d’Yquem 滴金 1999 (OWC 12)

Description

By John Gilman 2009 (JG93)
I was very surprised to like the 1999 Yquem a bit better than I liked the 2001, as the vintage in general seems to be decidedly stronger in Sauternes in 2001. The 1999 Yquem offers up a complex and classic nose of toasted coconut, oranges, honey, butter, lovely soil tones, fresh apricot and a lovely framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and quite crisp, with lovely focus and balance, excellent mid-palate depth and a very long, bright and poised finish. A lovely bottle of Yquem.

By Wine Advocate 2019 (WA92)
Medium gold in color, the 1999 d’Yquem has shed its puppy fat and transformed into compelling cinnamon toast, creme caramel and cashew notions with emerging notes of beurre blanc, honeycomb, ginger snaps and praline over a core of peach preserves and apple pie. The palate is softly spoken with a refreshing backbone carrying loads of delicate savory and stone fruit preserves nuances to a long, beautifully restrained finish. At the 20-year mark, this wine is in the midst of its ideal drinking window, and while I hasten to add that there is no rush to drink up, there’s also no need to delay your gratification either.

By Neal Martin 2017 (NM92)
The 1999 is a decent vintage, not a top-league Yquem but served its purpose by offering regular punters a chance to experience an icon wine first-hand. It actually felt quite mature on the nose for a 1999, though the palate delivered the complexity you expect with gorgeous honeyed fruit that just exited a little too quickly.