1962

What we would buy, and why

This is the value year of the sixties: a well-kept classed growth runs €250-450, roughly a third of what the 1961 equivalent costs, and it is very often the more charming wine in the glass. Look for fill into the neck or upper shoulder and expect heavy sediment, so it wants standing upright for two days and a gentle decant. Sixty-four years on, no bottle can be guaranteed to be at its best, which is why we check every one before the bottle ships.

1962 in the world

The Beatles released Love Me Do in October and Sean Connery introduced himself by surname for the first time in Dr. No. In February, John Glenn went round the Earth three times and came home for lunch.

Best bets for 1962

• Château Gruaud-Larose, Léoville-Poyferré or Pichon-Lalande 1962 - classic Médoc at a sane price
• Château d'Yquem 1962, one of the great Yquems; Château Climens 1962 for a fraction of it
• Red Burgundy 1962 from a house that has held its own stock - Bouchard, Drouhin or Jadot
• Barolo 1962 from Borgogno, released late from the estate cellar

How we grade a bottle

Fill level, label, capsule and cork, then provenance. Every bottle is checked by hand by people who have handled thousands of old bottles, and we write down the flaws as well as the good news. What the fill levels mean · How to choose a birth-year wine