chateau d'yquem 1985

"considered the greatest white wine in the world, château d'yquem wine comes from a small hillside that benefits from an exceptional microclimate and terroir. the vineyard, which comprises no less than 150 plots of different soils, is pampered throughout the year: each vine receives an average of 50 treatments per year. selection is particularly rigorous at yquem: it is often said that a vine produces only one glass of wine. the grapes are harvested in a minimum of four passes (seven in 1997!) in order to harvest the grapes at perfect maturity, affected by noble rot. the estate also produces a dry white wine, y d'yquem, from grapes not affected by botrytis cinerea. in some years, the entire harvest is downgraded (no yquem was produced in 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974, 1992 and 2012). the wine is aged for up to 42 months in new barrels. the 1985 yquem is a very powerful, rich and exceptionally concentrated wine. however, due to the lack of botrytis in the vineyards during this hot, dry vintage, the wine lacks the complexity so frequently encountered. nevertheless, this massive, unctuous, light golden-coloured yquem is a mouthful of wine given the honeyed flavours. it's hard to know when a wine like this will be fully mature, but i don't hesitate to say that the wine will certainly last 25-30 years or more. but i never see it being among the great yquems."