1950 Yquem
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Tasting notes
Very kindly served with gorgonzola and Comté to our little group of British wine professionals born in 1950. Michael Broadbent gives the vintage only two out of five stars in his Vintage Wine and points out that all his early notes on other 1950 Sauternes were on bottlings by Harveys of Bristol. Only Yquem was château-bottled. He also points out that the then-owner, Alexandre de Lur Saluces, likes the 1950, adding, 'I don't'. He objected to an 'oily, varnishy' note that was not in evidence at this lunch, I'm delighted to say. This century, I've been lucky enough to taste this seven times before, with scores ranging from 17 to 20. Extremely deep brownish amber. Tastes much drier than the 2005 that preceded it. Clean, fresh and almost savoury! There's a brûlée note and the wine, again, is incredibly long and complex though admittedly not in the first flush of youth – just like us. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Mid orange-amber. Very dense, creamy nose with real life. With an edge of prunes. Great vibrancy and length. Such substance and intensity! Still very youthful. Edge of greenery. (JR)
Tasted blind. Dark mahogany. Extremely sweet rich nuanced start with a hint of macerated raisins. Then a magical combination of sweetness and complete liveliness. Still going very strong. (JR)
What a treat to be able to taste this again. Orange tawny colour. Jewelly fresh with great depth and maturity. That smell that reminds me of my old piano teacher (chenille?). Rich but not that sweet. Thoroughly satisfying and broad. A hint of something savoury on the finish. Really luscious. (JR)
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.