Wine Notes
Golden, honeyed orange colour with plenty of botrytis on the nose and palate. The 1988 vintage is sweet but with a wonderful simplicity that does little to diminish the enjoyment.
Our favourite of the three consecutive great vintages of ’88, ’89 and ’90.
Producer Notes
Almost certainly the best sweet white wine in the world; probably the best white wine in the world; really expensive to produce and relatively cheap to buy given all that.
The wine will last forever so don’t be even slightly afraid of old vintages. As is often the case, the best value is probably to be found in the 80s.
The blend is 80% semillon and 20% sauvignon blanc.
There is also a dry white wine produced in the chateau called ‘Y’ de Chateau d’Yquem. To avoid snearing wine merchants looking down their noses at you, it’s wise to pronounced the ‘Y’ as ‘eegreck’
Vintage Notes
1988 was an excellent vintage in Sauternes
1988 was a decent vintage in Bordeaux
Other 1988 Sauternes
Other formats of 1988 Chateau d’Yquem
Other vintages of Chateau d’Yquem
1989: ยฃ405
2001: ยฃ640
2001 (in Half bottle): ยฃ340
2002 (in Half bottle): ยฃ210
2003 (in Half bottle): ยฃ165
2004 (in Half bottle): ยฃ270
2009 (in Half bottle): ยฃ295
2013 (in Half bottle): ยฃ175
Our rating –