January 15, 2025


The 2016 Chateau D’Yquem is pure magic and dessert wines don’t get much better.

The 2016 Chateau D’Yquem is pure magic and dessert wines don’t get much better.

We have some very competitively priced 2016 OWC cases of one of the world's greatest dessert wines, Chateau d'Yquem. The provenance on these cases are perfect, coming directly from Bordeaux. 

99 Points - JS - "A very classic Yquem. Breathtakingly wide spectrum of floral honey, exotic fruit (passion fruit, mango and pineapple), caramel and marzipan aromas.

"99 Points - JD - "The 2016 Chateau D’Yquem is pure magic and dessert wines don’t get much better"

Chateau d'Yquem is the pinnacle of sweet wine, celebrated for its unrivalled complexity, balance, and longevity. Dating back to 1593, the estate rose to fame under the Sauvage and Lur-Saluces families, later becoming part of LVMH in 1999. Its unique terroir, featuring noble rot-friendly soils and a Sauternes microclimate, is key to its legendary wines. 
The estate has 113 hectares of vineyards on a plateau with gravel, clay, and sand over limestone. This soil mix offers excellent drainage, which is vital for developing noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). This rot helps concentrate the sugars in the grapes while keeping their acidity. The result is wines that are sweet, balanced, and complex. The vineyard has 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon has a thin skin, making it more susceptible to noble rot, which adds richness to the wine. Sauvignon Blanc brings acidity, freshness, and aromatic complexity.

The unique Sauternes microclimate, with its misty mornings and warm afternoons, is perfect for developing noble rot. This allows Chateau d Yquem to create wines that are both powerful and elegant. Harvesting at Chateau d'Yquem is meticulous and can take several weeks. Pickers go through the vineyard multiple times to select only the grapes affected by noble rot. This careful process, along with the low yields typical of the estate, makes their wine rare and highly prized.


The 2016 vintage in Sauternes was a warm year, yet Chateau d'Yquem achieved remarkable balance. This was made possible by an extended harvest lasting two months, allowing for meticulous selection of berries at their optimal ripeness. The result is a wine with an impressive 135 grams of residual sugar, showcasing both richness and harmony. The scores are very high with 99 and 98-Points.
We have a small selection available at a fantastic price of €150 In Bond per half bottle to give customers a chance to try one of the finest dessert wines there is.


Chateau d'Yquem 2016 (6x37.5cl) 

Chateau d'Yquem 2016 (Demi)
€150* In Bond per 37.50cl bottle

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

99 Points | Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Chateau D’Yquem is pure magic and dessert wines don’t get much better. Offering a pale gold color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of honeyed tangerines, tart apricots, liquid rocks, white flowers, and honeysuckle, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, an opulent texture, vibrant acidity, and again, an incredible sense of minerality, despite having no shortage of sweetness or richness. The 2016 is a classic blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon that hit 14.2% alcohol with 135 grams of residual sugar. It’s already complex and approachable yet will keep for 3-4 decades.

99 points | James Suckling
A very classic Yquem. Breathtakingly wide spectrum of floral honey, exotic fruit (passion fruit, mango and pineapple), caramel and marzipan aromas. But none of this is a jot too much. In fact, the wine is extremely precise and finely nuanced. Wonderful freshness and textural complexity, in spite of the considerable concentration and extravagance. Very suave and sensual finish that goes on and on. Drink or hold.

98 points | The Wine Independent, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2016 Yquem has a pale lemon-gold color, with 135 grams per liter of residual sugar, 14.2 % of alcohol, and a pH of 3.8. It gallops out with energetic scents of lemon curd, peach preserves, and lime cordial, followed by suggestions of crème caramel, allspice, candied ginger, and pineapple upside-down cake. Exotic fruits and spices explode in the mouth, with a decadently creamy texture and amazing freshness, delivering layer upon layer, finishing with great energy and tons of mineral sparks. So decadent!

 

See all available wines and vintages of Chateau d'Yquem.