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Made up of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the opaque bluish/purple 2005 from Bellevue-Mondotte offers amazing chocolate espresso notes along with blueberry and blackberry liqueur, some incense and a hint of flowers. Full-bodied and staggeringly concentrated, this blockbuster wine (in a blockbuster vintage) is unreal. Talk about a wine that is beyond belief – this is a great achievement from Chantal and Gérard Perse. Drink it over the next 25-30 years. Sadly, there were only 340 or so cases produced.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe crushed blackberry and raspberry are wonderful in this wine. Full-bodied, with superpolished tannins and loads of ripe fruit, toasty oak and coffee on the palate. Goes on and on. An opulent young red. Best after 2016. 420 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSBright ruby. Aromas of cassis, black raspberry and liquid graphite. Hugely concentrated but very backward, with exotic and extremely dark flavors of black fruits, licorice and violet. This has a surprisingly silky texture (a year ago it seemed to be a bit more chunky) but the major tannins are going to require considerable patience. Better than I thought last year, but not for the faint of heart.Vinous Media | 91-94 VMIncredible velvety texture, refined tannins, noble taste including the classic truffle undertones of the area, very intelligent winemaking. Super-first growth level. Drink from 2013.Decanter | 91 DEC

From the tiny luxury jewel of the Neipperg family, the 2005 La Mondotte is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from a fabulous terroir. Super-rich and dense purple in color, it represents a concentrated essence in both its aromatic and flavor profile of blackcurrant, black cherry, earth and spice. Full-bodied, pure, and again, possessing sweet, sweet tannin and a tremendously deep, full, layered personality. This is another great example of La Mondotte, which should drink well for 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2005 La Mondotte has softened considerably since I last tasted it a few years ago. Clean veins of limestone-infused minerality run through a core of inky dark fruit, showing just how distinctive this tiny Saint-Émilion property is. Crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, licorice, spice, lavender and menthol open with a bit of coaxing. This modern, exotically lush Saint-Émilion is a real beauty. Magnificent. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis has an incredible nose, with blackberry, black licorice and intense coffee and toasty oak character. Full-bodied, with layers of beautiful oak and ripe fruit. Long and voluptuous. Best after 2017.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

There are 6,500 cases of the superb 2006 Dominus (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot). Its dark plum/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of truffles, forest floor, black cherries, black currants, and Asian spices. One of the finest wines of the vintage, it is complete, full-bodied, and seamlessly built with beautiful ripe tannins, low acidity, and a luscious, layered mouthfeel. The aromatics are even more evolved and complex than the 2005’s. The 2006 should drink well for 20-25 years.Christian Moueix, Dominus’ owner, has purchased the 35-acre Swanson Vineyard, which is situated between the well-known California bistros, Brix and Mustard’s. I suspect that will result in a third label from Dominus. At present, the production from these large holdings in Yountville is approximately 10,000-12,000 cases, with the second wine, Napanook, representing 3,500-4,000 cases, depending on the vintage. It is ironic that Christian Moueix, the great Merlot specialist at his flagship chateaux in Pomerol, especially Petrus, prefers the other Bordeaux varietals at his Napa property. Interestingly, when I visit Dominus, they always open a fresh bottle and serve it alongside a bottle that has been decanted for 24 hours. On each occasion, the more complex, open wine is the one that has had 24 hours of aeration, something buyers of this wine should take into consideration. These are the two strongest back to back vintages for Dominus since 1990-1991 and 2001-2002.Robert Parker | 96 RPStarting to take on the tertiary character of ripe fruit and savory components with dusty tannins. Full and round with a lovely texture and a light salty, meaty and tobacco character. Forest floor. Sweet and sour. Just opening.James Suckling | 96 JSBright red-ruby. Lovely floral lift contributes precision to the aromas of raspberry, rose petal and licorice. Sweet, high-pitched and sharply delineated; velvety but not thick. There’s a juicy quality to the ripe red fruit, mineral and graphite flavors, not to mention a firm underlying spine, that promises a long and positive evolution in bottle. Quite young but not austere, finishing with building tannins and lovely lift. The lingering perfume of red fruits, pepper, flowers and licorice is unusually complex. A really superb 2006, seemingly every bit as good as the sensational 2005.Vinous Media | 94+ VMUnless you knew that this was Dominus and had tasted older vintages, you might not be impressed. In its youth the wine is tannic and dry and linear. However, it is Dominus and it does need cellaring. Right now it shows blackberry, black currant, cedar and baker’s chocolate flavors. Will slowly open and reach maturity after 2011, and could easily develop for far longer.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEYouthfully floral and tight, this vintage of Dominus is a big wine that holds all of its weight behind a powerful structure. And it’s the power of that structure that is front and center-red apple-skin acidity and walnut-skin tannin-needing a ribeye with plenty of fat to bring the fruit out of its cage. Stay with it and the wine’s earthiness begins to meld with the blueberry and chocolate richness. But it’s all completely primary. Put this away for ten years, and drink the Napanook while it matures.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S

The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is in a great spot. Baked apple tart, spice, chamomile, marzipan, slate and chalk confer tremendous vibrancy and power throughout. Bright saline notes play off the natural exuberance of the year. The 2006 was spectacular on release. It is all that today, too.Vinous Media | 98 VMTasted almost two years after disgorgement, the 2006 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs shows a beautiful golden-citrus color and opens with a fascinating intense, floral, slightly reductive nose that develops enormously in the glass, offering lemon and lemon confit aromas along with flinty notes of crushed chalk and the iodine flavors of the Atlantic Ocean. This is an utterly complex and promising bouquet! The palate is terribly fresh but also rich, lush and intense, with the purity of the finest wines of the Côte de Blancs, the concentration of perfectly ripe Chardonnay and the suppleness of 2006. This has impeccable balance paired with high tension. The wine is very tight and still seems to be on its way right now. Although there is a first hint of aromatic ripeness, this should be a great Comtes de Champagne in a couple of years. The finish is tensioned, concentrated and mineral but keeps its talents in an almost bursting bubble. Disgorged September 2016; tasted May 2018 (lot L6316UM13600).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis is settling into a deeper presence. It has a freshness that really appeals, along with Taittinger’s signature toasty layer of autolysis, grilled nuts and praline. Plenty of flesh and weight on the palate. Acidity clasps ripe peach and mango fruits, finishing long, powerful and fine. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JS(Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut (Reims)) The 2006 vintage of Taittinger’s iconic Comtes de Champagne bottling is a beautifully refined example of the vintage, offering up a pure and vibrant bouquet of apple, pear, brioche, complex, chalky soil tones, hazelnut, a touch of orange zest, white flowers and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and supremely elegant in profile, with outstanding mid-palate intensity, utterly refined mousse, bright acids and laser-like focus on the very long, nascently complex finish. Whereas many examples from the 2006 vintage are drinking very well at age ten, it is still very early days for this outstanding Comtes de Champagne and this wine will not peak for at least another decade, though it is already very, very easy to drink! I would be inclined to let it hibernate in the cellar for at least another five years, just to allow its secondary layers of complexity to start to emerge. (Drink between 2021-2060)John Gilman | 96 JGA cold winter and scattered frost were followed by a hot, dry July. August rains cleared in time for the two weeks of dry, warm weather before a harvest in near-perfect conditions from 11 September. The Comtes is softly rich and lush, with an elegant, approachable ripe apple fruit, a hint of buttered toast and a firm mineral underpinning. Although the texture is somewhat soft, this wine has plenty of extract and potential for ageing.Decanter | 95 DECTaittinger’s prestige cuvée epitomizes the Chardonnay predilection of this producer. This now-mature bottling is elegant and very stylish. Toast and a soft texture combine with great complexity to reveal a wine that is poised and ready to drink. But with the acidity in the background, it could still age, so drink now and until 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA vivacious Champagne, with fine integration of the racy acidity and chalky bead, rich mineral character and creamy palate of glazed apricot, ground anise, biscuit and passion fruit flavors. Offers a firm, focused finish. Drink now through 2030. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSIn much the same fashion as the ’06 Rosé this is aromatically quite restrained with notably cool and elegant aromas that speak of citrus, floral, yeast and green apple nuances. The wonderfully refined mouth feel is enhanced by the beautifully fine effervescence that shapes the medium weight flavors that culminate in crisp, intense and gorgeously complex and persistent finish. This is not only a terrific effort but it’s an amazingly good 2006 as there are no exotic hints plus it offers exceptionally good verve. While this could certainly be enjoyed now I would be inclined to hold it for at least another 3 years and 5 will probably be the sweet spot.Burghound | 94 BH

(Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne” Rosé Brut Millésime (Reims)) It has been four years since I last opened a bottle of the 2006 Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne” Rosé and the wine has aged as beautifully as one would imagine. The bouquet now is pure, precise and beautifully evolved, offering up a complex nose of cherries, sweet cranberries, a fine base of chalky minerality, cinnamon stick, clove, a touch of orange peel and a gentle topnote of caraway seed. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely sense of weightless vinosity, a fine core and mineral drive, refined mousse, zesty acids and lovely balance and grip on the long and seamlessly energetic finish. Like so many other vintage Champagnes from 2006, the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé is now at a gorgeous place in its evolution and is drinking to perfection. (Drink between 2020-2045).John Gilman | 96 JGA 15% addition of still red pinot to the Blanc de Blancs Comtes works well in that the DNA of the white version is familiar to those fans out there, but is delivered with a seductive twist. Aromas of wild cherries, rose water, cherries and citrus lead to a palate with fresh red cherry. Bold and rich, this will develop handy savoriness with age. Best from 2020.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé is at once rich and refined, a simply fabulous Champagne Rosè I won’t soon forget. Intensely perfumed, with the Pinot Noir-derived red berry and cranberry flavors that are not just concentrated, but also remarkably pure. It is one of the better Rosé bubbles I have had in the last year.Vinous Media | 96 VMA lovely Champagne, offering a rich and expressive palate of dried strawberry and white peach fruit, with toasted hazelnut, pastry, candied ginger and lemon curd flavors set in a fine and elegant frame. Long and creamy on the satiny finish. Drink now through 2031. 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe lively mousse carries this sophisticated wine, which is the perfect partner to the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs. Everything is in its place, well integrated and with great precision. This trends to the sweeter side of Brut but with bottle age this has brought fine secondary flavors that are ripe and rich. The wine will age further, drink until 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEBright oeil de perdrix color. This is quite aromatically restrained with cool and almost delicate aromas of various red berries, in particular raspberry and strawberry, that are trimmed in pretty floral and yeast nuances. The heightened sense of refinement continues onto the utterly delicious and ultra-refreshing flavors that are supported by an admirably fine mousse, all wrapped in a clean, dry, complex and beautifully long finale that is attractively dry but not austere. I very much like the style as well as the delivery as it allows this beauty to be enjoyed now or easily held for years to come.Burghound | 93 BHTaittinger's 2006 Comtes de Champagne Rosé blends Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with 16% red wine, mainly from Bouzy. Lovely, pure and fresh on the nose, with spicy sweet cherry aromas and red berry flavors, this is a rich and potent, full-bodied and firmly structured Rosé with nice purity and freshness. The finish reveals a sweet intensity and good length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThis pale pink rosé layers scents of cider apples, fresh strawberries and cherries over the soft acidity of 2006. It feels juicy and finely integrated, the structure firm, holding the wine through a clean finish. This should develop well over the next few years. Kobrand, Purchase, NYWine & Spirits | 91 W&S

Deep garnet in color with a touch of purple, the 2007 Proprietary Red Wine flaunts wonderfully expressive, vibrant blackberries and black cherries scents to begin, giving way to black raspberries and redcurrants with touches of Indian spices, potpourri, chargrill, sage, espresso, unsmoked cigars and tilled soil plus a waft of cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the elegantly styled palate offers tantalizing restraint with a firm frame of very fine, pixelated tannins and compelling freshness, finishing very long with an invigorating lift. Although this wine will handsomely reward a further 5-7 years in cellar, it can offer a lot of pleasure now but will need a couple of hours of decanting.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThis mature wine remains dark black-red in colour. Dark chocolate, roast meat and forest resins haunt the blackberry and plum fruits, but it’s surprisingly vital too, with ringing, resonant, ripe acidity in orbit with the flesh, soft textures and overall amplitude. Pure Napa class. Drinking Window 2018 - 2028.Decanter | 97 DECEasily the greatest Dominus in memory. Comes down on the drier, lower alcohol and less ripe side than many Cabs in its league, yet lacks for nothing in complexity and sheer deliciousness. Tantalizes with blackberry tart, cherry, carob bean and a Pinot Noir-esque cola-rhubarb richness that retreats behind rich tannins and an earthiness suggesting sweet blond tobacco and dried sage. Clearly ageable, it will develop bottle complexity over the next 12 years, at least. It’s 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few drops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEPure Cabernet in its curranty blackness, this is a top vintage of Dominus: It has the precision and elegance of a wine from a great vineyard. The aromas of currants and black figs meld with the mineral tightness of the tannin; there’s suppleness to the tannin that points up red tones in the fruit, seeming to glow from within. The wine is comforting and challenging at once, holding its freshness and bearing as it evolves over the course of several days. This should thrive in the cellar for two decades or more.Wine and Spirits | 96 W&S((14.1% alcohol): Saturated dark red with ruby tones. Bordeaux-like scents of currant, black cherry, blackberry, cedar, mocha and spicecake, with a cool medicinal note adding interest. This very suave, fine-grained wine starts closed but juicy, then builds steadily along its length (like a good Cuban cigar!), with flavors of dark berries, licorice and sweet spices continuing through a juicy, rising finish that leaves the palate vibrating. A very subtle wine of great finesse and insidious intensity, though not particularly Napa-like in its texture or weight. The tannins really dust the palate and linger. This very distinctive wine has a long life ahead of it.Vinous Media | 95 VMLots of forest berries and flowers in the nose. On the palate, it is thick and very rich, with big plummy fruit and a light raisin aftertaste. Chewy, round, and very generous on the palate. This still needs some time to come together. Leave this alone for another three to four years. 14+24+23+32. Find the wineJames Suckling | 93 JS

Despite the stereotype of the vintage being a warm season, the 2007 Montevetrano shows no signs of over-ripeness. It is cool-toned and classic. Mentholated herbs, nuances of cacao, coffee grinds, dried cherries and invigorating hints of blood orange create a stimulating bouquet. Silken textures sweep across the palate, nearly creamy in feel, but a core of vibrant acidity balances as crisp red berry fruits cascade throughout. Gentle tannins and a pleasantly bitter note linger incredibly long, leaving hints of tart blackberry and dark chocolate.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2007 Montevetrano suggests a more prominent presence of Cabernet Sauvignon, aromatically speaking, compared to the other wines in this mini retrospective. The percentage of grapes used is the same but this impression is reinforced by the warmth of the summer growing season and the exuberance of the fruit. Blackberry aromas are followed by spice, leather and tar. There are subtle notes of balsam herb and green peppercorn as well. The wine is structured and firm but not astringent. The tannins are softly integrated and fine in texture.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPDark and sappy, with tightly wound layers of black currant, blackberry and plum skin. Hints of underbrush, ash and smoke are framed by firm tannins, which need time to resolve. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Aglianico. Best from 2013 through 2021.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Easily the best Champagne I had all year, first tasted at a château lunch. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and eventually bought a bottle for my husband’s 50th. Just so much power and precision, while still having the delicacy, easy glamour and the most moreish delivery of fresh acidities and fleshy citrus.Jane Anson (Formerly of Decanter) | 100 JAThe 2008 Dom Pérignon is a huge, powerful Champagne and also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. This is one of the most reticent bottles I have tasted. So much so that I am thinking about holding off opening any more bottles! The 2008 has always offered a striking interplay of fruit and structure. Today, the richness of the fruit is especially evident. Readers who own the 2008 should be thrilled, but patience is a must. (Originally published in May 2021)Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2008 Dom Pérignon is the first time the estate has released a wine out of order (the 2009 was released before the 2008) but the estate loved the wine so much they felt it warranted additional aging. This is a rich, powerful wine that still shows incredible purity and elegance, with a stacked, concentrated feel on the palate. It’s rare to find such a mix of ripe, pure, concentrated fruit paired with this level of purity, focus, and precision. This is a legendary Dom that surpasses all the great vintages of Dom I have experience with, including the 1990, 1996, and 2002.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDeep and generous, yet driven, with delicious salted-butter and salted-caramel notes underneath the initial lemon and chalk. Really expands on the palate in all directions. Lemon cream and shortcrust. Creamy, yet underpinned by a sharp backbone of acidity throughout. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSDom Perignon 2008 will leave memories in the minds of wine lovers. A powerful, toasted style, the bouquet expresses aromas of almonds, candied lemon and a slight smoky touch that gives it an additional richness. The palate is powerful with a vinous character and an almost fleshy texture. Of course, time in the cellar will allow it to express itself fully, but it’s still possible to enjoy this now.Decanter | 97 DECUnquestionably the finest Dom Pérignon of the decade, the 2008 Dom Pérignon is drinking brilliantly today, wafting from the glass with notes of citrus oil, ripe orchard fruit, peach, buttered toast, pastry cream, iodine and smoky reduction. Full-bodied, rich and fleshy, it’s vinous and layered, with a deep core of sweet fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish. The 2008 is aging very gracefully.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThere’s power to this graceful Champagne, with the vivid acidity swathed in a fine, creamy mousse and flavors of toasted brioche, kumquat, pastry cream, candied ginger and poached plum that dance across the palate. An underpinning of smoky mineral gains momentum on the lasting finish. *No. 5 Top 100 Wines of 2018, CollectiblesWine Spectator | 96 WS(Dom Pérignon Brut Millésime (Épernay)) I had not tasted a bottle of the 2008 vintage of Dom Pérignon since my interview with Richard Geoffroy at the abbey in Hautvillers just a few months before Monsieur Geoffroy retired. I was very happy to see it generously added by John Chapman to our lineup for the second Vega Sicilia vertical that I reported on in the previous issue, as it is a wine of the same superb quality as all those great old Únicos. As I noted in my feature on Dom Pérignon, the 2008 is an absolutely classic vintage for this wine, which means it is structured, structured, structured, and at twelve years of age, still an absolute infant! The primary bouquet offers up a promising blend of apple, lime peel, menthol, superb minerality, a touch of young DP botanicals and tons of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with brisk acids, refined mousse, bruising backend mineral drive and a very long, very pure and seamlessly balanced finish. I scored this a touch lower than the bottle in Hautvillers, but I suspect that this is just the result of context and the wine has not lost any of its luster- it has only hidden its essence even further behind its electric girdle of acidity. This is years away from its apogee, but has utterly brilliant potential. (Drink between 2030-2075).John Gilman | 96+ JG

(Château Cantemerle (Haut Médoc)) I continue to have a very strong preference for the 2008 vintage in Bordeaux over either of the following two years of 2009 and 2010, despite most commentators being swayed by the more obvious power and ripeness of the latter two vintages. This most recent bottle of the 2008 Cantemerle was excellent and beautifully classical in profile, offering up a still fairly youthful bouquet of cassis, black cherries, coffee bean, dark soil tones, cigar wrapper and a tasteful framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and impeccably balanced, with a fine core of fruit, ripe, well-measured tannins and impressive length and grip on the nascently complex finish. This is still quite youthful in its profile, but it is not particularly closed, and one can see all of its future detail quite clearly. It is a first class bottle in the making. (Drink between 2023-2060).John Gilman | 93 JGFruity, attractively balanced wine, the spice and caramel wood flavors fitting well into the sweet, berry fruits.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Made in a more masculine style, the 2008 Dominus has all of that along with bigger body and more structure, fat, density and texture. Both are brilliant wines and they represent the finest back-to-back vintages for Dominus since 2001 and 2002 or 1990 and 1991. Both the 2007 and 2008 Dominus should drink well for 25-30 years.This estate, owned by Christian Moueix, includes the famed Napanook Vineyard that was the base of so many of the historic Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignons of the 1950s and 1960s. Interestingly, they have completely eliminated Merlot from the bottling. The 2007 Dominus is a 5,400-case blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. There are 4,200 cases of the 2008 Dominus which is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Lower yields resulted in a denser, more concentrated wine. The remarkable thing about these cuvees is that they smell like a hypothetical blend of a top Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and a serious Bordeaux, possibly a cross blend of a Pomerol and Pauillac. Both wines possess silky sweet tannins, which is the big difference between Dominus post-1990 and the first seven vintages, where the tannin content was relatively high. About 40% new oak is used in their upbringing.P.S. In a couple of years, readers should be on the look-out for a new estate wine from Christian Moueix. One mile north of the Napanook Vineyard, Moueix has purchased a 36-acre, already planted parcel known as the Schmidt Ranch. I tasted some of the 2009 barrel samples and this appears to be another promising venture with a completely different personality a more obviously Napa Valley/Cabernet Sauvignon, ripe style of wine than the more elegant, complex Dominus. I’m not sure what the name will be, but it will definitely not be called the Schmidt Ranch.Robert Parker | 99 RPNow 30 years old, this venture is a Californian classic. But the real success is how Christian Moueix, proprietor of Pétrus, so fine-tuned his approach with Cabernet while turning his back on Merlot. The 2008 is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. While oak may be Napa’s mainstay, Dominus sees just 40% new barrels, leaving its fate more to a relentless focus on sorting and the Napanook vineyard’s sublime soils. A sweet floral edge enlivens creamy blackberry, sandalwood and gravelly mineral, with wellrobed tannins that only appear at the finish. For all the flesh, this has long-lived savoury nuance. Drinking Window 2013 - 2028Decanter | 97 DECThis is very pure fruit for Dominus. This will be interesting to see how it develops in the future. 2008 was a very small crop. Very perfumed and beautiful, with currants, flowers, and notes of mint. Full-bodied, with round velvety tannins that lead up to a chocolate and ripe berry finish. This is showing great fruit, and a great finish. Structurally this is like a 2005 La Mission. Best after 2014.James Suckling | 95 JSVery Bordeaux-like in its makeup and structure, this firm wine offers good acidity and tight tannins, delivering complex flavors of loamy earth, vivid dried currant and berry, with anise and mineral notes sprinkled in. My favorite young Dominus of late. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2022. 4,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(a blend of 83% cabernet sauvignon, 13% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot): Good full red-ruby. Fresher on the nose than the Napanook, showing raspberry, plum, mocha and tobacco aromas. Round and plummy in the mouth, with a restrained sweetness to the flavors of milk chocolate, mocha and licorice. A wine of moderate ripeness for the vintage, and in a shell today. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and notes of plum, mocha and chocolate. I don’t find quite the structure or grip of the best years.Vinous Media | 93 VMA short crop of concentrated berries produced this grand vintage of Dominus, one that will need long aging to show its best. Decant it if you open the bottle now, allowing the initial cabernet franc scent of green herbs to integrate—Josiah Baldivino of Michael Mina in San Francisco described it as “adding a fine detail, like a pocket square in a suit.” Air brings out the full stature of the wine, its black cherry richness, violet scents and silken texture. For provençal lamb.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SAnother fine Dominus, dry, well-structured and ageworthy. Lacks the flashiness of the dramatic 2007, but is still ripe and rich enough to drink now, and should develop over the next six years. Rewards for the depth of blackberries, cassis, blueberries and cedar, wrapped into plush tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Pontet-Canet prances out of the glass with exuberant notes of black cherry preserves, warm cassis, and boysenberries, followed by a powerful perfume of star anise, candied violets, fallen leaves, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with decadently rich, sensuous black berry preserves and exotic spices flavors, backed by a velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. Stunning.The Wine Palate | 100 TWPAn amazing wine in every sense, this classic, full-bodied Pauillac is the quintessential Pontet Canet from proprietor Alfred Tesseron, who continues to reduce yields and farms his vineyards biodynamically – a rarity in Bordeaux. Black as a moonless night, the 2009 Pontet Canet offers up notes of incense, graphite, smoke, licorice, creme de cassis and blackberries. A wine of irrefutable purity, laser-like precision, colossal weight and richness, and sensational freshness, this is a tour de force in winemaking that is capable of lasting 50 or more years. The tannins are elevated, but they are sweet and beautifully integrated as are the acidity, wood and alcohol (which must be in excess of 14%). This vineyard, which is situated on the high plateau of Pauillac adjacent to Mouton Rothschild, appears to have done everything perfectly in 2009. This cuvee should shut down in the cellar and re-open in a decade or more. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2075.Robert Parker | 100 RPA consistently perfect wine every time I’ve had it, the 2009 Château Pontet-Canet is the greatest wine from this address to date as well as one of the greatest Pauillacs out there. Still youthfully ruby/purple and with a gorgeous perfume of blackcurrants, lead pencil, graphite, crushed rocks, and damp earth, it’s still youthful but is just now starting to show more nuance and complexity. Full-bodied on the palate, with a powerful, concentrated mid-palate, incredible depth of fruit, and flawless balance, Bordeaux simply does not get any better. You couldn’t have too much of this in the cellar, and this magical wine is going to drink brilliantly for another 50 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet colored, the 2009 Pontet-Canet prances out of the glass with exuberant notes of black cherry preserves, warm cassis, and boysenberries, followed by a powerful perfume of star anise, candied violets, fallen leaves, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with decadently rich, sensuous black berry preserves and exotic spices flavors, backed by a velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. Stunning.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIA superb wine, with the purest fruit, great freshness and ripeness. It is certainly structured with dry tannins, but the blackcurrant freshness is all there. The wine has a great limpid, flowing feel, lbut also power.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEStunning aromas of fresh flowers, with blueberries, blackberries and currants that follow through to a full body, with super balance and finesse. The tannins are super polished. Such class here. Best ever from here. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 98 JSBeautifully deep ruby colour, deliciously brambled fruits, cigar box, chocolate drops, mint leaf, confident and cradling tannins, this is a beautiful wine, easy and luxurious. The estate was in organic conversion at this point, not yet certified. Great quality. Jean-Michel Comme technical director.Jane Anson | 98 JAThis is amazingly expressive now considering how huge it is, with stunning espresso and warm fig confiture aromas followed by lush layer after layer of blackberry paste, cassis and plum sauce. A terrific loam underpinning strides in on the finish, which is weighty but sports serious cut. Equal parts fruit and earth. Best from 2018 through 2038. 26,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2009 Pontet-Canet needs more encouragement from the glass than its peers, but it rewards the imbiber with seductive pure cassis and blackberry fruit, touches of autumn leaves and pencil box. The palate is medium-bodied with firm but fine tannin, a lovely bead of acidity. A harmonious, brown spice and smoke tinged finish fans out with confidence. You could open this now but it still has two more decades of drinking pleasure to give. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMSumptuous black-fruits nose, vividly aromatic, as well as minty, stylish, and toasty. Very rich, broad, full-bodied and generous, with very ripe tannins and a lot fo spice. Perhaps slightly lower acidity than usual but has punch and persistence all the same. Approachable, just, but will benefit from more age. Good length with a chewy but not astringent finish. Drinking Window 2018 - 2035Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

One of the more flamboyant and sumptuous wines of the vintage, this inky/purple-colored St.-Julien reveals thrilling levels of opulence, richness and aromatic pleasures. A soaring bouquet of creme de cassis, charcoal, graphite and spring flowers is followed by a super-concentrated wine with silky tannins, stunning amounts of glycerin, a voluptuous, multilayered mouthfeel and nearly 14% natural alcohol. Displaying fabulous definition for such a big, plump, massive, concentrated effort, I suspect the tannin levels are high even though they are largely concealed by lavish amounts of fruit, glycerin and extract. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe greatest wine I’ve ever tasted from this address is the 2009 Léoville Poyferré, which is a step up over both the 2000 and the 2010. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and the balance Cabernet Franc that hit 13.9% alcohol, it offers everything you could ask of a wine and reveals a saturated purple color as well as incredible notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, lead pencil, exotic Spices, and dried flowers. Incredibly full-bodied, super concentrated, deep, and opulent, yet still pure, fresh, and lively, it has sweet tannin and a hedonistic vibe that hides its underlying structure. Drink it anytime over the coming three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDBeautiful blueberries and blackberries with some blackcurrants and flowers on the nose. Some black olives and crushed stones, too. Full-bodied with creamy tannins and lovely depth. The tannins are so integrated and plush, but fine-grained. Persistent finish. A red that gives wonderful pleasure now, but will continue to do so for decades ahead.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2009 Léoville Poyferré has an outstanding bouquet with blackberry, mint and cedar aromas, almost Pauillac in style, very dense and with plenty of horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannins that frame layers of blackberry infused with graphite and white pepper. I love the symmetry and control of this Poyferré, in particular its persistent finish. This is a magnificent wine from Didier Cuvelier. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMRich, exotic and generous, this is still young and firm but light on its feet, dancing through the palate. There’s lovely depth to the fruit, with a great silky texture. Those tannins bite in all the right places. Very good indeed. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECAn immensely structured wine, packed with dark tannins promising aging potential. It is complex, powerful, layered with new wood and concentration, finishing with dark plum fruits and acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WESolid notes of steeped black currant, ganache-coated fig and plum eau de vie pump along in this very dark red, but with well-integrated structure. Long and winey through the finish, with the grip extending everything nicely. Best from 2016 through 2026. 17,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A major success of the vintage. The wine exhibits extreme richness of the fruit, with all its sweet blackberry flavors. It also has underlying firm structure, density and solid tannins. Bring in the acidity at the end, and this is both impressive and ready for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEMeasured and confident tannic hold with subtle grilled oak notes, a ton of ripe cassis and blueberry fruits, liquorice and eucalyptus on the finish, and a mouthwatering, moreish construction overall. This is a powerful St Julien, but with clear and present finesse. 60% new oak. A standout wine from this property, and a wonderful showcase of the slow burning brilliance of St Julien. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECA super-classic St.-Julien that only has a hint of the opulence of the vintage. The beautiful cassis fruit and elegantly dry tannins push briskly through the long and graceful finish. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2009 Léoville-Barton has a much better bouquet than the Langoa with better definition and focus: blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar and touches of graphite that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced with a graphite infused finish that feels very persistent. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is powerful Cabernet, with gutsy weight, but also polished feel to the fresh plum, warm blackberry sauce, bittersweet ganache and roasted apple wood notes. Long and tarry through the finish, but still invigorating despite its heft. Needs some time to round fully into form. Best from 2017 through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 21,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Leoville Barton gives up expressive cherry cordial, warm cassis and blackberry tart scents with nuances of menthol, cigar box and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and elegantly played with loads of freshness and soft tannins, it has a long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

After tasting it three times from bottle, I am convinced this prodigious wine is one of the greatest young Bordeaux I have ever tasted. Inky blue/purple with notes of camphor, forest floor, blackberry, cassis, sweet cherries, licorice, the wine has stunning aromatics, unctuous texture and an almost inky concentration, but without any hard edges. With considerable tannin and just enough acidity to provide definition, this wine transcends even its premier grand cru classe terroir. It is certainly the finest Clos Fourtet ever produced. Give it 5-7 years of cellaring to allow some of its baby fat to fall away. There is certainly enough structure underneath to keep for 30-50 years. Bravo!From my barrel score of 95-98, I suppose I should have seen this perfect score coming, particularly considering what proprietor Philippe Cuvelier and estate manager Tony Ballu have accomplished over the last decade. This is one of the great terroirs of St.-Emilion, nearly 50 acres high on the clay beds and deep limestone plateau of the region, just a stone’s throw from the luxury hotel and restaurant Hostellerie de Plaisance. Yields were moderate at 34 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend is 88% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon (somewhat unusual) and the rest Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in 80% new oak.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe greatest Clos Fourtet I’ve ever tasted, eclipsing the heavenly 2005 and 2015, the 2009 Château Clos Fourtet offers an insane bouquet of black cherry and black currant fruits as well as a loads of smoked tobacco, chocolate, licorice, and toasted spices. It shows a touch of classic limestone-influenced white truffle with time in the glass and is as majestic as they come on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a seamless texture, beautiful tannins, and a monster of a finish. A blend of 88% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Cabernet Franc brought up in 80% new French oak, this magical Saint-Emilion can be enjoyed any time over the coming 30-40 years. Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDStrikingly different in construction from the Pomerol that it was paired with in the blind tasting, this is rich and hedonistic both on the nose and the attack, with a punch of ripe raspberry, blueberry fruits and clear oak finessing. Give it a minute in the glass, and the definition and precision pulls everything into an orderly line, with lift, spiced clove and salinity on the finish that stretches out in your mouth, giving a reflection of the Asteries limestone terroir that is covered with just 40cm of topsoil in much of the vineyard (up to 1m in other sections). Tasting more in line with its En Primer promise than when I had this wine two years ago, a brilliant St Emilion and a classic of its type. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2009 Clos Fourtet has a generous and opulent bouquet with red cherries, kirsch, fig and light mocha aromas that gently unfold, retaining admirable definition and poise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, good structure. A more masculine, serious finish exerts impressive control. This is a classy Saint-Émilion with plenty of ageing potential. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMElegant as well as rich, this is a beautiful wine. It has great depth of flavor, the sweetest fruit, deliciously ripe. At the same time, the tannins are an underlying sustenance to the impressive ageworthiness.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WETons of black fruit, plenty of smoke and some balsamic character make a dramatic statement on the nose. On the palate there’s rather sweet fruit at the front, then major tannins come through at the finish that still need time to fully resolve. Better after 2022. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 94 JSRather ripe, but nicely framed by singed apple wood, which keeps the core of damson plum, black currant and black cherry flavors at bay for now. Licorice root and black tea notes undercut the finish, which is on the grippy side. This opens steadily in the glass, too. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2014 through 2027. 3,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Clinet has been on a hot streak lately and the 2009 appears to be the greatest wine ever made at the estate, surpassing even the late Jean-Michel Arcaute’s monumental 1989. A blend of 85% Merlot and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc (12%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (3%), this big Pomerol boasts an opaque, moonless night inky/blue/purple color in addition to a gorgeous perfume of blueberry pie, incense, truffles, black raspberries, licorice and wood smoke. Viscous and multi-dimensional with silky, sweet tannin, massive fruit concentration and full-bodied power, there are nearly 4,000 cases of this thick, juicy, perfect Clinet. It should drink well in 3-5 years and keep for 25-30.Robert Parker | 100 RPA big-shouldered, powerful and classic Pomerol. Inky black in colour even at 11 years old, this is concentrated yet juicy and built for pleasure, filled with dense black cherries, fleshy raspberries, liquorice and shaved chocolate. On soils that are largely clay and gravel, with sandier sections, making it an excellent reflection of the appellation, and more than showcasing its ability to deliver superbly brushed tannins that gently pillow the Merlot-dominant fruit. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECAromas of dark fruits, hazelnut and dark chocolate, follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins that are polished and refined. Beautiful depth of fruit to this. Best in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2009 Clinet has an impressive and complex bouquet with liquorice and truffle infused black fruit, hints of desiccated orange peel and even a dab of honey. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, succulent, and fine tannins (although not as fine as the 2009 La Conseillante) with a dense, precocious and heady finish. There is hedonism here, but it is on a tight leash. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMVery lush and exotic, boasting plum sauce, crushed fig, warm raspberry confiture and steeped black currant fruit all dripping over a racy but buried graphite spine. The long, dark finish has plenty of stuffing for the long haul. Really beautifully rendered. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2015 through 2034. 3,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA smooth, superripe wine, full of the sweetest fruit, big and rich. It is opulent, a powerhouse of dense Merlot fruits, rounded out with soft tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Revealing incredible quality and performing better than it did from barrel, the 2009 appears to be the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron since the 1990 and 1989. An amazing opaque blue/purple color is followed by scents of spring flowers, graphite, smoky charcoal, incense, blackberries, blueberries and hints of coffee and chocolate. Incredibly intense, pure and flawlessly constructed with extravagant layers of fruit and richness, this offering has developed beautifully under the management of Christian Seeley. It is a voluptuous, opulent Pichon Longueville Baron that may eclipse anything they have made in the past. This brilliant wine should be at its peak between 2018 and 2045.Robert Parker | 98 RPStraight away the deep, rich colour tells you that this is a sexy, powerful wine, barely hitting the next stage of evolution at seven years old. The nose is rich and spicy, and carries through perfectly onto the palate of exotic, spiced plum flavours with a tarry, liquorice edge. Great confidence on display. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot. Drinking Window 2017 - 2045Decanter | 98 DECThe 2009 Pichon-Baron replicates its epic performance at the vertical tasted last year. It has one of the finest bouquets among the group of Pauillac with copious blackberry, mint, melted tar and graphite notes, fresh and supremely well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very well judged acidity. Harmonious with plenty of tobacco and pencil lead infused black fruit towards the persistent finish. Awesome. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis delivers a massive core of black Mission fig, black currant paste and roasted fig fruit, backed by alder wood, bay leaf, singed cedar and maduro tobacco. The finish lets a racy iron note take over. Long and authoritative, with gorgeous acidity giving the balance for long-term cellaring. Best from 2013 through 2030. 13,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSBold, smoky and chocolatey, this is a concentrated and massive wine for the Medoc, the alcohol showing slightly at the bold warm finish. Where is that T-bone steak? Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 95 JS(Château Pichon Longueville) The 2009 Pichon Longueville is a very, very successful example of the “luxe” style in Pauillac. The nose is deep and very enticing (in its strumpet manner), as it offers up scents of sappy black cherries, cassis, coffee, Cuban cigar smoke, a lovely base of gravelly soil tones and plenty of nutty, beautifully integrated new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, utterly suave and polished, with excellent mid-palate depth, great focus and balance and a very long, ripely tannic and seductive finish. This will not demand a lot of time structurally before it is drinkable, but it would still make good sense to give it a full decade in the cellar to allow its secondary layers to fully blossom. A very well-made wine that is obviously inspired by the new Lafite style, and does an admirable job in turning out a luxurious example of the vintage. But should not a Comtesse be more of a strumpet than a Baron? Ah, well, it is all very much above me. (Drink between 2020-2070)John Gilman | 92-93+ JG

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

Proprietor Denis Durantou has produced a blockbuster Pomerol from a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, tipping the scales at just over 14.5% natural alcohol. A riveting wine, pure, elegant, but at the same time, extremely powerful and concentrated, with stunning texture, opulence and density, the tannins are abundant, and the wine certainly in need of a decade of cellaring. Fabulous creme de cassis and cherry liqueur notes are intertwined with hints of licorice, truffle, and graphite. Full and rich, but still in an infantile state of development, this wine needs to be cellared for 10 years but should keep for five decades or more. This 2009 is absolutely profound.Robert Parker | 99+ RPThe 2009 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 14 to 28 September and matured in 80% new oak. It remains remarkably youthful on the nose, rendering the brilliant 2010 a bit introverted by comparison. This comes racing out of the blocks with ebullient red cherries, crushed strawberry and raspberry fruit, touches of dried rose petal and melted tar. With aeration there is just a touch of liquorish. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin that belies the arching structure underneath. It manages to retain awesome power and yet deliver a refined finish that feels long and tender. Stunning. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe nose on this already suggests a deep and contemplative wine with blackberry, dried flowers and sweet berries. Evolves to black olive and hints of asphalt. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and tangy, rich fruit. It really grabs hold of you and wants to tell you it’s special. Loads of ripe tannins too. Big and structured. Turns to tapenade.Wine Spectator | 97-100 WSAromas of dark fruits, hazelnut and dark chocolate, follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins that are polished and refined. Beautiful depth of fruit to this. Best in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JS

As I wrote in my barrel tasting note, the 2009 appears to be the finest Gruaud Larose since their 1990. Some of my concerns about too much brett in previous vintages are long gone as the purity of the 2009 jumps out. Copious notes of sagebrush, cedar, cigar box, licorice, incense, blackberries and lead pencil shavings suggest a big Pauillac rather than a St.-Julien. Broad, rich and full-bodied with good balance and abundant, but sweet, well-integrated tannin, this big, masculine Gruaud Larose reveals remarkable finesse, richness, extract, density and a cascade of fruit that nearly hides the lofty tannins. This beauty should be at its best between 2020-2045.Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 2009 Gruaud Larose has a fresh, backward, tightly coiled bouquet with ample blackberry and bilberry fruit, fine tension and focus, a nose that is intending to last the distance (and why not?) The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, fresh and vibrant, laced-like tannin with a wonderfully detailed and persistent finish. This is some quality winemaking here and it is a wonderful 2009 Saint-Julien. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMI like the aromas of sliced mushroom, berries and wet earth, that follow through to a full body, with super silky tannins and a chewy finish. A fit, yet polished wine here. Try after 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSSmoky grilled oak on the nose is joined by some tarry hints. The palate is structured and ambitious, and will take a good few more years to come around. I would go for Branaire or Lagrange as my picks of classified St-Juliens to open soon, but this is an extremely good quality wine that is going to age very well. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036.Decanter | 94 DECVanilla new wood aromas, followed by sweet wood and sweet fruit. There is certainly enough weight here, with ripe, smooth texture and fresh blackcurrants.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis has good density, with fleshy blackberry and blueberry cobbler flavors laced with anise, sweet spice and smoldering maduro tobacco notes. Long and well-structured, with fresh, embedded acidity. Best from 2013 through 2023. 14,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2009 Gruaud Larose is a fine example of the vintage in the making. The bouquet is deep, ripe and promises quite a bit of structure in its mélange of cassis, black cherries, tobacco leaf, espresso, gravelly soil tones and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and quite buttoned down behind its structural elements, with a rock solid core of fruit, firm tannins and impressive acidity on the long, focused and tangy finish. This will take at least a decade to blossom, but should prove to be a fine vintage of Gruaud. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 89-91 JG

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

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Haut-Brion needs a little shaking to wake up notes of boysenberry preserves, star anise, and potpourri, giving way to hints of cardamom, iron ore, and fragrant soil. The full-bodied palate delivers incredible tension with very fine-grained tannins and lots of mineral sparks, finishing long and opulent. Gorgeous. The blend is 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc.The Wine Palate | 100 TWPWhat a blockbuster effort! Atypically powerful, one day, the 2009 Haut-Brion may be considered to be the 21st century version of the 1959. It is an extraordinarily complex, concentrated effort made from a blend of 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc with the highest alcohol ever achieved at this estate, 14.3%. Even richer than the perfect 1989, with similar technical numbers although slightly higher extract and alcohol, it offers up a sensational perfume of subtle burning embers, unsmoked cigar tobacco, charcoal, black raspberries, wet gravel, plums, figs and blueberries. There is so much going on in the aromatics that one almost hesitates to stop smelling it. However, when it hits the palate, it is hardly a letdown. This unctuously textured, full-bodied 2009 possesses low acidity along with stunning extract and remarkable clarity for a wine with a pH close to 4.0. The good news is that there are 10,500 cases of the 2009, one of the most compelling examples of Haut-Brion ever made. It requires a decade of cellaring and should last a half century or more. Readers who have loved the complexity of Haut-Brion should be prepared for a bigger, richer, more massive wine, but one that does not lose any of its prodigious aromatic attractions.Robert Parker | 100 RPExtravagant and exotic, but still lively, this is a super-concentrated and elegant wine that’s already breathtaking, yet has enormous aging potential. Plenty of wet earth and mushroom character alongside the cassis and blackberry aromas. Super-long, perfectly balanced finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 100 JSThis enormous young wine is among the most backward of the vintage at this early stage, with iron-clad grip holding the broad, deep core of blackberry, cassis and roasted fig notes in check for now. The finish is a torrent of dense, almost compressed layers of tobacco leaf, hot paving stone, singed bay leaf and tar that will take at least a decade to massage together fully. This one is for the kids born in 2009. Best from 2020 through 2040. 10,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThere’s exceptional purity to the dark, sombre fruit that spills out of the glass, pristine and glistening. Despite the intense ripeness, it’s peppered with freshness in the form of caperberry salinity, cranberry lift and bright acidity. Big boned, with cotton-wool tannins and marvellous poise and presence.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2009 Haut-Brion has a less precocious but more detailed bouquet, more nuanced perhaps with warm slates baking in the summer sun, tilled loam and cedar infusing the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, perfect acidity, layers of mineral-rich black fruit. This seems to have gained more complexity in recent years and is beginning to flirt with perfection. It’s not there yet, but it is moving in that direction. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMSolid, very structured, packed with dense and dry tannins. There is a core of acidity and darkness that gives the wine a brooding, powerful character. At this stage, it seems austere although it does have the weight of fruit typical of the year.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEI was rather surprised by the shape and style of the 2009 Haut Brion, which seemed to have at least dipped a toe in the water of the Luxury Wine camp in this vintage. Not a direction I would take if I were the Prince of Luxembourg and in charge of the greatest terroir in all of Bordeaux, but I am not the Prince of Luxembourg. The wine is less ripe than the 2009 La Mission, as it weighs in at a slightly less heady 14.3 percent in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, pure and beautiful, as it offers up a fine mélange of dark berries, cassis, espresso, plenty of soil tones, smoke and a very generous dollop of toasty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and intensely flavored, with a rock solid core of fruit, excellent focus and a fair bit of wood tannins still in need of absorption on the long, tannic finish. Today the wine is quite marked by the Taransaud component in its oak cocktail, which I have to believe is higher than the percentage used in the second wine. There is little doubt that this wine will eventually gobble up its oak tannins and smooth out a bit on the backend, but one has to ask why there is a need for so much new wood and why so much of it has to be so damn aggressive in its wood spice? These are not the aromatics or flavors of great, traditional Haut Brion, and lest we forget, this magical terroir is really where the entire Bordeaux world as we know it today once originated. Haut Brion’s historical legacy is so deep and wide that it needs take a backseat to no one on the Gironde, so let’s dial back the new wood next year and let this hauntingly mystical terroir once again become the focal point of the grand vin. Not that the 2009 Haut Brion is not a superb wine, but it so clearly could have been even better with a bit more of a traditional focal point. (Drink between 2020 - 2060)John Gilman | 91-93+ JG

A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, it displays an inky/blue/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice, lead pencil, cedar and subtle barrique smells. Viscous and full-bodied, it is the most concentrated and broadest example of this cuvee I have tasted in over three decades. It will be ready to drink in 5-7 years and should last for three decades or more. Consumers looking to maximize value should be checking out Duhart Milon, as this may be the single smartest purchase in this great and historic vintage!Robert Parker | 97 RPTalk about value, the 2009 Duhart-Milon is straight up sensational stuff. Made from 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, it gives up classic notes of blackcurrants, pencil shavings, saddle leather and smoked herbs, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with fine tannin, impeccable balance and a great, great finish. It’s a heavenly bottle of wine that will compete with the best out there. Buy this wine!Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2009 Duhart-Milon is recalcitrant on the nose, refusing to give much away in terms of aromas. Loamy, peaty scents emerge with time amongst the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, fresh in the mouth with good salinity. There is something estuarine about this Pauillac that lends it personality and its grip on the finish suggesting that it will give many more years of drinking pleasure. This has long been an impressive Duhart-Milon and so it is proven here. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is superb, with so much beautiful subtle fruit and wonderful flowers. Full and very lively, with super fine tannins and a lively finish. Very exciting. Best ever from here. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 95 JSA rounded wine, its tannins submerged into the ripe fruits. It feels soft, and there is just a bite of alcohol. The structure is soft, generous, opulent.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis takes a fleshy, rather toasty approach, showing roasted plum and black currant fruit, with a smoked mesquite note on the loam-tinged finish. There’s more breadth than depth, but this has the latent minerality to last a long time in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2027.Wine Spectator | 92 WSEnticing nose of ripe hedgerow fruits. Svelte, concentrated, with robust tannins to balance the sweetness of fruit, plus graphite and liquorice. Structure is disguised but it’s clearly there. Potentially very fine. Judges: Steven Brook, Alun Griffiths MW and Steven Spurrier.Decanter | 91 DEC(Château Duhart Milon) The 2009 Duhart Milon is a mini version of the Lafite this year and any fan of Lafite would be well-served to track down a goodly supply of the 2009 Duhart Milon as well. The bouquet is deep, pure and enchanting, as it delivers a beautifully perfumed blend of cassis, dark berries, espresso, tobacco ash, gravel and plenty of luxe, nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full, pure and complex, with impeccable focus and balance, ripe, suave tannins and really fine length and grip on the classy finish. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 90-91+ JG

Borderline perfection in a bottle, the 2010 Pichon-Longueville Baron (79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot) boasts a saturated purple color as well as truly extraordinary aromatics of crème de cassis, licorice, crushed rock-like minerality, graphite, and spring flowers. Possessing full-bodied richness, a huge, unctuous mid-palate, and building tannin, it shows the purity, grandeur, and precision that makes this vintage so remarkable. Hide bottles for another 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99+ JDIncredible depth apparent from the first whiff as well as powerful aromatics combining graphite, black fruit and spices. The palate is concentrated but brimming with energy, yet what really stands out is its confounding freshness as well as the finesse and precise contours of the tannic framework. An already profound wine that will reach new heights over the next two decades. (Drink between 2022-2050)Decanter | 99 DECAdministrator Christian Seeley thinks the 2010 is the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron he has ever made, equaling some of the estate’s colossal wines from vintages such as 1989 and 1990. It was certainly showing well when I stopped by the chateau in January. Opaque purple, with loads of charcoal, licorice, incense and some exotic Asian spices along with abundant cassis liqueur, blackberry and hints of roasted coffee and spring flowers, it is full-bodied and opulent, with relatively high tannins, but they have sweetened up considerably and seem less aggressive than they did from barrel. The oak is clearly pushed to the background by the wine’s wealth of fruit, glycerin and full-bodied texture. This sensational Pichon Longueville Baron needs 5-6 years of cellaring, and should keep 30+ years.Robert Parker | 97+ RPThis is quintessential Pauillac, a great wine with its Cabernet proudly at the fore. It ranks with the 2009 and, with its tannins, is sure to age longer than that vintage. Solidly structured, powerful and dense, with fruit promised for the future, it succeeds with its weight and great concentration.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2010 Pichon-Baron is simply one of the greatest wines produced under Christian Seely’s tenure. It has a stunning bouquet with penetrating black fruit, wilted violet and a touch of sea spray, a distinctive marine note verging on shucked oyster shells. The palate is very well balanced with fine grain tannins, layers pf graphite infused black fruit and a very detailed, captivating finish. Brilliant. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMSolidly built, with a roasted edge to the steeped fig, blackberry and black currant flavors, quickly followed by brambly tannins and notes of bay leaf and espresso. Stays dark and tarry through the finish, with superb drive and verve. Best from 2017 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA dense and layered wine with lots of ripe and sweet fruit. Loads of currants, plums and tar. This is concentrated and almost jammy with velvety tannins. Powerful. Chewy. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JS(Château Pichon-Longueville) The 2010 Pichon-Longueville is also quite ripe at 13.75 percent alcohol, and includes a higher percentage of cabernet sauvignon than usual at seventy-nine percent in this vintage. However, with most of the merlot exiled to the second wine, the result is a more precise and focused wine than the Les Tourelles de Longueville, as it offers up a ripe and pure nose of black cherries, cassis, coffee bean, cigar ash, herb tones, gravelly soils and a generous base of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and shows a very nice note of youthful cabernet tobacco leaf, with a fine core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins and excellent length and grip on the chewy and slightly oaky finish. The 2010 Pichon-Baron was raised in eighty percent new wood this year (with thirty percent hailing from Taransaud), and the wine is currently showing just a bit of oak spice and uncovered wood tannins on the backend. I expect that this is just a reflection of the extreme youth of the 2010 and that it will eventually absorb its wood seamlessly. This will be a very long-lived wine and will need plenty of time in the cellar to start to blossom. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 92+ JG

Two bottles of the 2010 Grand Puy-Lacoste were opened, the first showing just a little oxidation. The second has an attractive minty bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit laced with subtle marine/seaweed notes, a touch of graphite developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive tension and wonderful freshness right from the start. There is a sense of coiled up energy here and the finish just leaves you breathless. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 97 VMFreshness and seamless elegance, with vivid, bright red and black fruit. Floral aspects evoke a sense of Margaux elegance, but the palate’s noticeable grip and backbone remind you that this is Pauillac. From vines on deep gravels, ideal for ripening the 75% plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon. Such refinement and power go with prime rib in a truffle sauce. (Drink between 2021-2050)Decanter | 96 DECAn absolutely magnificent wine from this very popular estate, which sits well off the Route du Vin, just to the southwest of the town of Pauillac, its classic creme de cassis and floral notes are well-displayed. The wine possesses supple tannin, a full body, voluptuous character and a layered, impressively textured mouthfeel. This is a brilliant effort from Grand Puy Lacoste that can be drunk in 4-5 years or cellared for three decades or more.Robert Parker | 95 RPIntense hazelnuts and blackberries on the nose follow through to a full to medium body, with chocolate and berry flavors and firm tannins. Not giving away a lot at the finish at the moment. Reserved and sophisticated. But structured and chewy. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 95 JSThis is dense but silky around the edges, with crushed plum and black currant fruit lined with roasted vanilla bean, tobacco and loam notes. Everything hangs solidly through the finish, lined with finely beaded acidity and leaving an echo of singed anise. Best from 2015 through 2028.Wine Spectator | 93 WSVery densely tannic wine, the dry character of the wine a major element. This dryness gives the wine power, without the fruit at this stage. It does have the weight for the future.Wine Enthusiast | 92-94 WE(Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste) Grand-Puy-Lacoste has turned out quite well in 2010, with a rather modest 13.4 percent alcohol certainly adding a bit in terms of precision and purity to the wine than is on display at many of its neighbors. The classy nose offers up a ripe, but pure blend of sweet cassis, black cherries, espresso, cigar smoke, gravel and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite powerful in profile, with a good core of fruit, plenty of firm, ripe tannins and excellent balance on the long and impressively focused finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 91+ JG

A wine of noble bearing and exceptional beauty, the 2010 Mouton Rothschild is a flat-out stunner. The aromatics alone are beguiling. On the palate, the wine is every bit as thrilling, with myriad layers of flavor that continue to open up in the glass. Graphite, gravel, smoke, plum, black cherry and savory herbs are all strikingly delineated throughout. Vivid and crystalline, the 2010 is a jewel of a wine, but it is impossibly young now. Readers who can be patient will be treated to a fabulous wine. Today, the 2010 reminds me of a more civilized version of the 1986. The 2010 is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon (the highest amount of Cabernet ever here). Dollops of Merlot round out the blend. Harvest took place between September 29 and October 13.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGSmoked grilled tar on the nose, it feels both very 2010 and supremely Mouton - accomplished and confident. A more glamorous, enticing edge than the other Pauillac Firsts at this 10 year window. There are plentiful tannins but they are lined with air, and the overall feel is of plush, plumped fruits, like being rolled-up in luxurious sheets. It is very different in character to the other two Pauillac Firsts, but no less enjoyable. It feels higher in alcohol, more Cos than Lafite in terms of personality, in the way that Pichon Baron is more Latour than Comtesse, but it is nuanced and clever and surprising. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050Decanter | 100 DECClearly a perfect wine that shows incredible depth of fruit with currants, dark chocolate, minerals and licorice. Full-bodied, tight and wound up with ripe tannins that let go and seduce you. Makes me want to drink it now. But this is a wine for the long term. Extraordinary. 94% cabernet sauvignon. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 100 JSThis remains the stunner, a battleship of a wine, brimming with cassis, blackberry and fig fruit that has melded together now, with the backdrop of alder, bay leaf and menthol starting to emerge a bit more. The long finish is loaded with grip, pulling the fruit and other components together. And then there’s that flash of iron at the very end. Awesome wine.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2025 through 2060.Wine Spectator | 99 WSOnly 49% of the production made it into the 2010 Mouton Rothschild, which has a strikingly beautiful label by Jeffrey Koons. This is a truly great wine, with a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) and the other 6% Merlot. At 13.9% natural alcohol, Mouton’s director, Philippe Dhalluin, has clearly produced another 50- to 60-year wine that has a chance at perfection in about 15 years time, when I suspect this wine will be rounding into drinking condition. It is dense, rich and full-bodied, with the classic Mouton creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice and floral notes, but also some blueberry and hints of subtle espresso and mulberry. The wine has more minerality and precision than the rich, extravagantly opulent 2009, and while that may please some, others will have their patience tested as they wait and wait for this compelling Mouton Rothschild to hit full maturity.Robert Parker | 98+ RPA dense, smooth and opulent wine bursting with ripe Cabernet Sauvignon flavors. It’s regal and well structured, balancing the natural exuberance of Mouton with a more severe side. This is a wine with power, yet not without its charms from the fruitiness and final acidity. This great wine will age many, many years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE(Château Mouton-Rothschild) Prior to my visit to Mouton at the end of my trip, I had heard from several sources that this was a top-notch vintage for this great estate. Having now tasted the wine, I would have to say that such an assessment included more than a bit of wishful thinking, as the 2010 Mouton has not managed to carry its fourteen percent alcoholic ripeness without sacrificing precision on both the nose and palate. The wine offers up a ripe and fairly complex bouquet of black cherries, black raspberries, coffee bean, cigar smoke, soil and lead pencil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite broad-shouldered, with a rock solid core of ripe fruit, very firm, but well-integrated tannins and a long, slightly blurry finish. The harmony of acids, ripe fruit and firm tannins here are much better than in any of the other wines in the Mouton stable this year, but 2010 is a vintage where the strident ripeness has been very hard to harness and provide a wine with the customary focus and delineation that is almost taken for granted at Mouton-Rothschild. This is a good wine, but decidedly not a great vintage for Mouton. It may improve over the course of its elevage and eventually place at the higher end of this scoring range, but it is hardly a legend in the making. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 87-91+ JG