1869, 1879 & 1893 d’Yquem

BY NEAL MARTIN | MARCH 04, 2019

I would never claim to be an expert blind taster – far from it – though I do have my moments. One transpired in January at Hide restaurant, where two vintages of d’Yquem were served blind as a fitting finale to an epic Pétrus dinner. Guests were invited to name the vintage. “It is definitely very old but certainly a great Sauternes vintage,” I piped up, in my finest Michael Broadbent impersonation. “I think it is the… [cue drumroll] …1893.” Bingo. Cue a susurrus of “How did he do that?” Of course, it is always preferable for moments of tasting prowess to coincide with an audience. I acted nonchalant whilst inside I basked in the glow and completed my victory lap. (More often in these situations I make a complete fool of myself.) The other bottle was the 1967 d’Yquem, but instead of reporting on that now, I decided to present my three encounters with 19th-century d’Yquem.