Chateau d'Yquem 2006

This has lovely flavors of apricot, dried tangerine, pineapple and papaya rushing along, supported by hazelnut, frangipane and coconut notes. Despite the depth, it's very, very pure, with filigreed acidity carrying the long, long finish. Drink now through 2037.

Medium lemon-gold colored, the 2006 d'Yquem is a little reticent at this stage, slowly revealing notes of pineapple pastry, dried apple slices, orange preserves and spice cake plus nuances of crème brûlée, preserved ginger, nutmeg and baking bread. The palate offers mouth-coating tropical fruit and baking spice layers with a seductive oiliness to the texture and loads of citrus sparks, finishing with bold freshness and amazing length. Allow it just a couple more years in bottle to get over this slightly muted hump, then drink it for the next 25+ years. For number crunchers: 13.8% alcohol, 122 grams per liter residual sugar, and total acidity is 4.2 grams per liter H2SO4.

• Drinking Window: 2021 - 2046
• Reviewer Name: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
• Review Date: August 2019

94—96 Barrel sample. This is the rich wine of the vintage. With its intensen fruit, piles of spice, but excellent balance, this promises flavors of baked apples and intense dried fruits. The botrytis layer is discreet, a hint rather than overpowering.

• Drinking Window: 2015 - 2026
• Review Date: December 2009

Medium bright yellow, quite pale for 2006. Wonderfully fresh aromas of pineapple, coconut, caramel, vanilla and spices lifted by a floral element. Silky on entry, then dense but almost magically light on its feet, thanks to penetrating acidity that gives sharp definition to the tight, impressively concentrated lemon, pineapple and coconut flavors. Racy rather than thick, and almost painfully young today. Finishes with a captivating note of beurre sale A wonderfully pure and refined wine for 2006, but this really needs time in bottle to knit.

• Drinking Window: 2015 - 2026
• Review Date: June 2009

Château d'Yquem Sauternes 2006

• Drinking Window: 2015 - 2026
• Review Date: January 2008

The 2006 Yquem is initially tightly-wound on the nose before revealing enticing scents of mandarin, dried honey, quince and just a very slight adhesive scent. This is well-defined yet certainly demands more coaxing than its peers. The palate is well-balanced with fine delineation, a caressing viscous texture with desiccated orange peel and a touch of bitter lemon that counterbalances the richness. I noticed this 2006 becoming spicier with aeration. Excellent. Tasted at the Yquem dinner at Rick Stein's restaurant in Barnes.

• Drinking Window: 2022 - 2050
• Reviewer Name: Neal Martin
• Review Date: April 2022