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For the fourth time, the Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo has been produced, and for the fourth time, it has received a perfect score although I might back off the 2000’s perfect score based on the fact that it seems to be more of an upper-ninety point wine than pure perfection these days. The 2007 may come closest in style to the 1998, the debut vintage, although the tannins are sweeter and the wine is perhaps fatter and richer in the mouth. The alcohols in these cuvees can be very high, ranging from 16.1% in 2003, 15.8% in 2000, 16.3% in 1998, to 15.5% (the lowest ever) in 2007. An inky/purple color is followed by aromas of smoked meats, Peking duck, licorice, lavender, aged beef, grilled steak blood, black currants, plums, sauteed cepes and soy. Enormously concentrated, broad, expansive and massive but not over the top, this is a tour de force in winemaking that is impossible to imagine unless one has a bottle to work through over the course of 4 to 5 hours. Although they advertise using all 13 authorized varietals, this wine is over 90% Grenache, largely from the famed La Crau section of Chateauneuf du Pape. They do have other vineyards from which they pull some of the fruit that goes into the Cuvee da Capo, including St.-Jean, Esquilons and occasionally Monpertuis. The 2007 seems to be broader, fatter, more unctuously textured and more flattering to drink at this stage than the 1998 was. In that sense, the evolutionary development may resemble their 2003s. The 2007 was bottled in February, 2010, and my anticipated drinking dates are 2014-2030+.Robert Parker | 100 RPEven more impressive than the Réservée and a noticeable step up, the 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Da Capo is one deep, dense puppy and yields awesome aromas of cassis and blackberry fruit, licorice, dry aged beef, and copious stem and garrigue on the nose. The purity and delineation are truly something and the wine has spectacular intensity, depth, and richness. The palate is full-bodied with a pure, precise texture, perfect balance through the mid-palate and a finish that delivers so much tannin and extract that it’s almost mouth-numbing. Give this rock star wine 7 to 10 years in the cellar and then drink over the following 2 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDInky ruby. Pungent, exotically perfumed aromas of dark berry compote, Asian spices and garrigue, with bright minerality adding vivacity. Powerful and deeply concentrated but also shockingly fresh and lithe, offering sweet red and dark berry flavors and notes of candied flowers and licorice. The finish is smooth, sappy and extremely persistent, with echoing floral and herb notes.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis shows a remarkable marriage of density and grace, as layers of roasted fig, braised chestnut and dried blood orange stay supple and plush, embedded with rounded grip and alluring cocoa, graphite and incense notes. There’s a long, espresso- and hoisin sauce–filled finish. Best from 2011 through 2030. 670 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 96 WS

As fine as the Griotte and Charmes are in 2007, the Chapelle takes the quality up to the next level in this vintage, as it combines the precision and nascent complexity of the Charmes and the deeper and sappier profile of the Griotte. The bouquet is outstanding, as the wine jumps from the glass in a blaze of black cherries, cocoa, game, blood orange, and black soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very sappy at the core, with great focus and balance, fine-grained tannins, tangy acids and outstanding length and grip on the complex and classy finish. A great bottle of Chapelle. (Drink between 2014 - 2040)John Gilman | 94 JGLicorice, game, and sweetly-ripe dark berries inform a broad-shouldered Ponsot 2007 Chapelle-Chambertin that is both less refined and less striking than the corresponding Griotte, but hugely convincing in its expansive and energetic way: palpably dense and finely-tannic, finishing with wave-like dynamic and intensity of sappy berry juices, bitter-sweet herbal essences, and meat stock. Yet another Ponsot 2007 remarkable for its vintage, this should reward 15-20 years of cellaring.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSeems marked by oak, yet with substance underneath. Cedar and sandalwood aromas are backed by cherry, currant, anise and mineral flavors, but overall this is sweet, intense and saturated on the finish. Best from 2012 through 2025. 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA ripe liqueur-like nose featuring red and blue berry fruit that has violet and rose fragrances around the edges that precede rich, full, sappy and well-muscled big-bodied flavors that are seductive, minerally and textured and culminate in a punchy, energetic and driving finish. I like the underlying sense of tension here and while the big tannins are less sophisticated than those of the Griotte, there is perhaps a bit more overall depth here, at least at present.Burghound | 92 BH

I think the Rayas 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape will turn out to eclipse the 2005. It is unequivocally the finest wine made here since Emmanuel Reynaud’s uncle, the late Jacques Reynaud, produced his brilliant 1995. This wine was just released this year, with the 2008 coming on the market in the next few months. The 2007 is a relatively dark ruby/purple-tinged wine, more intensely colored than most Rayas Chateauneufs tend to be, since they are made from 100% Grenache and color has never been one of their hallmarks. The extraordinarily youthful and still burgeoning aromatics of black raspberries, black cherries, truffles and licorice lead to a full-bodied, powerful Rayas with sweet tannin, adequate acidity, and an ethereal richness and unctuosity that delicately offers a sensual texture. It is full-bodied, concentrated and approachable, but won’t hit its peak for at least another 4-5 years and will last for 25 or more. This is a spectacular Rayas, the likes of which hasn’t existed at this qualitative level since 1995.Robert Parker | 98 RPThis was a brilliant showing by the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve from Rayas, the finest bottle I’ve had to date. Offering a classic ruby color as well as gorgeous notes of kirsch liqueur, sappy green herbs, flowers, and rose petals, this beauty hits the palate with a full-bodied, rich, yet also fresh and vibrant texture that carries nicely integrated acidity and fine tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in this great vintage and is going to have a long life. I’d be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDBright ruby. Red berry, cherry and Asian spice aromas are lifted by sexy notes of rose petal and blood orange. Impressively pure and perfumed, with remarkable precision and cut to its concentrated but lively flavors of cherry and black raspberry. The weightless, mineral-driven character of this wine is something else. In a distinctly delicate, feminine style, with superb finishing cut and energy. This will probably cost a fortune when it lands in the U.S. , unfortunately.Vinous Media | 97 VMA very elegant, perfumy style, with shiso leaf and mulled spice notes up front, followed by silky black cherry, linzer torte and kirsch flavors that glide through the incense-tinged finish. There’s good latent depth and fresh acidity without the headiness typical of the vintage. Best from 2012 through 2022. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Surpassing the 2007, Anne Gros’s 2008 Richebourg Grand Cru is showing very well, unfurling in the glass with scents of cassis, cherries, dried flowers, grilled meats and spices. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and nicely concentrated, with melting tannins, racy acids that are elegantly cloaked in succulent fruit and a long, penetrating finish. It makes for dramatic, head-turning drinking today, so there seems little reason to wait.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Richebourg- Domaine A-F. Gros) The 2008 Richebourg from A-F. Gros is fairly oaky, but with its wood much better integrated into the main body of the wine on both the nose and palate and posing no threat to the ultimate balance of the wine. The classy nose jumps from the glass in a blend of plums, black cherries, cocoa powder, orange zest, woodsmoke and spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely transparent, with a fine core of fruit, ripe tannins and fine length and grip on the youthful finish. There is plenty of wood in this wine, but it is seamlessly integrated already and does not detract at all from the overall pleasure that the wine delivers. A very good example. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 92+ JG(Domaine Anne-Françoise Gros Richebourg Grand Cru Red) Very generous wood fights somewhat at present with the cool, spicy and highly complex nose of red currant, plum and violet aromas that is very much in keeping with the equally spicy rich, full-bodied and tautly muscled flavors that display ample minerality on the balanced, long and linear finish. This is a very serious effort with fine but dense tannins that will require 15 to 20 years for them to fully resolve so this isn’t a precocious Riche. (Drink starting 2023)Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2008 Barolo (magnum) is a stunner, as it has always been. Intensely aromatic, silky and layered, the 2008 is so elegant. I especially admire its vibrancy and overall freshness, both signatures of the year. Plum, dried flowers, crushed rocks and lavender build in an undeniably sexy Barolo that hits all the right notes.Vinous Media | 98 VMMascarello’s 2008 Barolo is a wine of extraordinary elegance. A sweet, open bouquet leads to dark red fruit, mint, spices and licorice in this pretty, nuanced Barolo. The 2008 is all about detail and understated finesse. It boasts breathtaking purity in its fruit and fabulous overall balance. A textured, finely-knit finish leaves a lasting impression. The 2008 is very classic in style. It will require considerable patience, despite its deceptively medium-bodied structure. This is another dazzling wine from Maria-Theresa Mascarello. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPGorgeous aromas of flowers, dried berries and fresh mushroom that open even more to flowers. Then goes to raspberries. Full to medium body, with a pretty austerity and raciness. Firm and sexy. The texture is very silky. Needs at least three to four year more in the bottle.James Suckling | 95 JSThere’s a dark element to this intense, juicy red, offering black currant and blackberry notes, with a violet accent. Harmonious and supple, revealing refined tannins and a long, fruit-filled finish. Best from 2015 through 2028.Wine Spectator | 92 WSTraditional Barolo of the highest order: a little firm yet will mature beautifully.Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2008 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from Dujac is a magical beauty that’s drinking brilliantly today. Sporting a vivid ruby, translucent color, it offers an amazingly complex bouquet of sweet red fruits, green herbs, spring flowers, and layers of spice. The palate follows suit and is medium-bodied, incredibly seamless, and pure, with fine tannins. This incredibly classic Vosne-Romanée is drinking fabulously well today, with both fruit and complexity, yet will keep for another 10-15 years. It’s well worth seeking out.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2008 Vosne-Romanee Aux Malconsorts blossoms with endless layers of dark fruit. This is a totally sensual, enveloping wine graced with finesse, class and elegance. The Malconsorts is a pretty open 2008, but it will be even better in another few years’ time. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028.This is a beautiful set of wines from Dujac. The harvest started on September 10 and ended on the 17th. Jeremy Seysses told me he wanted to pick on the early side in order to preserve freshness. In a similar vein, Seysses kept the fermentations short and gentle to avoid over-extracting. I also tasted a handful of 2008s, which are beautiful wines that are true to type and site. In 2008 the estate finished its conversion to fully organic farming originally started in 2001. Dujac fans have a lot to look forward to in these two vintages.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPMedium red. Knockout nose combines wild red berries, minerals and red licorice, lifted by ineffable notes of blood orange and rose petal. Very suave on entry, then intense and pure in the middle, at once taut and seamless. Superb energy to the raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. Downright thick for a 2008, saturating the entire palate on the back end and leaving the taste buds quivering. Finishes with suave tannins and outstanding length. A beauty.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Vosne-Romanée “Malconsorts”- Domaine Dujac) The 2008 Dujac Malconsorts is an absolutely complete and ethereal wine that is the epitome of Vosne-Romanée elegance and refinement. The nose is a stunning mélange of raspberries, cherries, raw cocoa, grouse, fabulously complex soil tones, spices, smoke and new oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, deep and very intensely flavored, with a svelte profile, a fine core of fruit, tangy acids and wonderful length and grip on the finely tannic and palate-staining finish. Wonderful Malconsorts. (Drink between 2017-2050).John Gilman | 94 JG(Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée "Malconsorts" 1er 1er Cru Red) This is less fine but more powerful and a bit more complex as well with a spicy mix of both blue and black pinot fruit cut with earth and herbal notes that precede the full, rich and very serious medium weight plus flavors that offer up a certain opulence on the mid-palate yet the gorgeously long finish is focused and classy. I very much like the dry extract level as it does a good job of buffering the firm tannins. (Drink starting 2023).Burghound | 93 BH

I continue to love the 2008 Château Latour, unquestionably in the top handful of wines in the vintage. A rich, powerful blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, this ruby/purple-hued beauty boasts a classic Latour nose of blackcurrants, spice box, saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and cedar pencil. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and perfectly balanced, give it another 2-3 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDExpressive fruit aromas and wood perfumes announce this wine. With 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a complex wine marked by purity of black fruits, berries, toast and tannins. It has power, richness and a lovely edge of spice to go with the acidity. The wine is firmly structured, while bursting with fruit and freshness.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEAn extraordinary wine, the classic 2008 Latour (13.5% natural alcohol) is composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc (40% of the production made it into the grand vin). Its dense purple color is followed by hints of espresso roast, cassis, burning embers, truffles and graphite. Rich with full-bodied power, beautiful purity and graciousness allied to a voluminous, savory, broad mouthfeel, this beauty will be drinkable in 4-5 years and will keep for three decades.Robert Parker | 95+ RPA little subdued, as with the Lafite right now, but this is built to last and is layered and structured. Liquorice, cassis and blueberry notes take the lead, with a punch of tannic power and a crushed mint leaf finish. A classic Latour, starting to be ready to drink but sure to age for decades from here. A seductive smoke note appears with time in the glass. Harvest September 29 to October 14. 40% of overall production. (Drink between 2021-2042)Decanter | 95 DECGorgeous aromas. Sandalwood and flowers, so perfumed and beautiful. Spices and currants with cassis too. Amazing nose. Such beauty and density with an iron and pure fruit character. Solid and racy.James Suckling | 95 JSThis is dense and muscular, but balanced, with the flesh to offset the sinew, as pure mulled black currant, melted fig and crushed plum fruit is caressed by substantial but fine-grained structure. The long, iron- and tobacco-filled finish has excellent focus and drive. This could rival LLC for longest-lived wine of the vintage. Best from 2013 through 2022. 9,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2008 Latour is dark, brooding and virile, with huge tannins that convey an impression of gravitas. Grilled herbs, leather, sweet pipe tobacco, iron and cedar add to the wine’s distinctive aromatic complexity. There is plenty of density and richness, but the color and slightly advanced flavor profile are a bit out of character. Ideally, at this stage Latour should exhibit more freshness and vibrancy. Of course, it is possible the 2008 might remain at this plateau for many years to come. Time will tell. The blend is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and drops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

One of the wines of the vintage, the 2008 Château Margaux is a beauty and has everything you could want from a wine. A huge nose of cassis, Asian spices, dried flowers, and incense all soar from the glass, and on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied and pure, with ripe tannins and a great finish. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot made from an incredibly strict selection (only 36% of the production made it into the top wine), this elegant, regal, incredibly classic Chateau Margaux is thrilling today, but will drink well for another 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis stood out immediately among the five first growth wines for its floral hit right off the first nose. The epitome of elegance, as I found at the 10-year point, but it is now also starting to deepen and layer, with concentrated black fruits balanced by linen-textured tannins, slowing the progress of the fruit through the palate, stretching out the flavours. First suggestions of tobacco and curling woodsmoke, with a mouthwatering finish - so moreish. 1.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Just 36% of overall production. (Drink between 2021-2042)Decanter | 97 DECDefinite richness alongside classic elegance. It’s a stylish wine, the fruit integrated into a beautiful structure. It’s not all refinement, because there is also a weight to the black plum skin and dark berry character. A wine that will age over many decades.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis is a stunning Chateau Margaux, made in a sexy, up-front, elegant style, with deep creme de cassis fruit intermixed with spring flowers, a solid inner core of richness and depth, but again, very sweet tannins as well as striking minerality and elegance. One of the most seductive Chateau Margauxs given its recent bottling, this blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot should drink beautifully for the next 25-30 years. Remarkably, a mere 36% of the entire production was selected for the 2008 Chateau Margaux.Robert Parker | 94 RPThe 2008 Château Margaux has an attractive bouquet of mulberry, red plum, briary, a hint of rose petal rather than its signature note of violets. It gains intensity with aeration, but to my surprise it feels quite forward for a 10-year old First Growth. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite Pauillac in style thanks to that graphite seam that surfaces towards the finish. It is a precise, classic Château Margaux that really delivers its intensity in the final quarter. I came away with the impression that it just does not quite slip from fourth to fifth gear. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting).Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is so subtle and refined on the nose with amazing perfumes of rose petal, blueberries and blackberries. Full but very tight and fresh with a lovely length that goes on and on. Starts off slowly with a solid core of fruit, then grows denser and denser. This is shy at first, needs at leat five years of bottle age.James Suckling | 94 JSShows a lightly sinewy edge, with coiled notes of damson plum, red currant preserves, rooibos tea, singed balsa wood and iron, lacking the vintage’s typical crisp edge. The fine-grained finish is approachable already, but this will age gracefully and should develop a more perfumed than rich profile.--Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Drink now through 2020.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2008 Mouton Rothschild checks in as a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot brought up in mostly new barrels. Undeniably one of the top wines in the vintage, it offers a rare opulence and sexiness in its awesome bouquet of crème de cassis, Asian spices, chocolate, and crushed flowers. Deep, full-bodied, powerful, and still young, it fills the mouth with fruit, has sweet tannin, and a great finish. It’s still ruby/plum-colored, with no signs of evolution, but is far from unapproachable and is drinking incredibly well today. It will keep for another two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDAnother hit, although this is not as glamorous as some vintages of Mouton. The expression here is just a little more Pauillac, rather than Mouton. Layers of blackberry and grilled almonds are marked by a touch of austerity in the Cabernet which I almost never find in this wine. It remains a beautiful Mouton in a vintage where you don’t always get this level of texture and expression. It’s still young - we are actually nowhere near lift off yet. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038Decanter | 96 DECA rich wine, opulent in character. There is power here, with richness of fruit and texture. It is both serious side and exuberant, with its bursting black berry fruits.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WETasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2008 Mouton Rothschild has always been in the shadow of the ensuing couple of vintages, but I was not the only person at this tasting that commented upon the class in show here. It replicated previous showings: cedar and graphite present and correct, though accompanied by something a little more exotic - eucalyptus maybe? The palate is beautifully balanced, very detailed and extremely fresh. This conveys so much energy and animation before reverting towards a more classic and structured, pencil lead finish. Those in the know will stash up on the 2008 Mouton Rothschild because it is destined to turn into one of the "dark horses" of the decade. Tasted May 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMAfter the 2009 and 2010, the 2008 Mouton Rothschild comes across as a touch slender. Lavender, smoke, grilled herbs and licorice add the closing shades of nuance in this delightful, mid-weight Mouton. In 2008, the blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot harvested between October 2 and 15. Two thousand eight is remembered as a highly variable year. Overcast skies finally opened in mid-September, which allowed the growing season to conclude on a high note.Vinous Media | 94 VMAromas of roasted fruit plus hints of grilled meat and chocolate. Full body, firm and chewy tannins and bright acidity. Tangy and lively. Needs time still to come together to soften the tannins. A little hard. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThis shows the cool, leafy profile of the vintage, with fresh tobacco and bay notes standing out, while the core of plum and blackberry fruit continues to fill in behind them. Shows wet earth and singed alder elements through the finish. This has nearly dropped its angular feel and is developing well, with just a slight twinge of crisp acidity on the finish.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2036.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2008 Clos de la Roche Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is a silky, elegant wine. Freshly cut roses, dark red fruit and minerals sit on a core of utterly refined tannins. This shows stunning balance in a weightless style that gains energy on the clean, focused finish. This is a fabulous effort from Ponsot. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.This set of 2009s from Laurent Ponsot was among the finest I tasted. The wines are simply dazzling from top to bottom. Ponsot was among the last to harvest in 2009, essentially starting when most, if not all, of his colleagues already had the fruit in their cellars. The fruit was 100% destemmed and the wines were vinified in oak vats. The wines were then racked into barrel for the malos, where many of them stayed with no further rackings. There is no new oak at Ponsot. The barrels range from 5 to 50 years of age. The range now includes a head spinning eleven Grand Crus, which now total an astonishing 70% of the estate’s total production. Ordinarily I would suggest cellaring the top 2009s for a minimum of 15 years or so, but now that Ponsot is bottling all of his wines with synthetic plastic corks made in Italy it is hard to know exactly how the wines will develop. I tasted all of the 2009s from barrel, where they had been aging since finishing their malolactic fermentations.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2008 Clos de la Roche Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is a silky, elegant wine. Freshly cut roses, dark red fruit and minerals sit on a core of utterly refined tannins. This shows stunning balance in a weightless style that gains energy on the clean, focused finish. This is a fabulous effort from Ponsot.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe 2008 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes was the most closed wine in the cellar at the time of my visit, and the most profound as well. The bouquet is deep and very sappy in its youthful mélange of red and black cherries, blood orange, coffee, espresso, fantastically complex soil tones and a mustardy topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and bottomless at the core, with ripe tannins, superb acids and stunning length and grip on the again, nearly endless finish. A great vintage for this consistently outstanding wine. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 96 JG

The 2008 Liger-Belair Reignots is flat out stunning and I am not sure I would not prefer to have the ’08 in my cellar rather than the more flamboyant ’09 (though of course, it would be better to have both)! The bouquet is deep, pure and magically complex, as it offers up scents of black cherries, black raspberries, a touch of bonfire, duck, wonderfully complex soil tones, a bit of citrus zest and a deft framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and elegant, with great bounce and focus, a superb core of fruit, moderate tannins and outstanding length and grip on the dancing finish. This is a great, great premier cru in the making. (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 95 JGTasted at the Comte Liger-Belair vertical at the Château de Vosne. The 2008 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots does not quite possess the same delineation and poise on the nose as the 2007, which comes as some surprise. Touches of cooked meat come through and later an attractive sea spray scent. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded, savory entry. This is quite animally and gamy, the acidity nicely judged with a little chewiness toward the finish. Give this 2-3 more years in the cellar. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPGood deep red. Black raspberry, licorice, game and a whiff of soil on the very deep nose. Dense and thick--even plump--in the mouth, with superb concentration to the youthful flavors of dark berries and black cherry. Already remarkably round, savory and lush. Perhaps most impressive today on the very long, suavely tannic finish, which boasts terrific echoing lift and mineral precision. From a crop level of just 24 hectoliters per hectare, according to Louis-Michel Liger-BelairVinous Media | 93+ VMThe most elegant and coolest of these Vosne 1ers with a plum, violet, rose petal and anise suffused nose that gracefully introduces the detailed, intense and highly refined middle weight flavors brimming with an almost pungent minerality before culminating in a seductively mouth coating and strikingly long finish. Reference standard Reignots.Burghound | 93 BH

Vietti’s 2008 Barolo Rocche is once again stellar. What a wine. Intensely aromatic and racy, with beautifully layered fruit, the 2008 is a superb example of this great Barolo vintage. Sweet red cherry, plum, hard candy and spices give the 2008 much of its perfumed, silky personality.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2008 Barolo Rocche shows the best balance of fruit and structure among the 2008 Baroli. Sweet,silky tannins frame expressive dark red fruit in the 2008 Rocche. This is an especially structured, powerful style for the Rocche, and a true testament to the level of conviction at Vietti. The Rocche turns sweeter and more sensual with time in the glass. The tannins possess remarkable finesse. This could be used to teach a class on the greatness of the Rocche vineyard. It is dazzling from start to finish. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAppealing aromas of flowers, cherry and raspberry take on tobacco and leather flavors as this crosses the palate. Rich and round, with a supple texture, this is firmly structured, offering a fine aftertaste of fruit and mineral. Needs time to unwind. Best from 2017 through 2035. 320 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSLots of milk chocolate, mushroom and berry character. Full and velvety with polished tannins and a long, intense finish. Impressive. Structured yet very polished and refined. Try it in 2015.James Suckling | 94 JS

This also sports discreet wood influence on the intensely floral and kaleidoscopically spicy nose of blue berry and black cherry aromas that introduce rich, intense and naturally sweet middle weight flavors that are lacy, pure and almost delicate before culminating in a suave, explosive and magnificently long finish. This is just terrific and the balance is impeccable. Note however that like the 2010 version, the ultra-fine tannins are also quite dense and this will also require 15 years or so of cellar time before it will be ready for prime time.Burghound | 95 BHThe 2009 Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-St.-Vivant is the wine in the cellar that best carries its ripeness and still manages to deliver a fairly transparent rendition of its underlying terroir. The nose is deep, pure and beautifully complex, as it wafts from the glass in a fine mélange of red and black raspberries, cherries, a touch of raw cocoa, a lovely base of soil and a deft framing of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and seamless, with plenty of ripe fruit at the core seamlessly woven into the tapestry of soil and spice tones here, with fine-grained tannins adding lovely grip on the long and classy finish. This is a very well-made bottle of 2009, but I have a strong preference for the style of the gloriously transparent 2008 RSV chez Hudelot. (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2009 Romanee St. Vivant is one of the most texturally beautiful, brilliant wines in the lineup. A solid core of fruit lies at the center of the wine, with gorgeous, expressive aromatics that add complexity and nuance throughout. It shows notable length and a sensual, captivating finish that is all class. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2009 Romanée St. Vivant is one of the most texturally beautiful, brilliant wines in the lineup. A solid core of fruit lies at the center of the wine, with gorgeous, expressive aromatics that add complexity and nuance throughout. This shows notable length and a sensual, captivating finish that is all class.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The inky/blue/purple-colored 2009 Bellevue Mondotte offers aromas of creme de cassis, mulberries, licorice, white flowers, forest floor and candied cherries. Extremely thick, rich and full-bodied, it is nearly overwhelming in its textural richness, colossal concentration and mind-blowing finish that lasts nearly a minute. Undeniably massive and over-sized, but perfectly balanced, it is made for those looking for something to put away for 30-50+ years. One has to admire a proprietor who is making a wine for the history books, not for near-term gratification.This is a tiny jewel in the empire of entrepreneur and quality conscious Bordeaux visionary, Gerard Perse. It is a 5-acre parcel of nearly 50-year old vines planted on pure limestone at an elevation above that of his neighboring property, Pavie-Decesse, not far from Pavie-Macquin. Bellevue Mondotte is generally a blend of approximately 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since Perse got control of this estate and renovated the cellars, he has been draconian in reducing yields, which were a mere 22 hectoliters per hectare in 2009. The fruit was picked very ripe and the wine was fermented in oak tanks with malolactic in barrel, aged on its lees (a la Burgundy), and bottled unfined and unfiltered. At all the Perse properties the wine stays in oak about six months longer than at other Bordeaux estates.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPLoads of fruit with blueberries and blackberries. Cassis. Full and juicy with super fine tannins. Very flamboyant. Powerful structure. Goes on for minutes. 90% Merlot with 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 97 JS(90% merlot with 5% each cabernet franc and sauvignon): Deep ruby. Superripe, slightly inky aromas of blueberry liqueur and violet. Like liquid silk in the mouth, but with surprisingly firm acidity leavening the wine’s sweetness and giving shape to its blue and black fruit flavors. A compellingly rich, thick wine with palate-staining length and the tannic clout to support at least a couple decades of positive evolution in bottle.Vinous Media | 95+ VMA very dark, almost brooding style, with loads of ganache, espresso and roasted fig aromas and flavors, backed by extra notes of black forest cake, warm currant preserves and melted black licorice. There’s a gorgeous polished feel despite its heft, with a purity buried deep on the finish. Drink now through 2015. 415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2009 Calon-Ségur is deep garnet in color and opens with a beautiful fragrance of redcurrant preserves, cassis, black cherry compote and red roses plus nuances of cigar box and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied and wonderfully elegant in the mouth, it has a compelling line of very ripe, fine-grained tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the fragrant layers, finishing long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDelivers gorgeous aromas of blackberry, blueberry and licorice, with hints of tobacco and spice. Full-bodied, offering a lovely texture and refinement. Very long and beautiful, with tangy acidity and lively fruit. A rich, yet very balanced, Calon. This is almost all Cabernet Sauvignon instead of the normal blend with 40 percent Merlot. The château is now using 100 percent new wood. Like the changes.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis strikes exactly the right note aromatically: it’s wonderfully sexy, smoky, intriguing and tantalising. On the palate it follows up these aromatics perfectly with silky-smooth tannins and well brushed damson and black cherry fruits. It’s fully ripe but still with give and subtlety. Great stuff! 2009 saw the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever included in this wine. Drinking Window 2020 - 2044Decanter | 96 DECA big step up over the 2008 and, I suspect, the finest wine from this estate in the 2000s, the 2009 Château Calon Ségur reveals a healthy ruby hue to go with textbook notes of red and black currants, tobacco leaf, damp earth, gamey meats, and Asian-like spices. This is classic, traditionally made Bordeaux, with full-bodied richness, a layered, structure mouthfeel, wonderful sweetness of fruit, and a great finish. A wine that starts out tight and reserved yet builds with air, don’t be afraid to give bottles plenty of air if drinking any time soon. It’s certainly in its drink window, yet also has another 30-40 years of longevity ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDWith a lot of fennel and earth character this is a classic St.-Estèphe, but on the palate it has a suppleness that’s modern in the best sense. Needs time to soften. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS(Château Calon-Ségur) Our vertical tasting in Washington was again the first time I had seen the 2009 Calon- Ségur, as I had not tasted the wine during En Primeur, and I was very, very impressed with the quality and style of this wine. The cépages is fully ninety percent cabernet sauvignon in this vintage, and the perfectly ripe, but not overripe cabernet has made this an instant classic. The beautifully ripe and pure nose wafts from the glass in a vibrant blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, cigar smoke, dark soil tones, pungent violets and a suave base of nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very classy on the attack, with a rock solid core of pure fruit, superb soil inflection, impeccable focus and balance, ripe, fine-grained tannins and outstanding length and grip on the seamless and youthfully complex finish. This is a great vintage of Calon-Ségur in the making! (Drink between 2022-2065)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2009 Calon-Ségur has a classic Saint-Estèphe bouquet with pencil box and freshly tilled earth on the nose, beautifully defined if not with quite the same pedigree that François Millet imparts into the Grand Vin nowadays. (Less Merlot here than other examples.) The palate is medium-bodied, masculine in style, a little closed at first, strict and detailed yet missing some flesh and density on the finish. Unlike the bottle poured blind a week later that was much more exuberant and higher-toned. It is a fine Calon-Ségur but it is shaded by say the 2014, 2015 and 2016. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VM

One of my favorite vintages from this incredible terroir located on the upper plateau of Saint-Emilion, the 2009 Château Canon is just about pure perfection in a glass. It delivers a monster bouquet of blackberries, raspberries, white truffle, and flowery incense that develops beautifully with time in the glass. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful, it’s still classic Saint-Emilon, offering incredible minerality as well as structure. This brilliant wine can be drunk any time over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Canon is a little reticent to begin, opening out to notions of rare beef, cast iron pan, cigar boxes and cloves with a core of baked plums and mulberries plus a waft of dried lavender. Full, richly fruited and sill quite youthful, the palate has a firm yet velvety texture and seamless freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and mineral laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPA fleshy and generous St.-Emilion with a great interplay of fresh and super-ripe plum aromas. Behind this is quite a major tannin structure and plenty of chalky minerality that carries the bold finish beautifully. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 95 JSHugely dense, foursquare wine with great fruit and the purest tannins. Chocolate and coffee predominate at the same time as sweet tannins and acidity. A wine that combines charm with great power.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is a creamy, lush, hedonist’s wine, with suave, textured layers of fig sauce, puréed plum and cassis woven with hints of mocha and pain d’épices. Picks up grip though, joined by a roasted mesquite hint on the finish for added length. Best from 2014 through 2025. 4,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe director of Canon in 2009 was John Kolasa, a less deft touch perhaps than Nicolas Audebert today, but still making some great wines. This has ripe fruits and a generous attack. It’s still very young but there are hints of a wine that’s starting to evolve, with moments of tobacco and leather. The mouthwatering juiciness through the back half of the palate is really appetising, and although it’s less precise than a Canon of today, you can certainly see all the building blocks here. It has a slightly savoury quality to the fruit, not displaying the excess of some St-Emilions in this vintage. A good quality wine, this is entering its drinking window but has plenty of time left. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Canon) The 2009 Canon is an unequivocally great wine in the making and will probably end up resembling the 1982 Canon in style, but prove to be superior to that fine bottle. As is the style of classically made wines such as this, today the ’09 Canon is tight, structured and only hinting at the superb complexity to come, but with its superb quality clearly evident. The bouquet offers up an excellent aromatic mélange of black cherries, dark berries, espresso, woodsmoke, herb tones, tobacco leaf, lovely soil tones and a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, ripe and rock solid at the core, with impeccable balance, firm, ripe tannins and great focus and grip on the long, properly reserved and chewy finish. A great classic in the making. (Drink between 2020-2070).John Gilman | 93-94+ JGThe 2009 Canon has a surprisingly muted bouquet despite rigorous aeration, reluctantly offering black fruit, meat juices and light garrigues-like aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, slightly coarse tannin, quite spicy but overall, rather overbearing and lacking tension on the finish. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2009 d’Alceo comes across as much more classic in style and structure than the 2008. According to Luca di Napoli, the trick to 2009 was harvesting on the early side. Freshly cut flowers, sweet red berries, plums, mint and licorice all take shape in the glass Over the last few months, the 2009 d’Alceo has softened a bit, releasing expressive, floral aromatics, brighter shades of fruit and striking inner perfume, but it remains quite vibrant in the context of a vintage in which so many wines are quite a bit riper in style. The 2009 is a wonderfully deep, resonant d’Alceo that should offer a wide drinking window starting in a few years. It certainly looks like Rampolla nailed the vintage.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGA super generous red with spices, meat and berry character. Full body with round and velvety tannins. Rich and generous. Gorgeous wine. A blend of cabernet sauivgnon and petite verdot. Much better in 2015 when the tannins come together.James Suckling | 95 JSNo written review provided. | 90 W&S

Conservatively, the 2009 Ermitage l’Ermite (702 cases) needs 25-30 years of cellaring. Another monumental effort from Michel Chapoutier, it possesses copious notes of smoky asphalt, black truffles, pen ink, graphite and blackberry liqueur intermixed with hints of flowers and crushed rocks. Extremely full-bodied with abundant sweet tannins, amazing penetration on the palate and a long finish, this historic effort should age effortlessly for 50-100+ years.As I have written many times, all of these wines are produced from rigidly cultivated, bio-dynamically managed vineyards. That has been the rule since Michel Chapoutier first took over this firm in the late 1980s. Now, with over 20 years of biodynamic viticulture under his belt, Chapoutier remains committed to this rather radical style of organic farming. He believes the effect is to reduce rot in damp, rainy vintages. Moreover, he has observed that after 10 to 15 years of biodynamic farming, the natural acids tend to be more vivid and the overall pH of the soils (as well as the wines) has dropped. Controversial, outspoken and brutally candid, Chapoutier, who suffers no fools, continues to admirably produce wines that are among the finest in the world and potentially the longest lived. Refusing to acidify, chaptalize, or touch the wines in any way, he clearly wants every wine to capture the very essence of its terroir and vintage personality. In this, he succeeds remarkably. No one has made more effort in resurrecting the once-forgotten backwater appellation of St.-Peray than Michel Chapoutier. Working in conjunction with the famed Michelin three-star restaurant family, the Pics, Chapoutier has produced a sensational 2010 Gamme Pic and Chapoutier St.-Peray, and the first single-vineyard St.-Peray, the 2010 Lieu-Dit Peyrolles St.-Peray, which is one of the greatest St.-Perays I have ever tasted. This appellation is all steep hillside vineyards planted in pure, decomposed granite soils, not dissimilar from Hermitage, but they are located on the other side of the Rhone, facing the city of Valence. The single-vineyard wines, or selections parcellaires, 2010 whites are absolutely amazing, with production levels ranging from 300 to 700 or 800 cases of each cuvee. These wines are for true connoisseurs, as they are expensive and meant for long, long evolutions, but they capture the essence of a vintage and terroir as well as any wines in the world. As for the selections parcellaires of 2010 reds, Chapoutier likes this vintage almost as much as 2009, but feels it is very different, emphasizing more acidity and minerality, whereas 2009 is a combination of pure power, concentration and great potential longevity. Michel Chapoutier considers the 2009s, which are all in bottle, to be among the greatest wines he has ever produced, equaling his finest wines of 2006, 2003, 1999, 1990 and 1989 (his debut year).Robert Parker | 98+ RPThis has a taut feel still, with an almost searing iron edge, but there’s plenty of flesh in reserve, with plum compote, cherry pâte de fruit and anise notes that slowly fill in on the lengthy finish. Offers lots of grip too as this slowly unwinds with air, letting its iron edge stretch out even more. There’s terrific spine and cut, with very impressive length. Best from 2016 through 2036. 702 cases made, 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSSeemingly the most structured and traditional of the Ermitages, the 2009 M. Chapoutier Ermitage l’Ermite comes from 80+ year-old vines and is 100% destemmed Syrah that’s aged in a combination of new and 1-year-old barrels. It possesses an absolutely brilliant array of black raspberries, smoke, graphite, mineral, and assorted floral characteristics on the nose, and this is followed up by a full-bodied, structured, dense, and layered Syrah that has masses of ripe tannin, gorgeous precision and focus, and a blockbuster finish. As with the Le Pavillon, this needs a decade or more in the cellar, and will have an incredibly long life ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBright purple. Explosive aromas of candied red fruits, potpourri and incense, with a medicinal nuance adding complexity. Stains the palate with intense raspberry and bitter cherry flavors lifted by smoky mineraity. Becomes spicier and deeper with air and finishes with superb clarity and lingering florality. By all means allow this to rest for at least another five years.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cheval Blanc offers up profound notions of baked blueberries, blackberry compote and crème de cassis with suggestions of chocolate mint, new leather and cloves plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in elegance with very classy, super fine-grained tannins, beautiful freshness and layer upon layer of mineral-laced blue and black fruits, finishing long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2009 Château Cheval Blanc continues to just blow me away every time I’m lucky enough to taste a bottle. It has that rare mix of elegance and power that can be hard to describe. Offering a massive bouquet of black cherry liqueur, flowery incense, crème de cassis, toasted spices, and forest floor, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a magical, seamless texture, and a great, great finish. Its tannins and structure are just now starting to emerge from under ample baby fat, but it still has incredible opulence and richness as well as flawless balance. Enjoy this masterpiece any time over the coming 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA profoundly generous wine with coffee grounds and patisserie notes revealing grilled oak that’s subtle but extremely pleasing. The quality of the tannins is exceptional - they are drawn out, elongated and shrouded in smoke. Layer upon layer of complexity unfurls in the mouth, getting better and better, with tons of juicy black fruit. The liquorice is black and tight on the perfectly balanced finish right now, with sprinkles of star anise and a gentle lift of fresh mint. Give it a good few years before opening. Drinking Window 2022 - 2046Decanter | 100 DECSuper-spicy, this is an extremely elegant 2009 with enormous concentration and finesse. The complex finish lights up the sky and you wonder how this spectacular ripeness could have been more perfectly expressed. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2009 Cheval Blanc has a rambunctious nose with copious red fruit, meat juices, sage and crushed stone aromas, ineffably complex. This is so refined, constantly mutating in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannin. There is a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of cassis, cardamom and allspice. Immense depth and grip towards the finish expresses ripe Cabernet Franc. This is an outstanding 2009 destined for long-term ageing. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 98 VMDense, brooding and richly coated, with a well of steeped black currant, fig paste and roasted plum fruit to draw on while the layers of charcoal, Kenya AA coffee and loam resolve themselves. This displays both breadth and depth, offering a great undercurrent of acidity to match its heft. Should be among the most long-lived wines of the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 7,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSAn impressive wine, a true return to form for Cheval Blanc. The fruit is enormous, packed with sweet black berry juice, and with a brilliant freshness. There is a lovely smoky character, topped by ripe figs.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE(Château Cheval Blanc) The 2009 Cheval Blanc really is stunning. The wine is probably the most serious contender to Lafite-Rothschild’s crown as the ultimate luxury cuvée amongst the red wines in Bordeaux this year, as it is clearly cut from the same cloth. The bouquet is deep, pure and very sophisticated, as it offers up scents of dark berries, cassis, coffee bean, sappy black cherries, menthol, tobacco leaf, smoky soil tones and a generous dollop of smoky, luxurious new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and seamless, with beautiful focus and mid-palate depth, fine-grained tannins, superb focus and a very, very long, suave and complex finish. Like Lafite, Cheval Blanc wears its luxurious gloss very well in 2009, and it will clearly make a lot of friends amongst the jet set and should make some serious inroads into the Chinese high end luxury market, which seemed to be the obsession of every non-Lafite executive at the top estates on this trip. The wine will really need at least fifteen years to fully blossom, but is so finely crafted that it will provide plenty of pleasure early on and is likely to fall prey to infanticide in many circles. But as brilliant as the Cheval Blanc undoubtedly is this year, I would rather have the old-fashioned beauty of 2009 Bélair-Monange in my own personal cellar. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 95-96+ JG

Phenomenal aromas and flavors of pure fruit with stones and rock. Turns to mint and eucalyptus. Full body, with powerful yet polished tannins. Creamy and fresh. Changes continually. The finish goes on for minutes Savory. And juicy.James Suckling | 99 JSComposed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2009 IX Estate exhibits a flowery bouquet with notes of subtle smoke, blackberries, black currants, kirsch and baking spices. Rich, deep and full-bodied, this voluptuous, sensational blend boasts an inky/purple color. While approachable, it should hit its stride in 4-5 years and last for two to three decades.Robert Parker | 97 RPThe 2009 IX Estate is deep garnet in color. It needs a swirl or two to bring out notes of creme de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, and blueberry preserves, followed by suggestions of cigar box, graphite, red loam, and tapenade. The palate is rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully bold, with bright, slow-maturing black fruits and firm, ripe grainy tannins, finishing long with saline and gentle herbal layers.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIFull, deep ruby. Deep aromas of dark fruits, spices, smoky oak and flowers, plus a whiff of game. Utterly plush and mouthfilling but not at all heavy, showing serious thickness and high-altitude density to its sweet blue and black fruit, spice and chocolate flavors. And yet this wine’s floral element gives it an almost light touch, if that’s possible. Some subtle soil tones reminded me of the outstanding Syrah from this site on Pritchard Hill. Finishes with substantial but noble tannins and terrific length.Vinous Media | 96 VMA muscle-bound effort, tight, dense and chewy, with tar, blackberry, cedar and tobacco flavors. Ends with a pleasant wall of tannins and a persistent push of flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2014 through 2030. 1,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

This shows so much dark fruit, spice, berry and minerals incense. Full body, with lots of black pepper, spice and berry. It’s so dense and beautiful. The purity of fruit is all there. Hard not to drink now. But will improve for many years ahead.James Suckling | 97 JSBright, saturated medium ruby. Youthful but already highly expressive high-pitched perfume of blackberry, violet, licorice, crushed rock and honeysuckle. Savory, sappy, thick and fine-grained, delivering uncommon depth of texture and a strong umami character to its sweet/salty dark fruit and meat flavors. This wine stands out for its restraint today but it’s much easier to taste than it was shortly after being bottled, and there’s still a lot to come. Finishes classically dry and very long, with wonderfully suave, integrated tannins and mouthfilling perfume.Vinous Media | 96 VMI could have sworn the 2009 IX Estate Syrah had some Viognier in it, but all of these wines are 100% Syrah. Flowery, peppery, blackberry and bacon aromas reminiscent of a Cote Rotie jump from the glass. However, once in the mouth, the masculinity, power, awesome richness and incredible texture come forward. This killer Syrah should drink well for 20 or more years.Robert Parker | 95 RPA brilliant expression of dense, rich layers of spice, beef, wild berry, savory and herbal notes, offering intensity, focus, grace and finesse. Should evolve beautifully over the next decade or two. Drink now through 2030. 420 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

One of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted, the monumental 2009 Cos d’Estournel has lived up to its pre-bottling potential. A remarkable effort from winemaking guru Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot (33%) and a touch of Cabernet Franc (2%) was cropped at 33 hectoliters per hectare. It boasts an inky/black/purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of white flowers interwoven with blackberry and blueberry liqueur, incense, charcoal and graphite. The wine hits the palate with extraordinary purity, balance and intensity as well as perfect equilibrium, and a seamless integration of tannin, acidity, wood and alcohol. An iconic wine as well as a remarkable achievement, it is the greatest Cos d’Estournel ever produced. It is approachable enough at present that one could appreciate it with several hours of decanting, but it will not hit its prime for a decade, and should age effortlessly for a half century.Robert Parker | 100 RPAnother magical wine from this property, the 2009 Château Cos D’Estournel reminds me slightly of the 2005 with its incredibly rich, powerful, opulent style married to stunning finesse and elegance. Still youthful yet with a touch of maturity, its deep ruby/plum color is followed by classic Saint-Estèphe notes of blackcurrants, dried tobacco, loamy earth, Asian spices, and licorice. Deep, full-bodied, and massive on the palate, it’s flawlessly balanced and has building tannins hiding under its wealth of fruit, with no hard edges and a great, great finish. This tour de force is still 5-7 years away from maturity and is a legendary wine to follow over the coming 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA very bold, ripe and complex wine with excellent concentration and a warm, engaging personality (cinnamon and allspice) that’s hard to resist. With aeration a hint of dried fruit character emerges. Massive, yet polished finish. It’s been rated 100 in the past. We will see. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 98 JSThis shows why everyone loves the vintage. Features a gorgeous display of perfectly melded plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that flows beautifully over very creamy tannins. Still nearly all fruit, with flecks of warm stone and iron on the finish. This could easily sit in this phase for some time, but will be hard to resist. Totally modern and beautifully done.—Non-blind Cos-d’Estournel vertical (December 2015). Best from 2020 through 2040. 20,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA hugely rich wine, where the tannins seem initially lost in the overwhelming fruit. It has power and concentration, showing its alcohol a little. There is great intensity, but an edge of Portiness from the super-rich fruit.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEIntense, pureed damson fruit aromas remind me of its impact at En primeur, although then it was a little overblown. The terroir is starting to come through now, but the fruit still feels a touch overripe and overly concentrated, not enabling the juiciness that the clay soils of St-Estèphe should be highlighting. It’s still extremely young with a great life ahead of it, so this is one to put away for a while longer and give that terroir more of a chance to exert itself over the vintage character. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038Decanter | 93 DECThe 2009 Cos d’Estournel has an expansive and undeniably seductive bouquet, a mélange of red and black fruit, cold slate, damp earthy bordering on mulch-like aromas all delivering with ample freshness and certainly better delineation that it showed in its infancy. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite rich in style, decadent with a sweet core of fruit that is attractive but very un-Bordeaux like. Cos d’Estournel? Plush but bereft of intellect. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The Dal Forno family considered the idea of releasing their Amarone ten years after the harvest. If that plan had been implemented, this would be the vintage on the market now. The 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta is a full and generous expression that delivers thick lines and robust flavors of dried blackberry, camphor ash, exotic cedar wood, licorice and tarry road pavement. This vintage saw average temperatures throughout the growing season with a few hailstorms along the way. Very dry weather led to some mild drought in July and August, with ensuing ripening and concentration of the clusters. I found this monumental wine to be irresistible when I first tasted it five years ago, and I consider it to have improved since then. This is one of the most complete and comprehensive vintages produced at Dal Forno, and it gives us an ample 360-degree view onto the might, brawn and potential of this icon wine from the Veneto. Its evolutionary track shows no sign of slowing down.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThis is powerful and very rich with blueberries, flowers and hints of spices. Full body with velvety tannins and ripe fruits. Very beautiful and generous but not overdone. SuperJames Suckling | 98 JSThe 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella is one of the most sexy, open-knit young Dal Forno Amarones I can remember tasting. An enticing mélange of mocha, black cherry, bittersweet chocolate and leather captivates the senses. Incredibly open today, the 2009 can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring or aged for twenty years, perhaps beyond. Although the 2009 doesn’t quite reach the heights of the truly epic vintages here, it comes very close and will provide considerable pleasure sooner than many of those wines. I don’t think I have ever tasted a young Dal Forno Amarone with this much allure.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella is one of the most sexy, open-knit young Dal Forno Amarones I can remember tasting. An enticing mélange of mocha, black cherry, bittersweet chocolate and leather captivates the senses. Incredibly open today, the 2009 can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring or aged for twenty years, perhaps beyond. Although the 2009 doesn’t quite reach the heights of the truly epic vintages here, it comes very close and will provide considerable pleasure sooner than many of those wines. I don’t think I have ever tasted a young Dal Forno Amarone with this much allure.Vinous Media | 95 VMRich, with aromatic herb and tarry smoke notes, this silky, supple red is framed by mouthwatering acidity and dusty tannins. Shows ripe and concentrated flavors of date, sun-dried cherry, forest floor and ground spice, displaying a sense of harmony and density that suggests a long future. The finish echoes the spice and sweet fruit character. Drink now through 2029. 1,830 cases made, 450 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2009 Musigny is a huge, structured wine within the context of the domaine. Big, tannins support a highly expressive core of dark fruit, smoke and licorice. This is a decidedly powerful, almost extreme style of Musigny that will require considerable patience to settle down. An explosive, mineral-drenched finish lingers on the palate. The 2009 is flat-out dazzling. Wow. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2009 Musigny is a huge, structured wine within the context of the domaine. Big, tannins support a highly expressive core of dark fruit, smoke and licorice. This is a decidedly powerful, almost extreme style of Musigny that will require considerable patience to settle down. An explosive, mineral-drenched finish lingers on the palate. The 2009 is flat-out dazzling. Wow.Vinous Media | 98 VMAs brilliant the nose of the Amoureuses might be, this ups the ante considerably as this offers fireworks in a glass with its positively kaleidoscopic array of spice, violets and ripe fruit elements that if anything are even fresher. The rich, dense and overtly powerful broad-scaled flavors possess a tight muscularity yet remain elegant and refined with a linear, palate staining and explosive backend that delivers simply huge length. An incredible effort that should live for a very long time indeed. The word fabulous does not do this monument in the making complete justice.Burghound | 98 BHThe 2009 Musigny had been racked the day before my visit, but was still showing very well indeed. This too is quite a bit riper and more fruit-driven in profile than is customarily the case chez Mugnier, but there is an awful lot to like here in that riper style. The bouquet offers up a ripe and flamboyant mélange of black cherries, plums, cocoa, lovely soil tones, a bit of coffee bean and a nice topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and voluptuous on the attack, with a beautiful, sappy core of fruit, great length and grip and a very focused, pure and opulent finish. This will of course never be the most soil-driven vintage of this great wine, but Musigny brings an awful lot to the table in terms of fruit complexity, and this is a pretty stunning wine. I am sure that there are some Burgundy lovers out there that are going to taste this flamboyant vintage of Musigny and conclude that I have underscored it by three or four points! (Drink between 2016 - 2050)John Gilman | 94 JG