1967 Château d'Yquem

Bright orange amber. Very rich nose with some green notes. Intense nose that’s very clean. Then masses of sweetness and life. The most substantial of the five wines so far tasted. Real impact on the palate. Middle-aged but by no means old. Still got lots to give. In his monograph on Ch d'Yquem, Richard Olney compares this to 1929. (JR)

This bottle of 1967 Yquem was poured following a Petrus vertical at Hide restaurant alongside the 1893. Very concentrated grapes were picked from 26 September to 26 October. It has a wonderful bouquet, entrancing, scents of dried honey, crème brûlée, caramelised pear, fresh figs and quince bursting from the glass with fabulous delineation. Almost Barsac-like in style. The palate is lightly-spiced on the entry with tangy tangerine and marmalade notes, fig and quince, viscous and mouth-coating. This is a decadent and multi-dimensional Yquem that shows no signs of slowing down as it passes its fifth decade. Probably the best of around half-a-dozen bottles tasted over the years.