1986 Château d'Yquem

The 1986 Yquem has a rich and generous bouquet with crème brûlée, saffron and dried mango aromas, along with a patisserie scent that is quite pronounced at the moment. There is a spirituous element here that is disconcerting. The palate is well balanced with a spicy entry and plenty of ginger mixed with mandarin and orange rind notes. This is a powerful, almost burly Yquem, though it does not have the complexity and amplitude of the 1988 or 1989. This is a Yquem of stature rather than nuance. Despite perfect provenance, there are better bottles out there. Tasted at the Yquem vertical at the château.

A hot, dry summer in Sauternes, after a difficult early season, and this was one of the latest vintages on record, with harvest really getting underway after a rainy spell in late October, followed by a dry, sunny November that saw picking continue right through the month (the château remembers that much of it took place under a blanket of picturesque mist). The result is extremely impressive, and even now there is a youthful kick to this Yquem. Expect plenty of biting marmalade, pineapple and orange peel, dried fruits layered with truffles, saffran, lemon confit, salted caramel and grilled cumin. Alexandre de Lur Saluces was heading up the estate in 1986, as he had been since the 1960s. 100% new oak for ageing.

Tasted several times, the 1986 Yquem is a sublime expression of the vintage. It was the opposite of the previous year as it saw widespread botrytis after 40mm of rain in late October followed by a sunny November. It comes armed with an effervescent bouquet with pure honey, almond, quince and saffron, that patisserie scent observed in previous bottles less present. The palate is very well balanced with perhaps even sharper acidic "bite" than the '1983, fanning out wonderfully towards its crystalline finish that has a citric edge. A point. Tasted at a private dinner in London.