Château d'Yquem, Sauternes 2016

There is Sauternes, and there is Yquem. The world's most storied sweet wine, made only when botrytis blesses its Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and declassified entirely in lesser years. The 2016 is a triumphant vintage, golden and gloriously concentrated, a wine measured in decades rather than years.

Burnished amber-gold, it pours out apricot, candied orange, honey and saffron over crème brûlée and acacia. The palate is unctuous yet astonishingly fresh, layered with marmalade, ginger and dried pineapple. Botrytis lends that haunting savoury edge, while a blade of acidity cuts the richness clean. The finish is immense, sweet and saline at once.