Had my first taste of d’Yquem last night (2017 Y and 2005 Sauternes) and the Sauternes was kind of an epiphany wine for me. So much mouthfeel, balanced acidity and such a long finish. Based on my quite limited data points, it had the unctuousness of a Rieussec, with more complexity, balanced acidity and a longer finish. For the record, that Y was also quite good with such strong aromatics and refreshing acidity (and I have even less experience here with this style of wine, and want to check this out too…). But man that Sauternes was liquid gold.
Before I rush to swap my wife’s gold jewelry to purchase this liquid gold, I want to get a couple of other 375 stickies to compare against. For example, I will pick up a 2001 Climens and 2001 Suduirat (saw an old WB thread that raved and the price here is quite accessible!). Can folks recommend any easily sourced Tokaji (for the US) to try as well?
Oremus and Szepsy are a couple Tokaj producers I’ve really enjoyed. I believe Oremus is currently owned by the same folks who own Vega Sicilia. As an aside I find I enjoy Tokaj, and Beerenauslese for that matter, a lot more then Sauternes.
I wish Tokaji’s came in 375s or 200s! 500ml seems like a lot to polish off by myself. But it sounds like they keep well in the fridge; with a “Repour” on it, should go long.
I drink a lot of Sauternes, from new vintages all the way to those aged for 50+ years. IMHO, while d’Yquem is great, it’s not worth the price difference between it and the other really excellent producers in Sauternes and Barsac such as Climens, Rieussec, La Tour Blanc, and others. While all of these may not be as good generally as d’Yquem, you’ll get practically the same enjoyment and age-worthiness at 25% the price.
I think this is true, except that most people tend to love Yquem, while the secondary chateaux each have their own fans. Some like Climens, some Rieussec, some Suduiraut, etc. If you drink sauternes, I recommend finding which one gives you almost as much pleasure as Yquem. There will be one, but it’s not the same for everyone.
I agree with those who recommend Royal Tokaji 6 puttonyos single vineyards. Not cheap (>$100 per 500mL) but can be of similar complexity to Yquem. 2001 Suduiraut is also my other recommendation, superb for not that much money. Try the '01 Climens and '01 Rieussec if you can, but they may be less consistent than the Suduiraut right now.
6 Puttonyos probably translates best to the sugar levels found in Sauternes, normally coming in at 150 - 220 g/l. Those who prefer Tokaj (and German sweet wines) appreciate the higher acidity and perceived freshness in the wines.
With Essencia, it’s more of a novel elixir as the sugar is normally around 450/l and can get way higher than that with very low alcohol and syrupy textures.
A 5 or 6 Puttonyos Tokaji should have no problem lasting many days in the fridge. I think the longest I ever kept one was over a month, with the cork just reinserted. No prob.
I like buying the old communist era Tokaji at auction. The quality control was non-existent back then, so you get a lot of weird bottles. But when you get a good one it’s worth it.
Basically in order of how sugary they are, 3,4,5,6 and then Aszu Essencia being the sweetest. The Royal Tokaji 1993 Aszu Essencia is the greatest sweet wine I have ever tasted, FTR.
Essencia (which is different from Aszu Essencia) is a different beast, made by collecting the runoff juice from the grapes. More of a curiosity in my opinion than a great wine tasting experience (though I have only tried it once).
Y is good but ludicrously overpriced. Much better values in dry white Bordeaux. I like Smith Haut Lafitte a lot.
For example, I will pick up a 2001 Climens and 2001 Suduirat (saw an old WB thread that raved and the price here is quite accessible!).
Try some old ones too. Sauternes is a bargain, and often underpriced for the quality at auction (much more so than Tokaji and especially TBA).
I think it probably is for me too. It’s definitely at least in my top 3 or so, but I really can’t think of anything else that I would put even in the same category. I had it a few years ago and it’s almost as if I can taste the wine just thinking about it now. Otherworldly stuff.