An underrated year for Sauternes with some very good wines being produced. The spring was warm and the weather throughout much of the summer was hot, sunny and dry. It then rained in September and this had the effect of encouraging botrytis in the grapes. A glorious Indian summer then ensued and the grapes were harvested over 5 weeks between October 5th and November 13th.

On the whole these are superior wines to the ones produced in 1982 but quality was variable so it is advisable to stick with the very top producers.