Wine Advocate (98)

A warm to hot vintage ideal for producing outstanding reds does not necessarily make for a great Sauternes vintage, but in the case of 1990 it did. Dry, warm winds in the autumn contributed to the level of concentration that this wine exhibits. Fortunately, a little rain in late September and early October ensured that botrytis flourished well in the end, the final factor necessary to achieve this extraordinary expression.

Vinous - Neal Martin (100)

Just weeks after tasting the 2001 Château d’Yquem at the estate, another bottle was served at a lunch in London and it was perfection. The aromatics are practically identical and likewise the palate, but this bottle, which had been decanted, displays a scintilla more tension, perhaps more "vibrancy" that so effortlessly counterbalances the richness. Irrespective of points, it is simply one of the most magnificent wines of any kind that can pass your lips.

Vinous - Neal Martin (100)

Just weeks after tasting the 2001 Château d’Yquem at the estate, another bottle was served at a lunch in London and it was perfection. The aromatics are practically identical and likewise the palate, but this bottle, which had been decanted, displays a scintilla more tension, perhaps more "vibrancy" that so effortlessly counterbalances the richness. Irrespective of points, it is simply one of the most magnificent wines of any kind that can pass your lips.

Wine Spectator (100)

This is very long and intense. Really impressive. Full and very sweet, yet racy and fresh, with spicy botrytis character. Fantastic. Score range: 95-100 -JS

Wine Spectator (99)

A lovely, creamy, tropical style, with mango, papaya and guava notes lending a caressing feel, while singed almond and warm piecrust accents blossom through the lush finish. Just when you think that's all there is, toasted coconut, fig, orange blossom and persimmon details kick in, lending length and dimension. The finish is ridiculously long. Best from 2020 through 2060. -JM

Vinous - Neal Martin (97)

The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Wine Advocate (100)

Following a very long harvest stretching nearly two months, the 2015 Château d'Yquem came in at 13.9% alcohol and 144 grams per liter of residual sugar, sporting a pH of 3.65 and six grams per liter of tartaric acid. None of these numbers, however, even remotely begin to tell you how profound this wine is. The nose opens with electric notes of ripe pineapples, green mango, orange blossoms and lemon tart with hints of fungi, lime zest, crushed rocks and jasmine. The freshness on the palate is just astonishing, permeating and lifting layer upon layer of tropical fruits and earthy notions, all encased in a sumptuous texture and culminating in a very, very long, mineral-tinged finish. Truly, this is a legendary vintage for d'Yquem. I've been conservative with my drinking window here, and I would not be at all surprised if our descendants are drinking this vintage well into the next century.

Wine Advocate (100)

Following a very long harvest stretching nearly two months, the 2015 Château d'Yquem came in at 13.9% alcohol and 144 grams per liter of residual sugar, sporting a pH of 3.65 and six grams per liter of tartaric acid. None of these numbers, however, even remotely begin to tell you how profound this wine is. The nose opens with electric notes of ripe pineapples, green mango, orange blossoms and lemon tart with hints of fungi, lime zest, crushed rocks and jasmine. The freshness on the palate is just astonishing, permeating and lifting layer upon layer of tropical fruits and earthy notions, all encased in a sumptuous texture and culminating in a very, very long, mineral-tinged finish. Truly, this is a legendary vintage for d'Yquem. I've been conservative with my drinking window here, and I would not be at all surprised if our descendants are drinking this vintage well into the next century.

Vinous - Neal Martin (98)

Owners LVMH took the decision to delay the release of the 2019 Yquem until spring 2022. It was tasted with winemaker Sandrine Garbay in London. After the summer drought when Sauternes received just 2.5mm of rain until 26 July, that day saw a 112mm deluge that replenished underground reserves and gave ripening the push it needed. Dry and warm conditions prevailed throughout September when there was no sign of botrytis infection. That was finally provoked by 38mm of rain between 21 and 25 of September, followed by warm clement weather. After minor picking of Sauvignon Blanc on 7 of October, the main harvest began in earnest on 10 October. Pickers worked over the following five days, including Sunday. Time was of the essence because, as forecasts predicted, the weather suddenly changed on 14 of October with 40mm or rain. After that, the picking teams skirted between showers between 17 and 22 of October, though by now the fruit had begun to deteriorate. Therefore, the key aspect of this Yquem is the extremely tight picking window. The final blend contains 138g/L residual sugar, which is slightly less than the previous vintage, with 5.5g/L total acidity and 14.4% alcohol. Tasting the 2019, I noticed that it has a slightly paler hue compared to recent vintages (though I never read too much into the colour of young Sauternes.) For certain, it has a highly-aromatic bouquet that is beguiling in purity, enticing aromas of honeysuckle and saffron, soon joined by camomile, white flowers and orange blossom. It has wonderful delineation and gains intensity with aeration. The palate is supremely well-balanced with fine bead of acidity. Very harmonious and armed with just the right amount of viscosity, this Yquem is surprisingly understated at first but gains presence, offering irresistible flavours of layers of honey, lemongrass, lemon thyme and orange pith. Yquem is so tempting in its youth, but I feel that this vintage will repay those with the nous to cellar for at least a decade.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Appetising freshness but a little hint of wood shavings (Cabernet Franc?) on the nose. Bone dry and pretty vital but relatively early maturing. Lovely drink with St-Estèphe minerality. Everything in the right place but not a long-distance runner. Very pure though.

James Suckling (94)

Blackberry, blueberry and sweet-tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, dense and layered with ripe tannins and a chewy yet polished, tannic finish. A young Bordeaux with plenty of structure and focus. A blend of 71 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 29 per cent merlot. Try after 2022.

Vinous (92)

The 2017 Aristargos is a blend of several white varieties from 14 different vineyards that includes Marsanne for the first time. It is whole-bunch-pressed, with the Sémillon kept on its skins for a few days and then matured in 300-liter used barrels for 12 months. It has a vivacious bouquet of yellow plum, mirabelle and jasmine aromas, all wonderfully defined. The palate is well balanced with a waxy texture and notes of stone fruit, sesame, walnut and orange peel . A very subtle flor-like element lends tension on finish. Superb.

Vinous (91)

The 2018 Aristargos is a blend of 53% Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette, 13% Sémillon with some skin contact, 10% Roussanne, 2% Marsanne and 9% Viognier, from a mixture of old and younger vines from across 14 vineyards, matured in neutral oak for 11 months. It has a complex bouquet of nectarine, desiccated orange peel, grilled hazelnuts and a touch of almond. The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity and quite neutral in style, offering subtle, fleeting glimpses of orange zest and a tang of sea salt, though I would like just a little more weight on the finish. Give this a couple of years in bottle.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

I did a double take when I realised this was the tenth vintage of Aristargos - 2010 seems like yesterday - but what a great and reliable wine it has become. Chenin-based with 50% Clairette, Semillon, Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Verdelho, it's wonderfully complex and layered, with pear, citrus and herbal notes, a hint of peach and a long, stony finish. 2021-27

Tim Atkin MW (93)

Seventeen vineyards, 25 pickings and no co-fermentation" says David Sadie of this tasty, complex cuvée of Chenin Blanc with 51% Roussanne, Semillon, Marsanne, Clairette, Viognier, Verdelho, Grenache Blanc and Colombard. Perfumed, focused and textured for a white with just 12.5% alcohol, it's waxy, subtle and nuanced, with citrus, apple and nectarine flavours and very little oak. 2021-26

Vinous (92+)

The 2016 Elpidios is a blend of red Rhône varieties, although with new vineyard plantings there is more Carignan. It includes 30% to 50% whole bunches and was matured in used French oak for 12 months, and another 12 months in bottle. It has a backward bouquet at first that opens with time, but it is very well defined, featuring blackberry, clove, bay leaf and white pepper, very understated in style but gaining clarity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, quite insistent in terms of grip, and possesses fine backbone courtesy of the Carignan on the slightly ferrous finish. Excellent.

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Elpidios spends an extra year in bottle compared to Sadie’s other wines. For the first year, the blend is based on Grenache (31%), plus 30% Syrah, 19% Carignan, 10% Cinsault and 10% Pinotage, with around 50% whole bunch across the range, matured in 500-liter barrels and foudres. It offers cranberry and pomegranate scents on the deep, broody nose; tertiary/undergrowth notes originate from the whole-bunch addition. The palate is medium-bodied with dark cherry, hoisin and light black pepper notes from the Carignan. This is fresh and vibrant, not powerful or deep, yet perfectly proportioned toward the finish. Very fine, and it should drink with about a year in bottle.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

Made in the last of the so-called drought vintages, this stylish red assemblage has been Grenache-led since 2017, with 62% Syrah, Pinotage, Carignan and Cinsault completing the picture. Grippy, firm and stony, with 50% whole bunch spices, a waft of rose petal and tangy red cherry, plum and redcurrant fruit. 2022-28

Wine Advocate (93+)

Composed of 38% Grenache, 36% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 9% Carignan and 7% Pinotage, the 2020 Elpidios comes from 12 different vineyards and was made from 50% whole-cluster fruit. On the nose, the wine offers soft herbal hints of mint and menthol with a delightful undertone of wild brush before swaying with a red-fruited nature and delicate dusty essence. Medium-bodied and with 13.5% alcohol, the wine is juicy and mineral on the palate and offers delightful herbal essences across the structured mid-palate. The wine glides to a delightfully minty finish that will remain food-friendly for over a decade. Give it at least one more year in the bottle, and decant for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

One of a trio of world-class single site Chenin Blancs from David and Nadie Sadie (no relation to Eben, by the way), this hails from a two-hectare vineyard that was planted in 1968 and is often picked late. Completing full malolactic - such is the acidity in the grapes - this is leesy, focused and taut, with some ferrous grip and a textured palate. 2021-29

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Hoë-Steen comes from a 1968 vineyard to the west of Malmesbury on deep red iron and clay-rich soils. Broader and richer than the other single site Chenins from the Sadies, with some ferrous grip, fine oak integration, pear, cream and stone fruit flavours and a taut finish.

Vinous (94)

The name of the maiden 2018 Plat’bos (“low bush”) indicates the kind of vines it comes from, lying in a vineyard adjacent to the Skaliekop on pure granite soils. It has a unapologetically silty, stony bouquet, very reserved and austere yet with an enthralling intensity that seems almost paradoxical. The palate is very well balanced. Perhaps one of the most concentrated of David and Nadia Sadie’s wines, it reveals a crescendo of flavors, with tangerine, citrus peel, stem ginger and a touch of rhubarb toward the persistent finish. This is another impressive Chenin from this producer.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

David & Nadia Sadie are now part of an elite group of South African Chenin Blanc producers, making world-class wines on a consistent basis. This is my favourite of their trio of single vineyard wines in 2019, sourced from a 3.9-hectare site on granite soils on the Paardeberg. Tight, taut and floral, with comparatively low alcohol, mouth-watering freshness, precision and acidity, notes of fennel, apple and gunflint and a lingering finish. A Cape Grand Cru. 2021-32

Tim Atkin MW (98)

One of the great whites of the southern hemisphere, not just of South Africa, this is the Montrachet of Chenin Blanc. Made with three different pickings from the top part of the Paardebosch farm, it has the concentration of its 40-year-old vines, mouth-watering acidity and pH, chiselled freshness and layers of rock salt, aromatic spices, pear and lemongrass.

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Skaliekop comes from shale soils in the Paaderberg subregion, the Chenin Blanc vines planted in 1985. It is blessed with a very aromatic bouquet of pressed white flowers and jasmine; a little honeysuckle emerges with time. The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. This is understated and very well balanced, and quite reminiscent of Chris Alheit’s style of winemaking. A delicious tang of sea salt appears toward the finish. One of those wines where the adage “more is better” is surely apt.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Skaliekop is a shallow shale site on the Paardebosch farm that benefited from the addition of moisture-retaining mulch in 2019. Yeasty, leesy and broader than the other two single vineyard Sadie Chenins, this has notes of citrus peel and beeswax, plenty of weight and a stony finish. 2021-29