d'Yquem Sauternes 2009 375ml

100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Pale to medium gold colored, the 2009 d'Yquem bursts from the glass with gregarious crème caramel, allspice, dried apricots, mandarin peel and pineapple upside down cake scents plus a fragrant undercurrent of fungi, acacia honey, candied ginger, musk perfume and frangipani. Full-bodied and full-on hedonic in the mouth, the rich, tightly wound layers are still amazingly youthful with bags of citrus sparks and an incredibly long, perfumed finish. Possessing a residual sugar of 157 grams per liter and 13.6% alcohol as well as a laser-focused line of freshness, the rock-solid structure and through-the-roof opulence here is simply mind blowing. Pure perfection. Drink: 2022-2069. (Mar 2019)"

100 points (20/20) Michel Bettane/Thierry Dessauve (The World of Fine Wine): "We know that some people have been bothered by the change in the style of wine here since 2004—and we feel sorry for them! How can you not be humbled in admiration before the tour de force that is represented in the perfect sensations of an immensely rich fruit and an almost crystalline purity of texture, recalling the greatest Rieslings of the Saar or the Rhine? Hats off to the winemaking team! (Issue #28; June 2010)"

100 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Bright medium golden yellow, silver reflections. Fresh orange blossom, a hint of bourbon vanilla, fresh apricot, a touch of grapefruit zest, floral, incredibly multi-faceted fragrance. Juicy, elegant, creamy texture, ripe pineapple and yellow peach, finely integrated wood nuances, delicate caramel on the finish, good freshness. Already drinkable. (5/28/21)"

100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "A blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, with 155 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2009 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. It waltzes out with gregarious notions of key lime pie, orange blossoms, and juicy white peaches, followed by suggestions of ginger ale, wet pebbles, and allspice. The big, concentrated, decadently rich palate is fantastically balanced, with a laser-precise line of freshness cutting through the tightly wound layers, finishing very long, with loads of citrusy sparks. (9/4/23)"

98-100 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "...the 2009 is clearly a return to the majestic brilliance of Yquem and the most magical young vintage of this wine that I can ever recall tasting. Its beauty in ’09 lies in its haunting elegance and refined complexity at such an early age, which seems to me to be the barometer by which Yquem should be judged, as power is never an issue with this great terroir. The bouquet is absolutely fabulous, as it soars from the glass in an almost delicate mélange of fresh-cut pineapple, tangerine, an exotic touch of banana, acacia blossoms, a gloriously complex base of chalky soil, orange zest, delicate notes of honeycomb, a bit of pink grapefruit and an esthery topnote of bee pollen. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure and remarkably light on its feet, with perfect focus and balance, superb acids and simply stunning length and grip. I hope the wine does not pick up too much oak from its stay in barrel, as while there will be no issue with the depth of this wine supporting its oak, to risk losing some of this kaleidoscopic complexity to wood tones would be near tragic. A magical Yquem and probably the finest wine made in Bordeaux in 2009. 2020-2100. (Mar/Apr 2010)"

98-100 points Wine Enthusiast: "The aromas are so rich and powerful, with great ripe apricots. There are honey, spice and beautiful sweet spiced pears. This is an extraordinary wine in an extraordinary year in Sauternes. (Aug 2010)"

98 points Wine Spectator: "[$800/750ml list] The aromas are closed today, but the core is loaded with apricot, nectarine and orange notes, bolted by a citrus zest spine and backed by toasted almond and piecrust accents on the finish. A large-scale Yquem that shows the richness of the vintage.—Non-blind Yquem vertical (July 2014). Best from 2020 through 2050. (11/15/14)"

98 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "This is a vintage which perhaps needs no introduction, with a great (deserved?) reputation for reds, but it was the first of a trio of excellent vintages for sweet wines too. Poured from magnum, this has a mid-gold hue in the glass. Still very primary and youthful on the nose, with a little barley sugar and perfumed chalk here. The palate is correspondingly soft, open and relaxed, gentle and rather primary as per the aromatics, with mango, peach, lychee and citrus fruits, all dressed with a caramelised sweetness. Very fresh, very pure, unprepossessing, seemingly relaxed and accessible at first, but there is fabulous substance and texture here, underpinned by energy and acidity which gives it a fine freshness. Still remarkably restrained, with decades ahead of it yet. Great potential, and typical of the vintage. My score might even be a little conservative. (Apr 2019)"

98 points James Suckling: "The length to this is exceptional with an intensity yet subtlety. Full and medium sweet with bright and exciting acidity. It's all in balance here. Creme brulee, pineapple, and papaya. Lasts so long on finish. It's so fabulous now. It will age forever but it's already a joy to taste, even drink. Better in 2020. (4/28/12)"

98 points (19/20) La Revue du Vin de France: "The 2009 is the perfect equation of quantity and quality on a very fast harvest (12 days)! A total of 12 lots were harvested, with an average yield of 21 to 22 hl/ha. With a richness of around 140 gr/l of sugar, the generosity of the wines tasted in the barrel is undeniable, but once again, the subtlety of the Barsac terroir brings great freshness and dynamism to the palate. (2011)"

97 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2009 d'Yquem is a vintage that I have awarded perfect scores to in the past however, neither bottles merit that on this occasion. The first bottle feels scalped, so much so that a second bottle is checked. This has a very refined and sophisticated bouquet with wild honey, brioche, vanilla pod and light orange blossom aromas, beautifully refined. The palate is very well defined with fine acidity, very elegant in style with pure botrytised fruit and superb acidity on the finish. Ah...that is more like it. However, on this occasion it does not quite hit the high notes. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. Drink: 2022-2065. (Mar 2019)"

97 points Andy Howard, MW (Decanter): "From a dry, hot year, this Yquem has retained all the freshness of a great Sauternes combined with massive intensity of ultra-ripe grapes. It lacks the additional complexity of more botrytised vintages but makes up for this with the wonderful balance of sweetness, orange zest notes and tingling acidity. Not a fat style of Yquem, the acidity makes this very refreshing. Can be enjoyed now but has the concentration to last at least another two decades. Drinking Window: 2021-2045. (Jun 2021)"