8 Alternatives to Château d’Yquem, the World’s Most Prestigious Sweet Wine
Château d’Yquem is lauded not just as one of the world’s greatest sweet wines, but the greatest wines — period. Founded in 1593, it’s the only estate to carry the Premier Cru Supérieur designation, the highest ranking in the 1855 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac in Bordeaux.
The wine’s golden, honeyed profile comes from botrytis. Also known as noble rot, the fungus evaporates the waters and concentrates the sugars in grapes on the vine. Fruit isn’t simply hand-harvested; pickers go through and select berry by berry. It takes anywhere from six to 10 passes during harvest season to collect grapes destined for a bottle of d’Yquem.
The minuscule amount of juice that remains in the fruit means that only tiny amounts of wine are ever made. On top of that, the estate will skip a vintage if conditions aren’t perfect for producing the wine. Scarcity is one of the key factors driving d’Yquem’s reputation.
The other is ageability. This is a wine that can be cellared for decades. As it matures, it continues to evolve. New flavors add complexity to an already layered wine. While Château d’Yquem carries numerous accolades, it also sits squarely in the luxury stratosphere, with prices ranging anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands, depending on the vintage. But throughout the world, there are many other sweet wines that work as accessible options. Here are eight expressive — and well-priced — alternatives to Château d’Yquem.
Royal Tokaji Gold Label Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos
Outside of Bordeaux, another wine region with a rich history of making sweet wines from grapes affected by noble rot is Hungary’s Tokaji. Here, a puttony refers to a basket of botrytized grapes, and as a measure of sweetness; the more baskets added to the base wine in the barrel, the more luscious the wine. Royal Tokaji, co-founded in 1990 by renowned wine critic Hugh Johnson, relies on its location between the Tisza and Bodrog rivers for the fog that creates botrytized grapes. During harvest, several passes are made in the vineyards for the careful selection of this concentrated fruit. Royal Tokaji sources fruit from many first- and second-growth sites — including the Great First Growth Mézes Mály, one of only two in the entire country — but the Gold Label, at $111, is an accessible alternative.
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance
When Napoleon was forced into exile, he drank Vin de Constance daily, and a glass of this South African sweet wine was reputedly his last request before his death. Made from the Muscat grape, Vin de Constance, a late-harvest wine, is created through a careful selection of fruit, ranging from perfectly ripe for the acidity to concentrated raisins that have been left on the vine for a long hang time to develop sugars. The result is a wine with notes of orange blossom and honey plus a bright acidity. Considered one of the greatest sweet wines in the world, prices range per vintage, but it’s often possible to find bottles under $100.
Kopke Colheita White
Kopke is famous not just because it is the oldest port wine house, dating back to 1638, but also because of its focus on Colheita white ports. These single-vintage ports follow the same aging regimen as tawny ports, spending at least seven years in oak, but are made from indigenous white varieties such as Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Rabigato, Viosinho, and Arinto. The longer Colheita wines age, the more nuanced and complex they become. A great example is the 2005 vintage, which shows notes of hazelnut and dried apricot with a lifted acidity. It’s available for approximately $60 per bottle.
Château Rieussec Premier Cru Classé Sauternes
Chateau d’Yquem may serve as the flag-bearer for Sauternes, but many other affordable versions can be found. The historic Château Rieussec was named a First Growth in the 1855 classification and today is one of the largest landowners in the region. Run by monks in the 18th century, it’s now under the umbrella of the prestigious Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). The Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes rely on botrytis to concentrate sugars and create the floral and honeyed wine Rieussec is known for. At $89 per bottle, it’s an ideal alternative to Chateau d’Yquem.
Seppeltsfield DP38 Rich Rare Apera
Seppeltsfield in South Australia takes its cues from Jerez for its oloroso-inspired wine. Palomino, Grenache, and other unknown varieties from a field blend pass through a solera system. Wine is moved fractionally through the system of barrels for an average of 18 years. Like an oloroso, it does not age under a layer of flor, which lets nutty, oxidative characters shine. But unlike oloroso, there’s a more pronounced sweetness on the palate. The wine, which retails for around $40, starts off rich and honeyed with marmalade and warm toasty notes coming through on the finish.
Domaine des Bernardins Muscat de Beaumes de Venise
Sauternes isn’t the only French region that has a lock on sweet wines. In the Rhône Valley, Beaumes de Venise offers its own unique take. An official appellation since 1945, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOC produces Vin Doux Naturel (VDN), made from 100 percent Muscat à Petits Grains. As in port wine, brandy is added partway through the vinification and arrests fermentation, allowing the wine to retain high levels of sugar. It is then aged in either stainless steel or neutral oak to preserve the aromatic floral qualities of Muscat. Domaine des Bernardins, now under the direction of the fifth generation, remains a benchmark producer. Curious drinkers can find this for approximately $28, making it a great entry point to dessert wine.
Heidi Schröck ‘On The Wings of Dawn’ Ruster Ausbruch
Ausbruch is a wine that almost wasn’t. The sweet Austrian wine became nearly extinct after the phylloxera outbreak in the 1800s. But Heidi Schröck, along with a coterie of other dedicated winemakers, worked to bring the style back. In 2020, Ruster Ausbruch, located by the city of Rust, in Burgenland, earned DAC status. Like Sauternes, it relies on botrytized grapes, such as Welschriesling and Furmint, for its sweetness. Nectar, nuts, and dried fruits commonly appear on the nose and palate. A 375-milliliter bottle is approximately $90.
Vinsanto Marchese Antinori
Many meals in Tuscany will conclude with vinsanto and cantucci, a traditional sweet wine and biscotti-like cookie. To produce this post-dinner sipper, winemakers will lay grapes out on mats to dry out and concentrate sugars. After pressing, the yeast from a previous vintage, called “madre,” is often added to start fermentation. The wine is then aged for long periods in oak barrels to impart complexity. Vinsanto wines can show caramel, honey, and spice, but also contain lively acidity, which keeps them from feeling flabby on the palate. A 375-milliliter bottle of Antinori’s vinsanto will run about $50.
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