Lafaurie Peyraguey 1986

Tasted at the Amuse Bouche offline in Hong Kong. I made a complete fool of myself when asked to judge this half-bottle. I must confess, I was fooled by the nose that suggested Yquem due to the veneer of vanillary new oak so, yes, could it be the 2001? The answer is no. Instead it is this oft-overlooked Sauternes (albeit one regaled by Bob.) The nose just explodes from the glass: vanilla, almond, wild honey and a faint touch of dried pineapple, all with great clarity. The palate is quite rich and powerful, very well balanced and youthful with a caressing, botrytis-rich finish. Now...I would love to pit this against the Yquem 1986! Astonishingly good. Tasted November 2011.