex and complete. The massively concentrated extract shows a noble bitterness on the tongue that brings spice and pedigree. The finish is bombastic and immensely long. Brilliant today—and for another 50 years. At least. In magnum anyway. (20/20).

Medium to deep amber in color, the 1983 d'Yquem is a little sluggish and grumpy to start, soon opening out to reveal notes of burnt sugar, honey-coated walnuts, and white truffle with touches of orange marmalade and chamomile. The palate is rich and crisp, with a yin and yang kind of balance coming through on the long finish. The residual sugar is 119.2 g/l.

Medium-intensity amber colour. The nose is marked by notes of orange zest, apricots and saffron. On the palate, the wine stands out for its density and power. Its acidic structure gives it character and nicely offsets the generous, creamy side. A lively, subtle, persistent wine with many more decades ahead of it.

Coppery colour. Moderately intense, spicy nose, with a faint camphor-like zest. Precise on the attack, fragrant through the mid-palate with a blood orange note, the wine finishes long and sinewy, with no sweetness. The palate is spectacular and noble, and the final moments are slightly austere. Like the 1988, this is a wine suited to fine dining. Its final framework, without marked sweetness, has the same effect with food as a red wine.