Château d’Yquem Sauternes 1855 1er Cru Superieur 1986

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.