Château d'Yquem Premier Cru Supérieur Sauternes 2014

We only have 3 bottles of Château d’Yquem 2014 available for $375 apiece, down from $600 retail, and each one carries four centuries of legacy and craft. Yquem is the only Sauternes ranked Premier Cru Supérieur in the 1855 classification, a hilltop estate that passed from the Sauvage family to the Lur-Saluces family by marriage and now sits under LVMH ownership, with Pierre Lurton at the helm. Its fame rests on patient craftsmanship, with the grapes picked by hand, berry by shrivelled berry, in repeated passes through the vineyard as noble rot (botrytis) arrives. The 2014 growing season tested that patience with frequent rains lingering until the end of August, when summer finally arrived, and September and October temperatures among the highest since 1896. The cellar team ended up with a wine that holds both the bright floral and citrus lift of the early pickings and the richer, tropical depth of the later ones. The blend is 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, and is more graceful than flamboyant, pouring a luminous gold and opening with charming lemon curd and grilled pineapple, apricot jam on warm toast, a drizzle of acacia honey, and a faint whiff of saffron and candied ginger. On the palate it is plump but never heavy, with a silky richness lifted by a bright, mouth-watering acidity that tightens toward a long, mineral finish with a trace of orange peel and almond. The 2014 is delicious now, especially with foie gras, blue cheese, or a simple tarte tatin, but its acidity should carry it for decades. Triple 98 points and not much left to share – make this yours!