Château d'Yquem 1958

Thick and ripe, with lots of intense botrytis, dried fruit and caramel character. Dense on the palate, but shows a burning character on the finish—what the French call rancio—that suggests a slight oxidation. — Yquem vertical. Drink now through 2010.

Lively, deep orange and tawny. Both grass and sweetness on the very intense nose. Very complete palate. Extremely long and complex with many reverberations. 18 and still climbing. (JR)

The 1958 Yquem is an off-vintage that I have not encountered before. Fifty millimeters of rain in September was the catalyst for botrytis, and the harvest was picked in four tries between October 6 and 24. Lucid amber in color, the wine has a vibrant bouquet of tangerine, melted candle wax and a light glue-like aroma. It feels well defined and very focused. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening, and much more powerful than expected, offering blood orange, crème brûlée and honeyed notes. Perhaps it has its wings clipped on the finish, but otherwise this is a fine showing in a tricky Sauternes vintage. Well-kept bottles could probably give another decade's worth of drinking pleasure.

98: Medium orange-yellow. Sweet bouquet with a slightly sharp edge, passion fruit. Full, soft palate, lots of dried plums, medium length with restrained sweetness on the finish. The nose would almost deserve 17/20 points.

Coppery color. Aromas of pumpkin jam with orange zest. The palate is suave yet taut, developing aromatic, rich and fruity notes through a medium-length finish.