News

For the red wines, in general the 2009s are even more harmonious than the 2005s and virtually all regions and many estates have produced their best wines for a long time. There some monumental wines and Haut Brion is at least for me at the top of the list, so it seems the 2008 vintage is surpassed overall in general by many regions, however not by all estates; it is still hit and miss with many producers. Given the extraordinary kind weather conditions I’m not sure why that is, I’m thinking some picked too late missing the top flavours, I fully understand picking later can offer much rounder tannins as was the case with the 2008s. But 2008 was a very slow ripening period which was certainly not the case in 2009 and by leaving the cropping late, much of the taste of the fruit can be lost, especially if they let the fruit go over, and very particularly with Merlot, my opinion is this perhaps what has happened with a number of the 2009s and I had the distinct impression a number of wines had been acidified.

Another and decidedly the biggest problem I encountered is the high tannins in many of the wines, it appears the tannic structure for 2009 is off the charts, with most producers recording the highest tannins ever recorded for their estates, and in some instances 100% above the previous highest recorded. Then we have the human problem; whilst it is human to exaggerate, the temptation to push the grapes too hard is sometimes too great to resist, unfortunately with the high natural concentration of tannin, some wineries have over macerated their wines trying for something bigger and bolder; trying for wines of a more Parker-esk style, but they have overdone it and the wines are dry, the tannic structure masks the fruit making them difficult not only to taste but also to enjoy. All of the elegance of the vintage has been lost here, however those with long experience and passion like Alfred Tesseron of Pontet Canet, those that showed prudence with the work in the cellars, here we find the very best of the vintage, wines I think will be unrivalled by any other vintage.

I also believe, regardless of what you hear about 2009s all being presold, I believe the interest will be selective. The Bordeaux marketing machine is getting in full swing, vinyard owner's constantly stressing and all declaring in unison this as the vintage of the century, how many times have we heard this in the recent past, why are they not totally embarrassed by their own comments. Perhaps they think if they say it enough times people (merchants) will believe it and repeat it to clients. It must be said the top estates have made utterly superb wines which will undoubtedly enhance their elevated reputations, and there are quite a number of smaller estates where the quality is equal to that of the classified growth wines but with much smaller price tags. On the negative side, some estates where I expected superior quality seem to have totally missed the harvest during the “optimum” period and the wines are merely good, or they have tried too hard, pushing the grapes much too far and over extracting. A decade ago many wines went through pigeage, the punching down of the cap of grape skins that forms during the beginning of the fermentation, usually done several times a day, this extracts the colours, flavours and tannins from the skins. Today they use pump over, where the juice from the bottom of the tank is pumped over the cap, and to my mind many seem to have left the pumps on automatic, totally destroying the elegance of the wines. So many of my notes read, pushing... limits... overworked... over ripe... overdone! Am I being too picky, was I expecting too much? Having spoken to several vineyard owners and winemakers, I asked the question; Have some of these wines gone over? Certainly not; was the reply....Stupid of me to ask really!

However, knowing many producers around the world who have been working either organically or biodynamically for many years, they all make the same observation, and I believe as more and more Bordeaux estates have recently stopped using fertilisers and pesticides they remain somewhat in the dark on this issue. Without the use of pesticides both physiological and phenolic maturity takes place much closer together in time, days as opposed to a couple of weeks normally; and thus some sugars are lost by leaving the fruit on the vine too long. This may have taken some estates by surprise.

The most difficult part of the futures tasting is trying to guestimate the longevity of the wines and how well they will develop in barrel and bottle, giving a rating is always the most difficult element of the job, but this is something I enjoy and have always taken pleasure in; finding the wines which I believe will bloom within some period of time.

For the most part, with 2009s there is a sweeter mid palate due to the sugars and ripeness of fruit, the tannins are big, bigger and biggest of all time but round, many similar to the 2008s, and the alcohol is lower certainly than either 2000 or 2005, many wines especially in the Medoc are coming in at 13 degrees, but most are around the 14 mark, both 2000 and 2005 was higher with 15 being the average. I’m already wondering how Robert Parker will perceive this vintage, according to many he tends to like the bigger wines with higher alcohol, we’ll see... but I cannot believe these will be downgraded for a lack of alcohol. I found in general, wines had a fat entry on the palate, lovely aromatic profiles for their early stage, with very good development potential, superb concentration where they were not overdone, juicy fruit, but in a refined way, these in general are precise efforts and finishing both tasty and long...many wines where they don’t have the capital for the modern equipment have made beautiful and honest wines, I have awarded hundreds with 90 point scores...there are bucket loads of sleeper wines, in essence this is a Classical Vintage and one which will be in serious demand. It may well set a new standard.

But it is not 2005, niether is it 2000, however it is balanced between the two, there was more sun, about 20 days worth but it was cooler and where the passion was tampered with prudence, here the wines CAN and DO exceed both previous vintages. Quite a few of these will be must taste before you die.

Demand and prices.
Asia has been propping up the fine wine market for most of the last couple of years, and it seems clear to me that the owners of the big Chateaux have been making very amorous advances in the eastward direction. But there has never been any real interest in buying futures from the east, they felt uncomfortable with the concept, there is significant interest from the east now. On Wednesday evening I had dinner at Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, and the Chinese contingent outnumbered the Europeans and Americans by some margin. Everywhere I looked there were Chinese buyers and during the week I was there I was contacted by two large Chinese companies wanting to purchase 2009 en primeur wines as they cannot get sufficient supply. It seems there is tremendous interest stemming from this market now, they are looking of course for the first growths and super seconds, but any other wines with high Parker scores will be in high demand, we have a month to wait and see what the great man thinks and decares his intentions on the vintage.

Given the fact that the Chinese fine wine market has been growing by a staggering 25% per annum, it will not take a great deal of increase for demand to rival that of 2000, where European and American markets alone oversubscribed the top wines by a multiple of six. Where then will prices go, the world is still in turmoil financially, but given the numbers of seriously wealthy people about, and the greatly reduced levels of cases produced these days, the top wines will undoubtedly sell out...even with an increase of 100% over the 2008 wines.

Did that frighten you, a price increase of 100% over the 2008s, it certainly worries me, I get the impression prices for the first growths with be between 60% and 100% up on last year. Super seconds will be up by 40% to 70% up and the petty Bordeaux wines will increase by 25% to 50%.

Given all of the above, we ask that you declare your interest early making it clear to us in terms of selected wines and volumes, we need your wish list now, as I believe we will need to fight tooth and nail to get decent allocations, and selling the smaller value chateaux early on will help us in our quest. Furthermore after upsetting many clients with the numbers of emails regarding Bordeaux wines we will not inform anyone of new releases unless they ask us too before the season begins, ALL WINES WILL BE SOLD ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS. We are taking preliminary orders now!

Regarding timings and release dates...this will be very interesting to watch. Last year the first growths released the wines in April and before Robert Parker gave out the scores, plus they also reduced their prices. Neither of those mistakes will happen this year, furthermore with Vinexpo 2010 taking place in Asia during 25th to 27th May, I believe there will be no significant releases before then, which will take us into late June or possibly early July before the en primeur season is over, this will be a long one.

2009 Bordeaux Red Wines by Appellation

Haut Medoc

2009 Chateau La Lagune – Haut Medoc 90-93+
This takes me back to the 1982 La Lagune and its just as good, this is viscously textured with good richness and beautifully balanced, easy to drink and enjoy the tannins finish sweet and silky.

2009 Chateau Cantermerle – Haut Medoc 89-92
Deep purple to the rim, lovely sweet fruit on the nose, the palate follows the aromatic profile, luscious fruit and sweet tannins, well balanced and should be ready to enjoy on release, I liked this wine.

2009 Chateau Coufran – Haut Medoc 89-91
This is lovely, and another of the wines which I marked as best ever, the high Merlot content is shining through, the wine is generous, soft and fleshy, a crowd pleasing wine.

2009 Chateau Malescasse – Haut Medoc 89-91
Ruby/purple in colour, more refined and elegant with sweet ripe black fruit, round and balanced, another where I wrote best ever.

2009 Chateau Potensac – Haut Medoc 88-90+
In the same hands as Leoville Las Cases, this is a good solid core to this wine which is only held back by the terrior, deep ruby/purple, this is juicy and pure, with no evidence of over ripeness, plum, blackberry, fresh earth and liquorice with a minted tinge, finishes with good minerality.

2009 Chateau Camensac – Haut Medoc 88-90
Nice fruit and mineral aromatics, good concentration, sweet tannins and very nicely one, an honest wine. Good future here.

2009 Chateau La Tour Carnet – Haut Medoc 88-89
Although I wrote “pushing” in my notes here, this is still a good wine, there’s moderate tannins, and fine fruit, the central palate is balanced and it only loses out due to the slightly drying tannis on the finish.

2009 Chateau Beaumont – Haut Medoc 88-89
I think this may well rival the 1982 wine, good concentration here, well balanced and juicy, gives a good indication of how good the vintage is.

Lalande de Pomerol
2009 Chateau Jean de Gue – Lalande de Pomerol 90-93
This small estate is making some fabulous wines since allowing one of the younger members of the family, Heloise Aubert to make this wine, the family is famous for their Chateau Couspaude in St Emilion, however this sells for a third of the price of Couspaude and its better, boasts a dense purple colour with masses of rich ripe fruit, deeply concentrated with big flavours of plum, cassis and liquorice, this is one of the best value sleepers of Bordeaux. For the money, this is again sensational.

2009 Chateau Siaurac – Lalande de Pomerol 89-90
Another potential sleeper, this estate seem to be picking up the quality mantle recently, its quite deep in its texture, all black in fruit and flavours, solid bass notes, but there’s elegance here too, sweet tannins and decent acidity, a value wine to enjoy through 2020.

Margaux
2009 Chateau Malescot St Exupery - Margaux 96-99
This has to be the biggest surprise of the vintage, it might also be the best buy of the year, a very well situated estate in the commune of Margaux, Malescot has turned out an exceptional wine in 2009 and one equal to the 2005 vintage, a wine that might rival the greatest of all; the famed Chateau Margaux! Black as coal; with roaring aromas of rich fruit, black raspberries, loganberries, blackcurrant, flowers, mineral, Asian spice, and more. The palate is the same, fills every corner with richness and sweetness, this is expansive, full bodied and brilliantly crafted, the acidity is surprisingly refreshing, a wine of opulence, and vibrancy. Totally brilliant! This was the stand out wine at the Margaux tasting.

2009 Chateau Margaux - Margaux 96-98+
The high level of Merlot in Chateau Margaux has brought a serenity to this wine, the fruit is beautiful showing a heightened perfume of purple flowers, blueberry as well as blackberry and black currant fruits, followed by liquorice and vanilla, as it sits in the glass deeper tones begin to emerge, cocoa and soy. The palate is gorgeous, with tremendous definition and structure, massively concentrated but with the lightest touch of a ballerina gliding through the air. This is an opulent wine, sensuous, fragrant and elegant, a Classic Margaux with the modesty of a shy teenager, but like that shy teenager, it’s a bit gawky with the tannins, this will need a few years in bottle to come ready, but it is sensational.

2009 Chateau Palmer - Margaux 94-97?
I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a palmer like this before, this is a completely new style of Palmer, I know they changed their winemaking team in 2007/8 but this is a real surprise. Blue/purple in colour, the perfume is big and very ripe, loaded with jammy cassis, smoke, lead pencil, and mineral notes, this is ultra juicy, sweet , sexy and very modern, the tannins are completely hidden by the fruit which is clean, crisp and full on. It’s a very enticing wine, draws you in and fills you up with warm feelings; I’m just a bit confused by it. Could be this is one of the wines of the vintage, and the sheer weight of the fruit is masking the tannins and perhaps this will indeed shut down whilst it brings everything fully into line.

2009 Chateau Rauzan-Segla Margaux 94-96
This is a wine which will be interesting to watch in development, for some reason it is often misjudged during en primeur tastings and virtually always gets up-rated, one of a very few. If I’m right about this, it could end up with 96 or more points, making it one of the very best buys of the year. Located just across the road from Chateau Palmer and bathing in the same terroir. This is a softer more appealing style of Margaux, here we find the femininity so often used to describe the wines of Margaux. The aromas are lovely, pretty even, black currant fruit bathed in vanilla, the palate is fine, elegant but not without power, the tannins are fruit led and silky, this should be ready to drink on release and will turn a few heads, very modern and fruit forward style of winemaking, I thought this was singing when I tasted it especially after so much tannin elsewhere and had to rein myself back on my score.

2009 Chateau Prieure Lichine Margaux 94-96
This is another wine of the best ever group, the late Alex Lichine was almost hero worshipped by myself and many others, his was my first ever serious wine book which I purchased in 1974 and I still have it to this day. To the wine...ruby/purple with deep aromatics of blackberry, coal and sweet tobacco, the palate is also deep and complex, layers of fruit and floral notes give lift and surprising elegance to this wine, its rich and opulent with ripe tannins and wonderful definition, gorgeous.

2009 Chateau Cantenac Brown - Margaux 93-95
Certainly the finest Cantenac Brown I have ever tasted, lovely sweet fruit on the nose, the palate shows even more, fresh fruit with no evidence of over ripeness, this is crammed with black fruits, with a good underlying sweet purity, the tannins are moderate and silky, and it finishes long, elegant and classically Margaux. This house is beginning to be on a roll.

2009 Chateau Giscours - Margaux 92-94+
Giscours has been trying to drag itself up by its bootstraps for more than a decade; I think it has just managed to complete the task. I have never tasted a better wine from this estate, gorgeous aromas of ripe fresh fruit, sweet fresh earth, smoke and mineral. The palate is concentrated with a solid core of beautifully ripe fruit, full and fine tannins, this both sexy and sumptuously built, precise, age worthy, and should be a bargain given its un-elevated position which has not matched its pedigree for millennia.

2009 Chateau Lascombes - Margaux 92-94+
Yet another of the wines where I wrote Best Ever? This was my second days tasting and I was already beginning to wonder about this vintage being better than 2005. There’s a lovely perfume here, black as you can imagine but all good, blackberries, black cherries, coal and charred beef. This has an almost Graves feel about it, almost a roasted quality, with a pure fresh full bodied palate, moderate and sweet tannins and a lovely round finish, this could be better than I think. Super potential.

2009 Chateau Kirwan - Margaux 92-94+
I have been waiting for Kirwan to show its potential since stealing the winemaker from Chateau Palmer a couple of years ago, now it begins. Potentially the greatest ever Kirwan, well at least for the last 100 or so years, inky black with a purple rim, the perfume is gorgeous, incense, black currant, black cherry, crème de cassis and tar. The attack is super, it has high tannin but the fruit holds the tannins back in check, this is compelling and drags you back for more. A wonderful wine.

2009 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux – Margaux 91-94
This is a fabulous second wine, Chateau Margaux have created something wonderful here, exotic aromatics rise from the glass, this is totally together, and will be a far better finished wine than many Cru Classe wines. Already intense and fleshy, very rich flavours fill the mouth, both the fruit and the tannins are sweet, finishes with ripe soft fruits and lovely floral tones. A class act.

2009 Chateau d’Angludet – Margaux 90+
One of potentially the best value Margaux wines to be found, this unclassified growth offers a lovely elegance, this is a chateau who have not tried to exaggerate the fruit and it shows. Medium to full bodied, with serious concentration, the tannins are sweet, the fruit is sweet, this is a fruit forward wine from a vintage which appears to be loaded with tannins.

2009 Chateau Dauzac – Margaux 90+
Yet another of the best ever wines...the commune of Margaux has had the best ever vintage for sure. Lovely scents of lilies, sweet black currants, blackberries and blueberries found in the nose, the attack is dense and fruit laden, fleshy fat and flashy, this hits the right spot early on, the mid palate is slightly less inspiring, but there’s plenty of concentration here and if it gains a bit more weight during the maturation period this could notch up several more points.

2009 Chateau du Tertre – Margaux 90+
I know this might sound like a broken record, but again this has the potential to be the best ever du Tertre, wonderful smoky grilled blackberry fruit, chocolate and coffee notes, the palate is generous with sweet mushroom and berry notes, superb purity, expansive flavours caress the palate, a lovely personality to this wine and it should be reasonably priced.

2009 Chateau Brane Cantenac – Margaux 89-92
This has serious potential, loaded with deep flavours, tar, liquorice, cassis and blackcurrant smells and flavours, this has a racy feel, complex and luscious with beautiful silky tannins, should improve dramatically.

2009 Chateau Monbrison – Margaux 89-91
A wine which has been crafted either by nature or by man, of that I’m not certain, but it’s very good either way, this shows slightly higher acidity than most Margaux wines of this vintage, giving it a fresher appeal, the tannins are bold but there’s more than enough fruit here to stand up to them, great wine, and should be great value too.

2009 Marquis de Terme – Margaux 89-91?
I tasted this wine following the Lascombes which might have been unfortunate, the tannins were fierce, there is sweet berry and black currant fruit with some tobacco notes, but it felt like a block of wood in my mouth, I did retaste later and it improved, there is enormous structure here but I’m not certain it has sufficient fruit to stand up to the tannins, certainly it’s for the long haul.

2009 Chateau Desmirail – Margaux 88-90+
Chateau who? You may ask, another of the smaller estates overlooked by most of the wine press, but I doubt this vintage will be overlooked. Its pushing at the limits but this is good in all departments, lovely sweet fruit and sweet tannins, the finish is long and flavourful.

2009 Chateau Ferriere– Margaux 88+
Another very strong effort, there’s sweet blackberry, sweet tobacco and wet earth aromas and flavours here, the concentration is immense as are the tannins, this could turn out better than I feel, it just seems a little overworked for this estate which has been turning out very lacklustre wines for decades.

Medoc
2009 Chateau Clarke - Medoc 90-91
Densely packed fruit here, it’s almost overworked but just holds itself in check, very ripe with big tannins but very good potential, will need some time to come together but should be a decnt value red for the long haul.

2009 Chateau Goulee - Medoc 90-91
In the same hands as Cos d’Estournel, the 2009 Goulee is as black as midnight, the nose is mostly mineral with some red and black fruits, the attack is very sweet ripe rich fruit, solid mid palate and lovely slightly grilled soft berry fruits, this has ravishing acidity which keeps the wine feeling very fresh, finishes long with very silky smooth tannins. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot.

2009 Chateau Potensac - Medoc 90-91
Another great performance for Potensac, possesses a good core of ripe fruit, big framework and made in a more voluptuous style, very juicy with slightly higher acidity, this has a good future.

Moulis
2009 Chateau Poujeaux - Moulis 91-94?
This is a bit of a surprise, under new ownership and they have reduced the yields and improved the quality immensely, I’m wondering if they will want to recoup the costs of purchase in the first couple of vintages, if not this could be a serious value. There’s a deep concentrated core of fruit, big silky tannins and a long flavourful finish, but it’s also a bit disjointed currently so it could go either way.

2009 Chateau Chasse Spleen - Moulis 90-91
This is a terrific wine, and one which should be reasonably priced. There’s ripe currant and sweet cherry and tobacco notes, the palate is very nicely developed, layered and complex, good elegance and superbly textured, beautifully sculptured.

Pauillac
2009 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild - Pauillac 98-100
Another almost perfect Pauillac, this took me by surprise, I wasn’t expecting the aromatics of this, it’s reminiscent of an Australian top flight Cabernet, minty blackberry...pure crème de cassis, flowers and lighter toasty oak, without doubt a strong candidate for the wine of the vintage. This powerful full bodied Mouton is fabulously worked, with great intensity plus exquisite purity and clarity, the layers keep unfolding for what seems an eternity. Philippine de Rothschild has clearly had a strong hand over this wine and fashioned something otherworldly, although the yields are very low in comparison to other 1st growths, another of the wines which will be in very serious demand.

2009 Chateau Latour - Pauillac 98-100
Perhaps this will only be available to millionaires, but it is one of the greatest Chateau Latours’ ever produced. The best aromatic profile of the 2009 vintage; wonderful spring flowers and purple colours emanate from the perfume of this 2009 Latour. Powerful and forbidding, a blockbuster with impressive depth, richness and structure, this is the classic Latour not unlike the 1961. Masses of fruit fill every corner of the mouth and yet there is a wonderful restrained feel, totally elegant with superb precision, everything is right about this wine, potentially better than the 1996 and 2000, certainly better than 1990 and 1995. This is as good as it gets in Pauillac, black and blue fruits, some liquorice, chocolate, and sheer beauty. The finish goes on forever, the tannins are silky but firm and the signature of Jacques Boissenot is all over this wine, ultimate power with elegance personified.

2009 Chateau Lafite - Pauillac 96-98+
The 2009 Lafite is exceptional, not unlike the 2005 and 2008, but is it as good? This wine tends to shut down for a period, then opens up as a beautifully elegant being, we already have that elegance showing, the wine is highly polished, almost sculptured but there is massive power here as well, and it’s more like the older style of Lafite, I would suggest a little like the 1986 vintage, all powerful, dense, rich and tannic, but there is balance here. This is an enormous wine, with plenty of flesh on the bones, and the bones are big, it’s more of a voluptuous style, black fruit, soy, balsamic notes, fill the mouth, and the finish is very long and very vigorous. I’m not certain this will be one of the wines of the vintage but it’s not far behind, and after all it is Lafite, so does that matter?

2009 Chateau Pontet Canet - Pauillac 96-98+
Given the remarkable achievements over recent years by Alfred Tesseron and his team, this is another estate where greatness is being achieved, but yields are quite high this year, 45 hectolitres per hectare which might shave off a few points, having said that it is a truly superb wine. Located just south of Mouton Rothschild, this is also as black as midnight, the aromas are all purple and black, slightly grilled soft fruits, added to some base tones of earthy road tar. The palate is clean, clear and fresh, beautifully layered with very precise flavours which seem to stack one tier on top of another, blackberry, coffee, and cocoa, wonderful concentration here and deep extract, quite breathtaking, all presented on a meticulous framework, the finish is long and very complex, there is superb transparency to the wines fruit without doubt, it is first growth quality, my kind of wine.

2009 Chateau Pichon Longueville Lalande - Pauillac 96-98
Always one of my three favourite wines of Bordeaux, this house has made a fabulous wine in 2009, the colour of midnight, with aromas of spring blossom, crème de cassis and a hint of coffee. The palate is full bodied and dense, the tannins are bold, with no trace of over-ripeness to the fruit, there are traces of smoke to the mineral tones, very clean and cultivated, this has the potential to improve dramatically, I was hoping with the new owners being Roederer the Champagne firm, this might rival the 1982 but I’m not sure it does however it works for me. Super wine.

2009 Chateau Clerc Milon - Pauillac 94-96
One of the estates that has potentially achieved greatness in 2009, this also seems to me to be the best wine ever created at this estate. Powerful notes of forest floor, black currant, cherries and graphite emerge from this rather flashy wine, the personality is decidedly extrovert, complex, layered and rich, gorgeous depth and a multidimensional mouth feel, certainly a great wine in the making.

2009 Chateau Lynch Bages - Pauillac 93-96
Long regarded as the poor man’s Chateau Lafite, this 2009 is spectacular, the nose is slightly muted and the palate is difficult to taste due to the almost harsh tannins, but there’s plenty of stuffing here to stand up to those tannins. Deeply concentrated core of fruit, a sweet entry on the palate which stains the tongue and teeth, lush and gorgeously pure, this really is massive and more like Chateau Latour in 2009, big Cabernet Sauvignon content, will need time but superb potential.

2009 Chateau Batailley - Pauillac 93-95
Surprisingly much less tannic than most vintages from this house, I believe this is the best ever wine produced at Batailley. The nose and palate is very sweet fruit, massive concentration here as with many, but it’s all fruit concentration, the wine finishes very long and balanced.

2009 Les Forts de Latour - Pauillac 93-95
This is an unbelievable second wine, black as midnight, the nose is all Latour, classically lead pencil, blue fruits, blackberry, lilies, walnuts, tobacco leaf, fresh herbs, it reminds me of the 1982. Beautifully concentrated, velvety textured exhibiting the superb ripeness of the vintage, sheer class in a glass. The finish is long, complex and powerful.

2009 Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron - Pauillac 92-94
It has been said about the two Pichons that at Baron we find the power, at Lalande we also have the power, but here we also find the elegance. Never has that been more true than in 2009, Pichon Baron is all about power, black/purple in colour boasting sweet, classic crème de cassis, incense, graphite aromas. The palate is huge, the tannins are big and building, there’s plenty of ripe fruit at the core here, but it will take time to come together, a serious wine meant for the long haul. Classic old style Pauillac with the stuffing to stand up to 30 plus years of aging.

2009 Chateau D’Armailhac - Pauillac 92-94
This is made by the same team as Mouton Rothschild and it shows, densely coloured with a bouquet of subtle herbs, black currant, raspberry, graphite and minted chocolate. The palate sweet and ultra fine, beautiful texture and concentration, a sculptured wine, finishes long and balanced.

2009 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild - Pauillac 92-94
Like for first wine, this displays minted blackberry aromas, the palate is fresh, complex and superbly textured, a thick wine, but with very attractive high notes, equal to many Grand Cru wines of the vintage and surpassing some, smooth powerful finish which fills the entire palate with flavour. I firmly believe this is the best Petit Mouton ever. I think this will need at least a decade in bottle before it reaches the plateau of maturity, and I also think it is the equal of many first growth releases and better than either the 1989 or 1990 wines. Potentially there is serious value here.

2009 Chateau Haut Bages Liberal - Pauillac 89-91
Deep purple to the rim, almost classic Pauillac, certainly there’s plenty of road tar, mixed with cedar wood and blackcurrant fruit, heavily concentrated, full bodied with good acidity, very powerful and muscular in the mouth, it just seemed to lack complexity. Will need 7-10 years in bottle to hit its peak.

2009 Reserve de la Comtesse - Pauillac 89-91
The 2009 Reserve wine reveals complex aromas of cedar, tobacco, and black currants with a hint of chocolate in the background. A sweet attack is followed by a ripe, velvety effort with black cherry and black currant all mixed with forest floor and grilled herbs, very luscious and quite savoury. Potentially outstanding, and it should drink well upon release, and last for 10-12 years.

2009 Carruades de Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac 88-89
I may be missing something here, but I found this to be one of the least inspiring of the second wines, there’s good balance and plenty of sweet fruit at the core, it’s even less tannic than the Grand Vin, but I’m not certain its and outstanding wine, there’s just less of everything. Does that matter if 90% will be heading east due to the enormous popularity now, since the hero of a movie gives a bottle of Carruades to his father?

2009 Pauillac de Chateau Latour - Pauillac 88+
Made from the young vines and deselected fruit to either the first and second wines, this is the third wine of Chateau Latour. It displays many of the characters of both, but with less concentration and finesse, but it is a very good wine, made by some of the best in the business. Good aromatics, full bodied and well focused, very powerful in the mouth, but its power with precision. Excellent!

Pessac Leognan
2009 Haut Brion Pessac Leognan 100
The 2009 Haut Brion is a phenomenal wine! This reminds me of a cross between the 1982 Lafleur and the 1989 Haut Brion, two of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted. The colour is very deep almost black with a purple rim, the aromatics are a little subdued as one would expect, but the entry to the palate is powerful and glorious, it offers multidimensional complexity, extraordinary fruit and superb length, the palate is layered, here I found the tell-tale almost roasted quality often found from the Graves area, but higher up the layers are floral, fresh and elegant, creamy even, there is a lightness of body as though the soul is rising from the body of the wine inside the mouth, this has the undeniable Graves personality- and the very best of it, but so much more. The finish is totally absorbing; it ends with absolute grace and splendidly rich flavours. Interestingly this comes in just above 14% which I think will be slightly higher than normal for this vintage. The end wine should be a combination of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 46% Merlot. The pH is 3.84. Given the Cabernet Franc portion, I would suggest this might close up for a few early years in bottle but reach top quality drinking from 2016 and evolve effortlessly for two or three decades. WOW! Certainly, this is one of the finest wines of the vintage, I think demand for this will be huge.

2009 Chateau Pape Clement – Pessac Leognan 95-98
Bernard Magrez and Michel Rolland have created a superb wine in 2009, possibly as good as the 2005 vintage and better than the 2000 wine. The colour is midnight, the aromatics are smoky, typical Graves roasted and smoky, graphite, plums, cassis, tar and liquorice, the palate is wonderful, juicy and fresh, with magnificent mineral intensity and fresh acidity, this is powerful but with total elegance, the subtle base tones come in late as it unfolds in the mouth, finished beautifully long and with great purity. This should age effortlessly for decades.

2009 Chateau Haut Bailly – Pessac Leognan 95-97
I have decided the 2009 Haut Bailly is as good as the 2008 vintage, blue/black and purple to the rim, I had to retaste this several times and find a quiet corner of the room to fully get to grips with this wine. They are pushing the extraction to the absolute limits, but I think they managed to halt the process in check, just. Very deep aromas and flavours, charcoal, graphite, chalk dust, with plenty of black currant fruit, massively concentrated in the mouth with searing tannins and fresh acidity, but there is an elegance underneath it all, will need some time to fully come together but it has got very good potential.

2009 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte – Pessac Leognan 95-97
This has got to be one of the best ever wines from here, the 2009 is a prodigious effort, lovely sweet perfume of charcoal, charred beef, blue red and black fruits, the palate delivers even more, this is rich and dense with wonderful acidity, the layers keep unfolding in the mouth, from lovely lilac, through blueberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant, mineral, chocolate, espresso, and tar. Very deeply concentrated this is enthralling with the purity of fruit filling the palate and pressing all the right buttons, hedonistic style and very age worthy.

2009 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion – Pessac Leognan 95+
I struggle to understand this chateau sometimes, they have the same owners as Haut Brion, very similar terroir and similar aged vines, plus they sell them together, why is it then that they cannot always make a wine which competes with Haut Brion as they used to decades ago, they did it in 2000 and 2005, but they have certainly not achieved it in 2009. OK that’s my gripe, now to the wine. The wine is very well made, rich and full bodied, there’s plenty of sweet ripe fruit and smoky cedar notes, it is massively fruity, quite juicy even and the tannins are good quality if a little bold and dusty, the finish is smooth, it is a great wine, but I feel given the immense quality of its big brother, they could have done better.

2009 Domaine de Chevalier – Pessac Leognan 94-96
One of the estates that has potentially achieved greatness in 2009, this seems to me to be the best wine ever created at this estate, the hand of Stephane Derenoncourt is at work here, and yields are being greatly reduced. Dense purple, with notes of spring flowers, blueberry fruit and graphite mineral. Full bodied with a central core of ripe black fruit, the tannins are elongated and silky smooth, finishes with touches of white chocolate. This is a beauty in the making.

2009 Chateau Branon - Pessac Leognan 93-96
Another of the small estates owned by Helene Garcin, tiny production of a mere 500 cases per year and difficult to find, but decidedly worth looking for, equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon this all the hallmarks of a superior classic Graves, roasted fruits classically built with super silky tannins this has seriously good potential.

2009 Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion – Pessac Leognan 93-95
This tiny 10 acre property is located in a beautiful park with a swan filled lake just behind Haut Brion. The 2009 is every bit as good as anything produced there previously, a gem of a wine, fragrant and mouthfilling, there’s terrific intensity here but it’s all superbly balanced the tannins are big but it doesn’t dry in any way on the finish, long and powerful, this is meticulously made.

2009 Chateau Haut Bergey – Pessac Leognan 92-95
Another of the potentially best ever wines, the colour is deep purple, the aromatics are very sweet, blueberry and blackberry fruit, added to some sweet tobacco notes, the attack is wonderful, fills the mouth with juicy sweet black fruit flavours, stunning concentration and beautifully balanced, the layers keep unfolding in the mouth, the tannins are big, but nothing is overdone here. Liked this very much.

2009 Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion – Pessac Leognan 90-92
Yet another of the potentially best ever wines from this estate, classically graves bouquet, slightly roasted, smoky aromas of blackberry and mineral, the palate is lush, richly fruity, with lovely layers of high middle and base tones, fill every corner of the mouth, the tannins come in late and are big, but there’s more than sufficient fruit to warrant serious cellaring time here. Great wine and potentially very good value. Incidentally, this was one of only three estates making whites where I also liked both wines.

2009 Chateau La Louviere – Pessac Leognan 90
Another of the potentially best ever wines, the colour is deep purple, the aromatics are muted but there’s a deep core of mineral and sweet ripe fruit, it’s not an earth shattering wine but it is very well made.

2009 Chateau de Fieuzal – Pessac Leognan 89-92
This 2009 is black/purple to the rim, the nose is good, sweet berries, the attack is gorgeous, with a wonderful sweet core of fruit, layered and complex, floral and blackberry, chocolate and coffee base tones, then the tannins begin and keep building, such a shame, the finish is mouth searing and I think they have pushed too far, finishes dry. With time this could develop better than is currently showing.

2009 Chateau Picque Caillou – Pessac Leognan 89-92
This could be the best ever from this estate, lovely sweet aromas and flavours fill the mouth, cedary, smoky tobacco, red and black currant, medium to full bodied with sweet fruits and sweet tannins, but I found it slightly disjointed and it will need time to all come together, has potential.

2009 Chateau Latour Martillac – Pessac Leognan 89-91
I cannot believe this is not the best ever wine from here, there’s a very nice core of fruit here, layered flavours which are beautifully balanced, medium to full bodied and made in a racy flamboyant style, this is ripe, concentrated and substantial, finishes with ripe tannins.

2009 Chateau de France – Pessac Leognan 89-91
Potentially one for the best buys from this appellation, this has good if slightly muted aromatics, the palate is very good, sweet ripe fruit and excellent complexity, potentially the best ever from this house.

2009 Chateau Bouscaut – Pessac Leognan 87-90
This seems to be the best ever from Bouscaut, there’s a solid core of sweet ripe fruit, good skeletal structure and nicely balanced, the finish is long and the tannins are silky smooth.

2009 Chateau Carbonnieux – Pessac Leognan 87-90
Ripe black fruit at the core, loaded with mineral, a very good wine, the tannins are long and silky, not the best ever from here and I did expect more, but a decent wine.

Pomerol
NB, I did not attend the tasting of the wines of Moueix, which includes Petrus, Lafleur and Trotanoy so can make no comment on these wines.

2009 Chateau L’Eglise Clinet - Pomerol 97-100
This is a spectacular effort, and one which will rival the best of all vintages, inky ruby/purple with a sumptuous bouquet of violets, melted liquorice, cherries and blackberries, with something deeper trying to emerge. The attack is huge, the tannins kick in early, but they are silky, this is not over extracted. The high content of Merlot and Cabernet Franc bring wonderful elegance to this wine, layers of sweet ripe fruit keep unfolding in the mouth, this is a real beauty, a show stopping wine.

2009 Chateau La Violette - Pomerol 97-100
La Violette was my chosen wine of 2008, and I made it my biggest punt of all of the Bordeaux wines of 2007 and 2008. This is the new star of Bordeaux and one which in time will rival the greatest of all names; the famed Chateau Petrus, 100% Merlot the only problem is the tiny size of the estate making less than 500 cases per year, but I firmly believe demand for this will be huge. The 2009 is a magical effort, dense ruby/purple with subdued and gentle aromatics, the palate is massively rich and silky smooth, containing layers of concentrated sweet fruit, the tannins are there without question, but they are totally obscured by the sheer weight of fruit, the finish is pure silk and so long. Decidedly for me one of the wines of the vintage, but this is the most elegant of all.

2009 Chateau le Gay - Pomerol 95-97+
Chateau Le gay is on fire recently, under the administration of Catherine Pere-Verge, who also owns la Violette, which she purchased very recently. The 2009 seems to be the equal of the 2008 vintage, possibly even better, Michel Rolland consults here and with low yields in a very favoured position with the result of pushing the envelope to the absolute limits, but without over extraction, some achievement in this vintage, this has an exquisite perfume reminiscent of the old style Lafleur, violets, raspberries, blueberries, kirsch and liquorice tomes. The palate is even more structured, with a deep core of ripe fruits, full bodied with great length, balanced on a knife edge with a boatload of sweet tannins, again totally brilliant.

2009 Chateau la Conseillante - Pomerol 95-97?
Best ever? Difficult to know at this stage, but this is a glorious wine. Massively concentrated and at the very limits with winemaking techniques without it appears, to have stepped over the edge. Explosive on the palate, immensely concentrated with extraordinary levels of extraction, fruit and tannin, exotic and flashy, this causes you to stop and think where is this going? There is clarity beneath the tannins and the tannins are silky, but there are just so much of them, with time this could step up several notches, but it might well go the other way. Worth a punt for sure, it could turn out to be an astonishing wine.

2009 Chateau Clos l’Eglise - Pomerol 93-96
This is another wine from the stable of the lovely Helen Garcine, these are the oldest vines in the whole of Pomerol, and a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this offers up fabulous aromas of black currants, vanilla, spices charcoal and truffles, the palate is wonderfully structured and precise, full bodied and opulent, big tannins but supremely balanced, potentially profound and very age worthy.

2009 Chateau Nenin - Pomerol 93-95+
Potentially one of the best buys of 2009, now owned by Jean-Hubert Delon who also owns Leoville Las Cases, seems to have made a wine at least equal to the 2000 vintage, and I think far beyond that, certainly it is better raised. This chateau has a high level of Cabernet Franc in the blend, which as many of my clients know is one of my favourite grape varietals. Opaque purple, with a ripe sweet perfume of crushed strawberry and raspberries, added to that come white lilies and cedar notes. The palate is full bodied, gorgeously rich, thick and pure, base tones of truffle, road tar and subtle wood lay beneath the jammy black fruits. A wine with a long future provided you can keep your hands off it, this is as exotic and sensual as they come, but at a price almost anyone can afford.

2009 Chateau Le Bon Pasteur - Pomerol 93-95+
Another superb effort from this estate, dense blue/purple, with a lovely perfume of blueberries and chocolate with some smoke tones, the palate is so elegant with stunning definition, layered and concentrated with a juicy fresh appeal, very good length. A super wine, made with clarity and precision.

2009 Chateau Clinet - Pomerol 92-95
The 2009 Clinet is very good, deeply concentrated without ever going over the top, flavours of spicy black fruit, blueberries and violets, with an edge of cold steel. Full bodied and lifted acidity, very well endowed and multilayered, a very good effort with a nice future ahead of it.

2009 Chateau Petit Village - Pomerol 92+
At least equal to both the 1982 and 2000 vintage wines, this is big and complex, spicy and juicy, elegant and bold, offers a fabulous mouth, with outstanding purity of fruit, rich and full bodied deeply concentrated and thick, the tannins are just a tad chewy, very serious potential.

2009 Chateau La Fleur du Gay - Pomerol 90-93
Another of the estates where quality has stepped up significantly in recent years, sandwiched between Lafleur and Le Gay, the 2009 is densely coloured, with a lovely perfume of raspberry and blackberry fruit, the palate is clear, clean and fresh, very complex and layered, flowers countered by coffee and coal in the mouth, the fruit easily hides the tannins made in an elegant pure style with brilliant balance, might be even better than I have rated.

2009 Chateau Gazin - Pomerol 90-93
The 2009 Gazin is superb, lovely aromas of sweet black cherries, roasted herb and edges of caramel, the attack is lovely, moving through to the mid palate this fills and caresses the mouth with excellent concentrated fruit, never once setting a foot out of place, but it is close to the limits.

2009 Chateau Bellegrave - Pomerol 90-92
This could be the sleeper of the Pomerol Vintage, wonderful sweetness to this wine, very fresh and juicy, the tannins are hidden by the glorious fruit, it doesn’t have the concentration so I might be going out on a limb here rating this so highly, but I found it to be so attractive and easy on the palate.

2009 Manor de Gay - Pomerol 90-92
This is the second wine of Chateau Le Gay, and it comes from the younger vines and is it all glorious fruit, very flashy, very fruit forward, lovely elegance and so juicy, this is a wine with attacks all the pleasure senses and sells for one third of the main wine. Seriously well made and a very affordable Pomerol.

2009 Chateau La Criox de Gay - Pomerol 90-92
Another of the best ever group of wines, mostly made up of Merlot with a smattering of Cabernet Franc, this is very good, deep aromas and flavours, soft black fruits, with cocoa and coffee tones, finishing with tar, there is a glorious elegance here even though the tannins are so bold, this is a wine with a great future and might be much more reasonably price than many of its neighbours.

2009 Montviel - Pomerol 90+
Lovely colour, ruby/purple, nicely crafted with a solid core of ripe black fruit, lots of mineral and a graceful elegance, best ever for certain.

2009 Chateau La Pointe - Pomerol 89-92+
Under new management for the past 3 years, quality is decidedly on the upswing, this is a vast improvement on anything ever achieved with this chateau. Sweet aromas of spring flowers, black and red fruits, the palate is densely packed, loads of fruit here but the tannins get in the way, seems very young, which it is, but it’s a little aggressive currently, making it difficult to assess, but I firmly believe this is the best ever from here.

2009 Fugue de Nenin - Pomerol 89-91
Chateau Nenin have stepped up in quality recently and their second wine is equally as good as many Grand Cru Classe wines. Where else could you find a Pomerol for less than £20, and this is very much like the 2008, but even better. Earthy black cherry fruit, mixed with charcoal, liquorice, and fresh herbs, beautifully textured, long and balanced, this should be ready to drink upon release.

St Emilion
2009 Chateau Troplong Mondot – St Emilion 96-100
This is a blockbuster wine, lovely ruby/purple with a stupendous bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, truffles, charcoal, coffee and smoked game. The palate explodes in the mouth with exquisite density, full bodied power and gorgeous ripeness of fruit, then the tannins begin to build and gain momentum but never exceeding the weight of fruit, everything about this wine is precise, loaded with personality and great length, a tour de force.
This is my choice for the 2009 wine of St Emilion, but I did not have time to call into Chateau Ausone, so cannot make comment on that.

2009 Chateau Cheval Blanc – St Emilion 96-98+
The perfume of Cheval is almost surreal, red, black and blue fruits, violets, with hints of coffee, cocoa and liquorice. The palate is very tight, the tannins kick in early, but they are refined, getting past these reveals a deep concentrated core of ripe fruit, a very sculptured wine and another with superb long term potential.

2009 Chateau Angelus - St Emilion 95-97+
I’m not certain this is as good as either the 2000 or 2005 wines, but it’s a very fine effort and I believe it has the potential to pass the 2000 and rival the 2005. The colour is both bright and dense, purple with edges that almost sparkle, displays a fine nose, very fresh and fruity, blueberry liquor and liquid minerals, the palate starts off with almost melting soft fruits, then it begins to pick up pace, luxuriant and sensual, massively concentrated and seamless integration of all the elements, the mid palate soars with juicy fruit and mineral, than it builds to a dramatic bold blockbuster finish.

2009 Chateau Pavie Macquin - St Emilion 95-97+?
This is certainly better than the 2008 wine, but is it as good as either the 2000 or 2005 vintages, its big and black in colour, I was beginning to think overworked, the wine is super concentrated and highly extracted, but it comes from very old Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines, so whilst the tannic structure is huge, there is great elegance here to counter the tannic structure, the fruit is ripe and creamy, there is also good acidity. I know the consultant is Stephane Derencourt and he tends to take wines to their absolute limits, and this is thereabouts. The finish is totally full bodied and all power, this could be the wine for the true connoisseurs who are prepared to leave it alone until the ravishing perfume of Cabernet Franc can fully develop, I would suggest a minimum of 10 years, and will add, this has unlimited potential.

2009 Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere- St Emilion 95-97
I believe this to be the greatest ever from this estate, black/purple to the rim, the perfume is deep and black, coffee, chocolate, fudge, liquorice and Asian spices, the palate starts off with glorious fruit, the sheer weight of fruit here is immense, there’s terrific viscosity to this wine, enormously concentrated, fills every corner of the mouth, but the balance is impeccable, there’s a sensation of volume and tension, the finish is long, powerful and almost impossible not to swallow, must admit I swallowed a bit.

2009 Chateau Bellvue Mondotte St Emilion 95-97?
This is the quintessential garagist wine, developed from a tiny 5 acre plot and always is seems in the very top echelon of Bordeaux estates. Gerald Perse the owner is regarded as the most extreme of all winemakers in the region, so what has he made this year? The wine is as black as midnight and the perfume is clearly very well done, but it’s a bit chewy, the tannins are massive and it’s difficult to taste, the flavours are deep base tones, coffee, chocolate and asphalt, but there is massive fruit here, I think he has done the best job with this wine again this year, I’m just wondering if it is a bit overworked.

2009 Chateau Canon - St Emilion 94-97?
The first time I tasted this, I wasn’t sure if it was over ripe fruit or an overworked wine, so I went back and tasted from a second bottle, this displayed massive fruit and purity on the nose, the palate is very ripe with floral high notes aligned to some serious base flavours, the tanning are fine but big, very big in fact, this will need time to come together, but very good potential.

2009 Chateau Pavie - St Emilion 94-97?
This is another wine difficult to assess, black as midnight on a moonless night, there’s a decent core of fruit on the attack but the tannins are so fierce, it sears the mouth and tasting this is almost impossible, not very enjoyable at this stage, but it could develop into something quite extraordinary.

2009 Chateau La Clotte - St Emilion 94-96
This is a seriously top notch effort and one of the wines which might be the best ever, intense ruby purple, the aromas are at first subtle, but with coaxing displays lovely black fruits, truffles and Asian spice with some notes of soy. The palate is wonderful, unctuous and melting, voluptuous and hedonistic , a real head turning wine, the tannins creep in on the finish, a very serious wine with a great future.

2009 Beausejour Duffau - St Emilion 94-96
Another blockbusting wine, certainly this is better than either 2000 or 2005 vintages. Opaque colour with an intense bouquet of herb dusted cassis, lilac, truffles, blackberry and mineral, in the mouth the attack is full on and it picks up paces through the mid palate building to a crescendo blockbuster finish, very concentrated and pushing the limits to the maximum, but there is a fineness and almost surreal elegance here. This property has underperformed since the greatest ever wine made in 1990, will this develop as well...not sure but Stephane Derenoncourt is involved here so it just might.

2009 Chateau La Dominique - St Emilion 93-96
This has to be another of the best ever wines from this estate, located on the border of Pomerol, and close to Cheval Blanc, this shows a dense purple colour, the aroma’s are soy, black raspberries and kirsch notes, the attack is big and juicy, the flavours keep unfolding on the palate, everything about this wine is huge, the tannins kick in mid way and the finish is very long, but nothing about this wine is overdone, lovely balance here, and I think a wine of great potential.

2009 Chateau Figeac - St Emilion 93-96?
This is another of the wines I had difficulty tasting, deep black with a purple rim, my immediate thought was its overdone, and the tannins are huge. But on my second tasting the wine showed good mineral content with a concentrated central core of fruit, the tannins are good quality but so intense, really big and building, I’m just not certain this will be ready in a decade. The finish is very long with a good aromatic mouthfeel, but it makes you pucker due to the tannic structure.

2009 Chateau La Gaffeliere - St Emilion 93-95
Deep purple to the rim, there’s beautiful ripeness here, the deep core of fruit unfolds on the palate, filling the mouth with sweet ripe flavours, then superb minerality begins to develop, the tannins are bold but very silky, finishes long and balanced.

2009 Chateau Bard Haut - St Emilion 90-92
Displaying a lovely intense colour, with a almost serene palate presence, this is again a very elegant wine, very ripe with a creamy feel, superior palate presence kept lively by juicy acidity and finishing with long silky tannins. Very good potential.

2009 Chateau Peby Faugeres - St Emilion 90-92
Made from 100% Merlot, the wine is fresh and fruity, quite complex and developing yet more fruit intensity mid way the finish is powerful with velvety ripe fruit tannins providing backbone and stability, very tasty.

2009 Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot - St Emilion 89-92
This is another of the up and coming estates of St Emilion which should join the ranks of the very top echelon of the appellation in fairly short order. The vineyards are wonderfully situated on the limestone plateau and the Becots appear to be willing to invest whatever it takes to build Beau-Sejour-Becot into one of the most renowned names of St Emilion. This 2009 vintage is another strong effort and one which I feel may well be up rated by Robert Parker over the next year or two. The wine displays a lovely perfume, full bodied flavours which coat the palate, but with a wonderful freshness, I’m not certain why this is, but they harvested in mid October and the alcohol is 15% so they achieved full ripeness, perhaps it’s just this vintage, anyway, it possesses huge richness and incredible tannin levels, but they’re quite silky already. My feeling is this will eventually come in with a mid 90s score once it’s had a little time to strut its stuff. Ultimately I think this has the potential to become a blockbuster even surpassing both 2000 and 2005 wines.

2009 Lynsolence - St Emilion 89-90
Deep purple, with very good fruit showing on the ripe nose, super entry on the palate with the fruit building before the tannins kick in mid way, these build to a crescendo before tailing off leaving only the fruit on the finish, very good.

2009 Chateau Fleur Cardinale - St Emilion 89-90
Shows a lovely, intense, deep black colour with a very fruity, pure nose where I found touches of tar and liquorice. This wine offers a slow tannic evolution, progressing through to very fruity, with loads of mineral ,ends on a more fruit forward note, perhaps needs to gain a little weight.

2009 Chateau Grand Corbin Despagne - St Emilion 89-90
Lovely intense colour without being overworked, the nose is ripe and quite fine, the plate is more velvety than usual, and it develops more aromatics in the mouth, there are no tough edges here, the tannins are sweet and it finishes with some lovely dark fruit and coffee flavours.

Saint Estephe
2009 Cos D’Estournel - Saint Estephe 97-100
Cos is changing from the hard tannic wine is used to make, with Burgundian winemaking techniques being used and it is making a huge difference to the wine. The 2009 is not dissimilar to the 2005 vintage but with lower alcohol; black with a purple rim, the nose is superb, wild even with deep aromatics of red and black fruits, pain grille, Indian spices and cedar. Massively concentrated fruit with bold but elongated tannins, this has a magnificent texture to it, combining power, structure, richness and elegance, superbly balanced with unbelievable potential, this is a stunning wine which already has everything. I’m thinking this is the greatest Cos ever produced.

2009 Chateau Montrose Saint Estephe 96-100
Decidedly in the running for one of the top wines of the vintage, Montrose is one of the best run estates in all of Bordeaux, they work very hard at making the finest wines possible and 2009 has favoured the team with a wine of exceptional proportions. Blue/black in colour and purple at the rim, the nose is all spicy black fruits with some coal and wonderful earthy sweet tobacco leaf tones and even deeper down some espresso roast aromas. The palate is fat on entry, there’s sensational fruit here with profound concentration and serene elegance. The tannins are big and building, but the finish is all fruit and mineral, it’s going to need time this little baby, but it is super potential. One of the finest wines made in 2009 and maybe the finest ever made at this Chateau.

2009 Chateau Calon Segur – St. Estephe 94-96
I think this might be the best Calon Segur in my lifetime, purple to the rim with sublime aromas of black cherries, cassis, liquorice, and wet stony minerals. Full bodied and opulent, this possesses abundant Cabernet tannins, but the fruit is fresh beneath, with almost racing acidity, a wonderfully balanced wine, long and large scaled, there’s no hint of over ripeness here, the finish lasts over a minute, fabulously pure.

2009 Les Pagodes de Cos – St. Estephe 92
The second wine of Cos d’Estournel, this shows a super nose not dissimilar to the main wine, violet, blackberry and Indian spices, full bodied and very concentrated with gorgeous acidity providing lift, lovely balance here and better than many classified Grand Cru wines, the finish is long and the tannins chewy, pushing to the limits here. But a very good wine.

2009 Chateau Tronquoy Lalande – St Estephe 90+
The aromatics of this wines is still rather subdued, but there’s a very solid feel about the wine, flavours are deep down in the bass territory, with coffee, liquorice and tar, good acidity to balance the fruit and the tannins are smooth as silk, very polished and precise winemaking from the team at Chateau Montrose.

2009 Chateau Cos Labory – St. Estephe 89-92
Lovely fruit on the nose, but there’s something not quite right here, the palate is juicy with ripe fruit and mineral notes, the finish is long with silky fine tannins, would have achieved a higher rating if it weren’t for the aromatics.

2009 Chateau Phelan Segur – St Estephe 89-92
Lovely colour here, with decent aromatics and a central core of richly ripe soft berry fruits, good balance and a firm fine tannic finish, this should have a very good life ahead of it.

2009 La Dame de Montrose – St Estephe 89-91
Another of the great houses making seriously good second wines, the 2009 La Dame is medium to full bodied, with abundant quantities of fat, juicy fruit, black cherry and currant flavours, concentrated and well balanced, finishes with melting chocolate notes, a serious crowd pleaser. I rated this wine above some of the better known chateaus of this commune.

2009 Chateau Tronquoy de St Anne – St Estephe 86-87
Purple to the rim, with sweet strawberry and raspberries on the nose, wonderfully sweet palate, fresh and gorgeous with floral and very ripe juicy fruit, very modern style and good winemaking where they have allowed the wine to develop naturally.

2009 Chateau de Pez – St. Estephe 80-83
Typical Pez, simple and lacking in charm, there is some fruit here but it tastes like a four by two.

2009 Chateau Ormes de Pez – St. Estephe 80-83
I’m not sure what they’re trying to do here but it’s not working, seriously pushed over the top.

St. Julien
2009 Chateau Leoville Las Cases – St. Julien 97-100
Along with Chateau Latour and Pichon Lalande, this has always been one of my three favourite wines of Bordeaux, perhaps it’s the small micro climate they find themselves in, Ducru Beaucailou share the very same terroir. The question is, is this better than the 1982 or 1986....difficult to say at this point, but I’m happy to wager a small house that it is. This 2009 is vibrant, everything about this screams quality, the colour is black, the aromatics are supreme for such an early stage in its development, the palate is massive so full of mineral it has an almost saline character, layers of blue and black fruits, lilies, and salt liquorice fill the mouth, deeply concentrated and classically built, the edges of this wine have already been polished by a master sculpture. This is as sensual a Las Cases as I have ever tasted, the layers keep unfolding and the acidity keeps the mouth fresh. Totally impressive with immense potential.

2009 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou - St. Julien 96-100
Under the guidance of Bruno Borie, this Chateau has taken the best of 2009 conditions and created a fabulous wine, something they have been doing consistently since he took over. The 2009 is exceptionally powerful, the tannins are the highest ever recorded, but the sheer weight of fruit totally obscures these gets you quickly past to reveal a serious wine of longevity, the fruit is rich, ripe and sweet, loads of mineral here, floral too and there are deep base tones to the wine, it’s as though the orchestra is warming up, it isn’t quite right yet, but you know it’s going to be a wonderful concert. Do I describe this as a blockbuster or a monster wine...not sure, but there is serious elegance here and it will blossom into something exceptional, of that I am sure. Whilst many Bordeaux estates are moving to a more modern style of wine with more elegance and wines coming ready earlier, my feeling is Ducru are sticking with the more traditional and elegance style which is not a bad thing, of all the traditional styles, I feel this is one of, if not the best.

2009 Chateau Leoville Poyferre - St. Julien 93-96
A great Poyferre, grilled blackberry fruit and pencil lead on the nose, deep concentration with full body, expansive and multilayered the mid palate is very concentrated but beautifully elegant, then the tannins begin to build, the finish is long powerful and blockbuster in style, this is an impressive wine, but one which will need some time for the tannins to melt away. Excellent.

2009 Chateau Gruaud Larose - St. Julien 93-96
Gruaurd might be coming out of the doldrums this is the finest effort for years, if a little overworked, the colour is blue/black with massive concentration, this has a very firm underpinning of tannins making it difficult to assess, but with full body and a thick rich style, this harks back to the old style of wine the house was famous for, if the tannins can fall away this will develop immense potential.

2009 Chateau Leoville Barton - St. Julien 93-95
There is no question that Anthony Barton is one of the greatest men in the whole of Bordeaux, considered a hero by many including myself, he consistently makes great wines and few wines or chateaux are held in such high regard. However I found the 2009 to be more formulaic, he has his recipe and doesn’t seem to want to change, I was hoping for more from this vintage. Perhaps I’m completely wrong and he wants the wines to have a consistency of approach and flavour. The wine is deeply coloured with classic aromas of forest floor, cedar, clove, smoke, and black fruits. The palate is fresh, juicy and balanced, made in a more almost Margaux than St. Julian style, feminine and graceful without the massive concentration of its neighbour. This is an excellent wine, but I don’t think is the same or as good as the 2005, it seems to me to be missing the penetration of the finest vintages.

2009 Chateau Branaire Ducru - St. Julien 93-95
The colour is very deep, and the nose is subdued, but the palate is very, very good, lots of juicy ripe fruit to the core which adds mineral as it builds, this is highly polished and greatly sculptured, a very classy wine which finishes with sweet ripe tannic fruit.

2009 Chateau Lagrange - St. Julien 92-95
Lagrange is getting better and better in recent years, ruby/purple, with very nice aromatics of crushed blackberry and mineral, full bodied, powerful and opulent on the palate, this glides with ease, somehow they have managed to check the tannin levels, this is a superior wine made in the modern style.

2009 Chateau St Pierre - St. Julien 92-94
I must admit to having a great fondness for this Chateau, they make the most astonishing age worthy wines of great character, but it’s hard to source and even more difficult to sell, people really don’t know what they’re missing. The 2009 comes at the end of a long line of fabulous wines from this tiny estate, another as black as midnight on a moonless night, but this is not overworked, they have taken the very best of the vintage and crafted a glorious old style wine full of Gallic charm and character. Massively structured as they always are, loaded with tremendously concentrated soft fruits, high tannin, with plenty of muscle, this is a wine which should only be purchased by true connoisseurs who have singular and determined patience needed to wait for what is the finest of all the old style classically built St. Julien wines. This is still a baby and it’s like the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, with time and I mean about a decade, this will grow into Archibald Alexander Leach!

2009 Chateau Langoa Barton - St. Julien 90-93
The 2009 Langoa displays a good ruby purple colour, the nose is all blackberry fruit, on the palate it doesn’t have the intensity of the Leoville and it seems a lighter style, more elegant, which slightly confused me, then the tannins began, and the signature of Antony Barton came through loud and clear. Good wine with a very solid performance.

2009 Clos du Marquis - St. Julien 90-92
As usual this estates wine is very good, the 2009 offers gorgeous and abundant red and black fruit, made in a similar style to the main wine but slightly more tannic this year, finishes well with plenty of acidity and mineral notes.

2009 Croix de Beaucaillou - St. Julien 90+
Displaying a lovely colour, no over extraction here, with sweet aromatics of red and black fruit, full bodied but with almost hidden ultra fine tannins supporting a wealth of fruit, wonderful balance and very gentile acidity, this is a great wine.

2009 Chateau Beychevelle - St. Julien 89-92
It is only since the millennium that Beychevelle has been making quality wines, they have a following and they know it sells, but quality has stepped up a notch with the 2009 wine, big, black and bold, heavily concentrated and perhaps unexciting, but it’s a very solid performance all the same.

2009 Le Petit Lion - St. Julien 89-90
Rather confusingly this has recently been released as the second wine of Leoville Las Cases...Yes I know what you’re going to say...Clos du Marquis is the second wine, well not anymore! Actually it never really was as its ajoining Las Cases, but was generally accepted as the second wine. The label depicts the arch of Leoville Las Cases, the one with the lion carved into it, and underneath the arch is an oversized lion cub! Pretty as a picture! The wine in question comes from the younger vines of both Leoville Las Cases and the Clos du Marquis properties, which are linked and have similar terrioir. This shows lovely juicy young vines fruit, it was almost purring to me, the central core is very fresh with good acidity but then it began to show its claws with fairly solid tannins, very attractive...both the picture and the wine, and at a reasonable price for such a great estate. Somehow I think some fur will be ruffled over this new release and to be safe, best to drink on a Caturday night. Also just for the fun of it, in the words of Mark Twain; A man who carries a cat by the tail, learns something he can learn in no other way.

End

Please click here to return to news articles