Wine Ratings

wines

Pale gold in color, the 2009 Doisy Daëne features expressive notes of honeyed lemons, dried mango slices, apricot tart and Seville orange marmalade with a touch of shaved almonds. The palate delivers mouth-filling stone fruit and citrus preserves layers with great purity and a lively backbone, finishing wonderfully zesty and youthful.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPQuite high-pitched now, with lots of green plum and green almond notes laced with bright honeysuckle and heather. The background shows more lemon shortbread, grapefruit pâte de fruit and persimmon, while the finish offsets the sweetness with a lively quinine note. Distinctive, but will need time to come together. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Best from 2015 through 2030. 4,509 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA fresh and aromatic bouquet sets off this light, dancing style of wine. It has acidity and a lemon curd flavor, proving to be sweet and citrusy at the same time. It’s developing well.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe 2009 Doisy-Daëne is missing a little cohesion at the moment. Scents of dried honey and caramelised pears with nice definition but I would like more energy. The palate is better than the nose: fresh on the entry with honeyed, mango, quince and spice, well balanced with good botrytis on the finish. If the aromatics improve it will merit a higher score. This may be going through a dumb phase. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM(Château Doisy-Daëne (Barsac)) Doisy-Daëne has been on a real tear for this entire decade and the 2009 will be yet again another outstanding bottle of wine and one of the great steals from the vintage. The bouquet is deep, pure and classy, as it offers up a lovely mélange of pears, pineapple, orange blossoms, gentle notes of honey comb, spring flowers and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and racy, with great focus, fine mid-palate depth and excellent length and grip on the bouncy and light on its feet finish. A terrific vintage of Doisy-Daëne. (Drink between 2016-2040).John Gilman | 90-92+ JG

A spectacular effort from this estate rivaling their 2005, but more flashy/flamboyant, this dark ruby/purple wine has a strikingly intense nose of licorice, flowers, plums and dark berries. Medium to full-bodied, very approachable and silky, this suave, very sexy wine can be drunk early on as well as aged for 20+ years.Robert Parker | 95 RPShowing beautifully, the 2009 Château Brane-Cantenac is loaded with classic Margaux notes of sandalwood, dried flowers, spice, truffle, and blackcurrants. Based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak, it’s medium to full-bodied and has a beautifully textured, elegant mouthfeel, terrific mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It’s a quintessential, elegant yet textured, concentrated Margaux to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDPlenty of Margaux balance and effortless elegance here, showcasing a concentrated blackcurrant and blackberry fruit character. Soft smoky oak comes in on the finish, with fine tannins and gentle floral aromatics. Only 37% of the production make it into the 1st wine, aged in 70% new oak. The vineyard here lies across a gravel outcrop, with certain sections that are sandy-gravel, with the 1st wine invariably Cabernet Sauvignon dominant. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2009 Brane-Cantenac was picked from September 22 to October 9 with a modest 13.4° alcohol. This has long been a great Margaux. It is very delineated and yet very generous on the bravura bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, crushed stone, cedar and a touch of mint. The palate is fresh and bursting with energy right from the start. There is plenty of weight and presence here, but that tension binds this Brane-Cantenac together. Then there is that Pauillac-inspired, graphite finish that lingers for 45+ seconds. This is one of Henri Lurton’s best wines. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 94 VMWarm and rounded, this spicy wine has wood flavors just showing through the ripe fruit. It is already delicious, with rich blackberry flavors right up front, although its aging potential is evident with the concentrated, deep structure.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEPlenty of fresh plum fruit alongside the bitter chocolate in the nose, but on the palate this retains the Margaux lightness and elegant dryness, the finish just slightly warm. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 92 JSRipe and fleshy, with an enticing mix of linzer torte, currant confiture and crushed plum fruit offset by hints of briar and bay leaf. The long finish lets roasted apple wood, singed iron and tobacco leaf notes fill in, while staying plush in feel. Combines the ripeness of the vintage with a nice old-school feel. Best from 2013 through 2025. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A wine that continues the impressive rise of du Tertre. It is becoming one of the sure values of Margaux, and this 2009 is both ripe and finely balanced. The acidity boosts the rich fruits, sweet tannins and the warm finish.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA seductive, opulent, textured Margaux with notes of licorice, black fruits, asphalt, pen ink and truffle, this is one of the finest du Tertres ever made. It has a hedonistic quality to it, but at the same time, there is great class, precision and freshness to this full-bodied, concentrated, but very supple-textured wine. Drink it over the next 20+ years.Robert Parker | 92 RPThe 2009 du Tertre has a very ripe, rather smudged and over the top bouquet. This feels a little one-dimensional at the moment. The palate is much better with pure black cedar-infused fruit, a touch of pencil lead and gentle grip towards the precise finish. I suspect the aromatics are going through a sullen phase, it will come through on the other side, so give this another couple of years in bottle. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMSmoky black fruits on the nose are accompanied by some clear caramel edging. You can feel the heat and generosity of the vintage on the palate, and it’s a little more evolved than you might expect for a classified Margaux, but it would be churlish to complain about the silk-textured pleasure on display in this glass. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036Decanter | 92 DECThe cool fresh forest berries character gives this medium-bodied Margaux a lot of charm. Long very clean and rather elegant finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 92 JSQuite perfumy at first, with lilac, damson plum and singed bay leaf notes up front, followed by darker yet still caressing steeped black cherry, worn leather and espresso notes on the back end. Best from 2013 through 2023. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

An absolutely spectacular effort, the 2009 is one of the all-time great La Gaffelieres produced. One would have to go back to the 2005, 1947 or 1961 to find this level of quality from this ancient, historic vineyard planted adjacent to the walls of St.-Emilion, on the Cote Pavie. Dating back to the 1400s, this estate has been owned for over three centuries by the Malet-Roquefort family. Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc (in the past it was two-thirds Merlot and the rest split between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc), the 2009 reveals compelling elegance, tremendous intensity and opulence and more viscosity than one normally sees. Lots of kirsch, licorice, incense, truffle, asphalt, blackberry and cassis notes dominate the aromatics and flavors of this full-bodied, viscous, fabulously pure, flamboyant St.-Emilion. Drinking it now may be considered infanticide by some consumers, but it is already attractive, and should last for 3-4 decades.Robert Parker | 95+ RPBig and juicy with loads of ripe fruit and spice. Coffee and chocolate. Full. Powerful and intense. Exotic finish.James Suckling | 94 JSStraight down the line, this wine shows fruit and acidity. The tannins are relatively soft while the fruit is forward. Blackberries, coffee and licorice notes all come together.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVery fleshy, with lush, velvety-textured plum sauce, currant paste and melted licorice notes, woven with toasty spice and backed by a dark chocolate bark note on the finish. Best from 2014 through 2023. 4,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2009 Langoa-Barton has a gorgeous bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and light tobacco aromas that blossom from the glass. This feels so composed and pure. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine-grain tannin, beautifully judged acidity and a svelte, languorous finish that fans out with style. What a gorgeous and utterly seductive Saint-Julien. It turns out to be Langoa Barton, a wine that I have rated very highly in the past. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMVery dense and still rather reserved, with dark blueberry, blackberry and fig notes rolled together, framed by freshly brewed espresso and Black Forest cake notes. Long and tarry through the finish, with a melted licorice snap note hanging on at the very end. Best from 2014 through 2030. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA deceptively approachable wine. Its gorgeous fruits are right up front, their ripeness powered by a generous, complex texture. There is concentration, but it is surrounded by so much richness. It can almost be drunk now, but should age well.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA rich and fleshy wine, yet it remains decisively dry. Attractive blueberry aroma and impressive supple tannins make this very harmonious. If it was slightly brighter in the nose this would rate even higher.James Suckling | 93 JSBackward, tannic and beefy, this youthful but formidable 2009 Langoa Barton exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as lots of damp earth, underbrush and black currant aromas and flavors, medium to full body, lively acids and, not surprisingly, massive tannins (a characteristic of all the Barton wines). The overall impression is somewhat incongruous, having a certain precociousness in the aromatics, but then clamping down on the taster in the mouth. I recommend waiting 5-7 years before opening a bottle. It should drink well over the following 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 90+ RP

The elevage is complex, building from smaller barrels to larger barrels over a period of six years, finishing in larger vats. Then four years in bottle. Non-sequential releasing with the 2005 and 2006 being released after the 2007 and 2008. This 2009 has good ripeness and deep fruit-presence on the nose with rich red and dark plums, subtly earthy spice, cedar and fresh tobacco. There’s terrific concentration on the palate and very ripe dark-plum, blueberry and cherry flavors. The tannins are fresh, very long and carry flavors deep. Natural freshness and effortless power, too — a hallmark of Unico! Very open-knit and approachable now, this will age for two decades easily, and then some more.James Suckling | 98 JSI tasted a bottle of the 2009 Único blind and was taken by the freshness, the red fruit notes and the Burgundian-like characteristics of this vintage, which on paper was quite warm and dry. I also tasted the 2009 Valbuena, which is always more approachable, and was blown away by its aromatics. With time in the glass the Único opened up and got closer to the character of Valbuena but with more depth and clout, while showing extremely elegant. I tasted it again in the context of all the wines from the group, and it delivered all that I saw when I tasted it blind. It takes some time to unfurl its aromatic palette, and it feels young and somewhat undeveloped, younger than it is. It has a touch that made me think of the old vintages of Único on the nose but with very polished tannins and a soft mouthfeel that provides elegance. This is a wine that ages for no less than ten years before it’s released. 2009 seems like a great vintage for Vega Sicilia, much better than what I anticipated. It should develop nicely in bottle. 74,274 bottles, 3,390 magnums, 209 double magnums and 22 imperials were produced. It has been in bottle since June 2015.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPInky ruby. An assertively perfumed, highly complex bouquet displays powerful, mineral-accented dark berry preserve, exotic spice, vanilla, potpourri and incense aromas, along with suggestions of cola and mocha. Broad, focused and deeply concentrated, offering palate-staining black and blue fruit liqueur, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that show remarkable clarity and are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. The spice, mineral and floral notes resonate emphatically on the strikingly long, sweet finish, which features harmonious tannins and building, resonating dark berry character.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe great eternal Unico, with a touch of extra fruitiness and spiciness. Made after very long ageing in different oak vats and barrels, from selected plots (including 6% Cabernet Sauvignon) within Vega Sicilia’s estate, in the (rightly named) Unico method (72 months’ oak). Probably too young now, it should ideally not be opened in the next 10 years. Spain’s flagship, and very difficult for me to taste without passion. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DEC(Vega Sicilia “Único”) The 2009 vintage is the newest release of Único and it is just now entering the market here in the US. The wine looks to be an absolute classic in the making and in due time, it seems very likely to take its place amongst the finest vintages of the last twenty-five years here. The blend this year is ninety-four percent tempranillo and six percent cabernet sauvignon and the wine comes in listed at fourteen percent octane. The bouquet is still youthfully sappy and adolescent, offering up a blend of black cherries, blueberry, gentle balsamic tones, cigar wrapper, dark chocolate and new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with beautiful balance and grip, ripe tannins and impressive nascent complexity on the very long and focused finish. Much more complexity on both the nose and palate will emerge with further bottle aging, but all of the constituent components are in place here for future greatness. (Drink between 2033-2100)John Gilman | 95 JGThis red is rich yet vibrant, dense yet graceful. Cherry and plum flavors are backed by forest floor, cedar, tobacco and mineral notes, supported by muscular, well-integrated tannins that give way to a spicy, slightly bitter finish. Complex and harmonious. Tinto Fino and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2029. 6,190 cases made, 570 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSUnico is a selection from Vega-Sicilia’s top benchland parcels of tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon, both varieties part of the original plantings at the estate in the 19th century. The contemporary vines, now an average of 35 years old, are rooted in rocky limestone and quartz gravels at the south end of the estate, with a cool northern exposure; the fruit of those vines ferments spontaneously in wooden vats, then ages in oak barrels for five years, and for more time in bottle. With ten years of age, this 2009 is youthful and dynamic. Beyond the initial scents of oak, you’ll find brisk, tart red cherry and boysenberry fruit energized by the Mediterranean warmth of the tannins. Complex and savory, it’s compelling to drink now, yet will gain beauty with age.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe warmth of the 2009 vintage is apparent from the start—the nose is warm and murky, with raisiny fruit. On the palate, this is thick and rich, with prune notes. Flavors of cassis, prune, raisin and chocolate are smooth and rich, while this is dense on the finish. If you’re looking for suave elegance, it’s not here.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

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

Aromas of cocoa powder and currants, follow through to a full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a juicy, berry and chocolate aftertaste. Lovely polish to this. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSA firm, complex wine, solidly based on ripe tannins, dark flavors. There is some spice and juiciness to fit with the dense tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA well structured wine with smoke and cedar edging to the aromatics, a generous, ripe fruit structure and soft, well-integrated tannins. It has clear appeal. At this stage, the 2005 seems to better encapsulate the heart of St-Julien but the 2009 offers an extremely enjoyable wine, even if less typical of the appellation. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036Decanter | 93 DECExtremely sexy, soft, supple and opulent, with notes of cedar, herbs, incense and black currant fruit, this is a full-bodied, generously endowed but silky Talbot to drink now and over the next 20+ years. By any standard of measurement, this is irresistible.Robert Parker | 91 RPDark plum and blueberry compote notes lead the way, followed by dark cocoa and tobacco. A fleshy feel runs throughout, with a stony edge adding length and balance on the finish. Best from 2013 through 2021.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2009 Talbot has a much more modest bouquet than the Gruaud Larose, missing the same horsepower and fruit concentration, airy in style, attractive but not as memorable as others. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, and a fine bead of acidity. Quite linear and conservative but with satisfying precision on the finish. It is a classic Talbot that should give 25 to 30 years of pleasure, though not the best amongst its peers. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM(Château Talbot) Our sample at the UGC tasting at Branaire-Ducru was a bit reduced, but not enough so as to impact one’s ability to get a read on the wine. The nose underneath is a classic Talbot, with its black fruity mélange of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, soil, woodsmoke and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite soil-driven, with fine focus, a very good core of fruit, and a properly reserved, long and ripely tannic finish. A fine success for the vintage. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 90-92 JG

The 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 WSProprietor 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 VMAromas 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

The 2009 La Conseillante has a very classy and sophisticated bouquet with beautifully defined black and red fruit mixed with black truffle and pressed rose petals. The oak is just completely subsumed here. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe and saturated tannin, a fine line of acidity, fresh and tensile with a sense of mineralité on the finish. This bottle shows even better than the one poured at the property 12 months earlier. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis tasted brilliant in London a few weeks ago at the Bordeaux 10 Years On tasting, but even better in New York. There’s so much complexity on offer - the natural elegance pumped up with dark chocolate, graphite and liquorice layering up through the damson and blackberry fruits. A gorgeous, delicious wine with a blast of freshly crushed mint leaf on the finish. This was the third vintage since a second wine was launched in 2007, helping the winemaking team to concentrate and refine this main bottling. Jean-Michel Laporte was director at the time, with Gilles Paquet as consultant. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032Decanter | 97 DECAt once deep and rich, yet cool and delicate with a minty freshness, this is a really concentrated and super-elegant Pomerol that’s now very seductive, but has the structure and vitality to live for a long time. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 97 JSThe medium to deep garnet colored 2009 La Conseillante strides confidently out of the glass with very classy Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and kirsch scents plus suggestions of violets, liquid licorice, cardamom and bay leaves with a touch of eucalyptus. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegantly fruited with a firm, grainy frame and oodles of freshness, finishing long and minerally.Robert Parker | 96 RPThis delivers stunning toasted spice, mocha and black tea aromas, while the core of plum, blackberry and fig flavors is still rather reticent. The long finish is liberally laced with a racy graphite note, while the perfumy accent pervades. This will be a suave head-turner when it rounds into form. Best from 2018 through 2030. 4,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSSimilar in style to the 2015, the 2009 La Conseillante is another sexy, seductive, opulent even, Pomerol that offers a huge array of spiced dark fruits, cured meats, crushed flowers, and truffle. Deep, full-bodied, layered and beautifully pure, with an extroverted personality that just begs to be drunk, it will keep for another three decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD(Château La Conseillante) The 2009 La Conseillante is evolving nicely and shows every likelihood of delivering on all the early promise it showed out of barrel during the En Primeur week of 2010. A year on, the wine offers up a ripe and classy nose of red and black raspberries, chocolate, fine, gravelly soil tones, tobacco smoke and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and ripely tannic, with a fine core of fruit, good focus and balance and very good length and grip on the youthful finish. The 2009 vintage has still produced a La Conseillante that is a bit broad-shouldered by the elegant standards of this estate, but this is a very good example of the vintage that should age gracefully. (Drink between 2022-2060)John Gilman | 93 JGDensely rich, very sweet wine. It has some smoky tannins that give structure, along with a dark core of dry raisin and wood flavors. It has concentration and an opaque texture.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel, this appears to be the finest Lynch Bages since the 2000, 1990 and 1989. According to the chateau, the 2009 has the highest level of polyphenols ever measured as well as high alcohol (nearly 13.5%). A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest largely Merlot with touches of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it is an expressive, voluptuously textured effort with unctuosity and powerful, juicy, succulent blackberry and black currant flavors, low acids, a layered, massive mouthfeel, but no sense of heaviness or fatigue. This exquisite Lynch Bages should drink well for 30+ years.Robert Parker | 98 RPTight and backward, this has dense, almost chewy layers of fig, currant and plum cake behind a very solid wall of cedar, roasted vanilla and charcoal notes. There’s serious grip on the finish, with an iron edge that won’t quit. Best from 2015 through 2035. 31,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA powerful and ripe wine with a wide-screen personality, this makes a very bold statement without becoming a jot heavy. Serious tannins at the long finish suggest this has long-term aging potential. Drink now with a big steak or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 96 JSA dense, immense, solidly powerful wine. The ripest fruit overflows, paralleling the dark, solid tannins. As so often, Lynch-Bages is a blockbuster, dark and concentrated, with immense aging potential.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis is a little more subdued than some right now, needing a good five minutes in the glass before revealing layers of rich olive, cassis, exotic spices, cracked pepper and garrigue. You get the heat of the vintage and the ripeness of the fruit, balanced by muscular, chewy tannins and gorgeous chocolate notes. This is great, although for me the 2010 just pips it. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040Decanter | 95 DECThe 2009 Lynch-Bages has an intense bouquet which is more forward than Grand Puy Lacoste, albeit without the same complexity. Layers of blackberry, bilberry, brine and a touch of graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin, slightly lower in acidity than the 2010 Lynch Bages, dense and quite sinewy towards the finish. It might miss the class of its peers but you cannot help but admire the brawn underneath its aristocratic coat. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Lynch Bages) I tasted two sample bottles of the Lynch Bages at the UGC tasting at Branaire-Ducru, but probably neither bottle was a pristine example. I tried to find time to swing by the château and taste another sample, but could not squeeze it into my already densely packed schedule, sop this note will have to suffice. I have given a wider range than customary for a sound wine, and I suspect that the ’09 Lynch Bages is probably likely to reside at the upper end of the range when all is said and done. The nose is deep, complex and classy, as it offers up notes of cassis, espresso, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full, long and complex, with ripe tannins and quite a bit of structure on the finish. These samples were just not as vibrant or as long as I would expect from the ’09 Lynch, particularly based on the fine quality of the nose, and hence my equivocation on the score. (Drink between 2018-2050)John Gilman | 87-92+ 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

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a little reticent to begin, slowly giving way to notions of warm black cherries, blackcurrant cordial, stewed plums and sautéed herbs with hints of damp soil, tobacco and beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound black fruit and earthy layers, framed by ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness making for a long, lively finish. Classic!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPRoederer Estates had owned Pichon Comtesse for three years prior to the 2009 vintage, having taken over in 2006, with Gildas d’Ollone as managing director and Thomas Do-Chi-Nam as technical director. Together, they created a stunning, lyrical 2009 that just begs to be savoured. It’s ripe and intense, rippling with juicy blackberry and blackcurrant fruit and touches of violet on the nose. A beautifully balanced wine. Drinking Window 2021 - 2046Decanter | 97 DECWhat a great nose of blackberries, currants and spices. Hints of fresh herbs. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and lovely fruit. Such finesse and beauty. Wonderful to taste. Reminds me of the legendary 1982. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSA seductive wine, deliciously ripe with the softest, juiciest fruit over smoky new wood. The wine shows intense fruit as well as a soft Merlot core. The tannins are beautifully integrated in this ripely sweet wine.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2009 Pichon-Lalande offers copious scents of boysenberry, cassis and blue fruit on the nose, a little smudged compared to the Pichon Baron but very pure. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very rounded in the mouth thanks to the precocious Merlot content, sage and orange rind developing towards the caressing finish. A very sensual Pichon-Lalande, tempting. A great wine although the 2010 has the upper hand. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe ripe red currant, blackberry and boysenberry fruit is layered with black licorice snap, fruitcake and plum sauce notes. Has the fleshier edge of the vintage but retains a solidly racy graphite spine through the finish. A step behind the ’10 in density and energy, though hardly a slouch.--Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Best from 2018 through 2035. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Château Pichon-Lalande) The 2009 Pichon Lalande is cut from the same slinky, sumptuous cloth as the 2009 Lafite-Rothschild, which should not be surprising, as this is a style that was mastered at Pichon Lalande as far back as the 1982. The nose is deep, complex and quite ripe, as it offers up scents of dark berries, espresso, tobacco leaf, gravelly soil tones, fresh herbs and plenty of smoky, nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very plush and velvety on the attack, with a fine core of fruit, excellent length and focus and a ripely tannic and decidedly low acid finish. I cannot think of any previous vintage of Pichon Lalande that shared the 2009’s combination of substantial tannins and extremely low acids- it will be very interesting to see how this wine evolves over time. My score may be just a tad conservative, but I do not have any experience with how a wine structured like this will evolve with extended bottle age. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 90-92+ JG

This sports a dark, chewy side for now, with overt charcoal and roasted apple wood notes, along with plenty of smoldering tobacco flavors. The core is still a bit chunky as well, with roasted fig, blackberry paste and steeped black currant fruit. But the underlying structure is refined, despite its density, and the finish is very long and purely rendered. Best from 2018 through 2035. 2,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSTasted at the Trotanoy vertical in Hong Kong, the 2009 Trotanoy has long been one of the standout Pomerols in what was a fecund year for the appellation. This bottle reaffirmed previous reviews, although the aromatics were perhaps a little more immediate with blackberry, roasted chestnut and truffles, just a touch of glycerin, all delivered with fabulous precision. The oak is more assimilated on the palate that still feels succulent. But, look a little further and there is real backbone cloaked by all that fruit, plus there is awe-inspiring persistence on the finish that just lacquers the mouth. Stupendous! Tasted November 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA deep nose of blueberries, with chocolate mousse that turns to licorice and hints of rose petal. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins that fill your mouth. But they are always soft and caressing. They last for minutes. I love the texture to this wine; it is like plush velvet. Best in 2018, but so inviting now.James Suckling | 97 JS(Château Trotanoy (barrel sample note)) The 2009 Trotanoy is flat out magnificent and clearly one of the top handful of wines made in Bordeaux in this vintage. Of all the Pomerols that I tasted on this trip, only Pétrus is superior to Trotanoy, as this wine is simply a great classic in the making. The utterly profound and regal nose offers up a glorious mélange of plums, black cherries, raw cocoa, herb tones, woodsmoke, a stunningly complex base of soil, coffee bean, a hint of the blood orange to come and a very discreet framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and flawlessly balanced, with a huge core of pure fruit, stunning focus and balance, plenty of ripe tannins and an endless, utterly seamless finish. The 2009 Trotanoy is a very powerful vintage for this wine, but is so breathtakingly poised and light on its feet as to almost belie its amazing depth and intensity. One of the greatest young vintages of Trotanoy I have ever tasted, this is a masterpiece of traditional Pomerol in the making. Amazingly, this is the ripest wine in the entire Moueix stable this year, as it weighs in at a full 14.3 percent alcohol, and yet is utterly cool in the mouth. A profoundly great wine. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 96-97 JGThe 2009 Trotanoy has a broody and what feels like Cabernet-driven bouquet, well defined with touches of cigar box and forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, taut red berry fruit laced with sage, white pepper, hints of fennel and a refreshingly saline finish. This is very promising although, it does not quite possess the persistence of its peers. Sultry, almost saturnine...I guess this is Trotanoy? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMA vintage that Edouard Moueix summed up succinctly by comparing it to a friend that is always ready to please, to the point that you can’t help but try to find fault. What that means in the glass is that you get plenty of aromatic complexity, and an attack that is generous, ample and ready to go. There is a caramel edge that suggests the fruit was fully ripe and is starting to soften. Autumnal red berry fruit, truffle and wet earth are on display, but it retains plenty of structure, and you can feel the tannins elongating across the palate, adding freshness and shape and helping to give width and density. It’s ten years old and starting to fully deliver. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038.Decanter | 96 DECBeneath the surface tannins is great Merlot fruit, very ripe and full-bodied, a powerhouse of flavors. The depth and complexity of the wine is all there, along with a dark core of dryness. A wine for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The 2009 Dominus is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet colored, it rolls easily, sensuously out of the glass with evolving fruit notes of baked blackcurrants, plum preserves, mulberries and fruitcake plus underlying suggestions of charcuterie, camphor, chocolate-covered cherries and candied violets with just a touch of cast iron pan. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in balance, with loads of emerging black fruit and earthy layers and a solid line of finely grained tannins, finishing very long with a perfumed lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPDeep ruby opaque colored, the 2009 Dominus is a killer bottle of wine made from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot. Loaded with notions of black currants, black cherries, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and crushed flowers, this beauty is full-bodied, deep, concentrated, and decadent. Perfectly balanced, pure and layered, it’s a sensational wine and you should count yourself lucky if you have bottles of this in the cellar. It will keep for another two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDStunning nose of lavender and flowers. Currants and raspberries. Subtle and intriguing. Full and dense but wonderfully balanced with firm and silky tannins and a persistent finish. Dusty texture. A wine so balanced that you want to drink it already. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 98 JSBright, full ruby-red. Highly complex, thoroughly ripe scents of black raspberry, cassis, dark plum, tar, tobacco, mocha and minerals, lifted by a violet topnote. Wonderfully suave and fine-grained but still quite youthful, spreading out to coat the palate without leaving any undue impression of weight. Shows a distinct black cherry medicinal reserve. This very smooth wine finishes with a broad dusting of ripe tannins and steadily building length. Approachable now owing to its successfully integrated acidity and tannins, but I'd rather give this beauty a bit more time in the cellar.Vinous Media | 94 VMDelightfully harmonious given its intensity, with complex aromas of savory herbs, flowers, ripe and dried currant and berry, crushed rock and cedar flavors. Well-proportioned, focused and persistent. Very youthful and vibrant. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2014 through 2030. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWhile this is not the best Dominus vintage, it does show elegantly smooth tannins, dryness and earthiness that accompanies the black­berry and cassis fruit. It's curiously soft, which might limit its ageability. Shows an uncanny similarity to the 2000.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 2009 Les Forts de Latour is engaging and quite complex on the nose with blackberry, bilberry, hints of brine and freshly rolled tobacco, all very well delineated and gaining vigor with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but firm tannin that frame layers of black fruit laced with pencil lead and tobacco, very convincing on the finish that has one of the longest lengths of any Pauillac in this flight. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMDeep and dark with a ton of smoke and earth, the cassis fruit very much in the background, this is a concentrated and complex wine. Powerful yet racy palate with an elegant mineral finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 96 JSPossibly the best second wine ever made at Latour (and I love how the 1982 is drinking at age 30), the 2009 Les Forts de Latour is composed of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot blended with a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot, and finished at 13.5% alcohol. Juicy notes of creme de cassis, licorice, camphor, smoke and crushed rocks are followed by a rich, unctuously textured, thick, juicy, exceptionally pure, long wine. This beauty will be at its finest in several years and should keep for three decades.Proprietor Francois Pinault and his director, Frederic Engerer, have pulled out all the stops to produce one of the most monumental Latour’s ever made.Robert Parker | 95 RPMint aromas hint at the wood, but more important is the massive Merlot fruit that is an essential element in the blend. The result is a wine that blends richness and power with an initially severe character. Slowly it opens to reveal opulent blackberry jam flavors, immensely ripe.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEMore muscular and closed than the Petit Mouton, here the tannins are beautifully flexed, with real purity of fruit and lovely texture. It’s excellent quality, showing focus and a sense of poise and purpose. A brilliant wine, and one that will age well. These first-growth second wines in 2009 are amazing! Drinking Window 2019 - 2038Decanter | 94 DECThis has purity and precision, with mouthwatering blackberry, black currant and steeped plum fruit racing along, nicely laced with graphite and studded with enticing ganache and iron notes through the finish. Sleek, but the grip is there. Best from 2014 through 2028. 10,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Les Forts de Latour (barrel sample)) The 2009 Forts de Latour is the spitting image of the grand vin, as it is deep, pure complex, broad-shouldered and quite structured. The bouquet is a very fine, quite reserved mélange of black cherries, dark berries, tobacco leaf, a great base of complex, gravelly soil tones and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tight, with a rock solid core of fruit, plenty of ripe tannins, very good acidity for the vintage and a very long, firm and classy finish. A superb Forts de Latour in the making (Drink between 2022-2050)John Gilman | 90-91+ JG

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

A true superstar that flirts with perfection, the 2009 Clos L'Eglise checks in at the top of the heap of great vintages, including 1998, 2000, 2005, and 2016. Still youthful ruby/plum-hued with a spectacular bouquet of chocolatey black cherry and currant fruits, graphite, leafy herbs, unsmoked tobacco, and a kiss of earth, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness as well as an incredible sense of opulence with no weight or heaviness. The usual blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, it has ripe, polished tannins, stunning purity of fruit, a great mid-palate, and is just a magical, heavenly Pomerol to enjoy over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2009 is one of the sexiest wines in Pomerol in this vintage, offering up notes of melted caramel, sweet mocha, blackberry and black cherry fruit, with hints of loamy soil and unsmoked cigar tobacco as well as a touch of white chocolate and some subtle toasty oak. Round, opulent and unctuously textured, with a full-bodied mouthfeel, fabulous purity, and no hard edges, this sumptuous, fleshy, lavishly rich Pomerol can be drunk now and over the next 25 years.Starting with the resurrection of this property in 1998, I have long been a huge fan of Helene Garcin’s older vintages of Clos l’Eglise, so I am hard-pressed to say that the 2009 Clos l’Eglise (virtually all Merlot, with some Cabernet Franc) could be any better than her brilliant efforts in such vintages as 2000, 2001 and 2005.Robert Parker | 98 RPThis is a layered and very muscular red with a powerful tannin structure and gorgeous ripe yet fresh fruit. Full-bodied, layered and very exciting. Needs four or five years to come around still.James Suckling | 97 JSGood full, deep ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, black cherry, truffle, minerals and wild herbs. Huge and lush yet somehow balanced, with harmonious acidity and a firm mineral underpinning giving energy and definition to the sweet mid-palate. The wine's impeccable fruit shows a captivating exotic aspect. The resounding finish features ripe tannins that coat the front teeth and outstanding lingering sweetness. The best bottle I've yet tasted from this chateau.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis rich, toasty, showy style boasts lots of flashy anise and espresso notes up front, but ample layers of crushed fig, steeped plum and dark mixed berry fruit behind it. Nice grip strides in on the finish, with a graphite spine adding serious length and definition. This has plenty of steak to match its sizzle. Best from 2015 through 2030. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRipe and fruity, this has ripe tannin and rich red-berry flavors. It has a solid, firm background of dark tannins that promise good aging.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Pale gold, the 2009 Climens offers up a fabulously fragrant nose of green tea, chamomile, powdered ginger, lemon marmalade and fallen leaves with suggestions of spice cake and preserved mandarin peel. The palate is super intense with vibrant, energetic fruit and layer upon layer of perfume and spice nuances, finishing very long and incredibly youthful.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPRich and opulent, but the Barsac terroir keeps it reined in. Exotic fruit notes, baked apple and confit fruit. Pure, velvety and unctuous but with a bite of citrus zest freshness coming in behind. Biodynamic estate. Drinking Window 2019 - 2050Decanter | 97 DECThe 2009 Climens has a clean and pure bouquet with honey and brioche aromas, like pure sunlight! The palate is fresh and crisp with superb botrytised fruit. Great tension and a dash of ginger and lemongrass spice up the detailed finish. This is a Climens that is only just beginning to demonstrate what is capable of. Bon vin! Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe superb palate boasts richness, with honey and orange zest notes. It shows fine balance between the flavors of orange jelly and the intense botrytis-driven notes. It has a light, delicate texture and acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WERounded and broad in feel for now, with richly layered toasted almond, ginger cream, brioche and glazed apple notes that all glide through the viscous finish, where a flash of green tea can be found. This has the buried zip for the long haul, which it will need to assimilate fully. There’s lots in reserve. Best from 2015 through 2034. 4,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

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

Let yourself go and sink into this deep dark chasm that will swallow you whole if you let it. Enormous concentration, but every bit as much finesse, the finish extremely long and fine. And this is just beginning to give its best! Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2009 Leoville Las Cases may be the most open-knit and forward Las Cases I have tasted to date. Analytically, it is high in tannin and the alcohol is 13.8%, nearly a record at this estate. This blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc was showing brilliantly at the 2009 tasting I did in Hong Kong and at a later tasting. It boasts an inky/purple color, monumental concentration and lots of sweet, jammy black currant, black cherry and kirsch fruit intermixed with crushed rock and mineral notes. As always, proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon has built a massive wine with exceptional precision, unbelievable purity and aging potential of 40-50 years. I was surprised by the lusciousness of this cuvee on several occasions, and how much more forward it is given the fact that Las Cases can often be forebodingly backward and in need of 10-15 years of cellaring (at age 30, the 1982 is still a baby in terms of development!). The super-concentrated 2009 needs another 5-7 years before additional nuances emerge. This is a brilliant, full-throttle St.-Julien.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThis is gorgeously layered with cassis bush, anise, roasted fig and plum reduction notes all framed by racy espresso and graphite. Very deep and very long, with terrific intensity on the finish thanks to razor cut from the seemingly endless iron spine. With its purity and precision, this mineral-driven Cabernet should cruise for two decades. Best from 2020 through 2035. 14,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSStill a baby, the 2009 Château Leoville Las Cases is largely in the mold of the 1990 and 1982, offering a sexy opulence while staying in the classic, structured style of the estate. Based on 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, its still ruby/purple hue is followed by a sensational array of blackcurrants, cedar pencil, green tobacco, exotic spices, and incense. With incredible purity, ultra-fine tannins, full-bodied richness, and that rare mix of power and elegance, this magical Saint-Julien is just now starting to reveal some secondary nuances and won’t hit full maturity for another decade. It should see its 75th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA beautifully structured wine, with its tannins layered between the ripest black plums, damsons and black currants. It is opulent while remaining dense, concentrated and very serious. Certainly a wine for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2009 Léoville Las-Cases simply delivers on the nose with intense blackberry, wild hedgerow, graphite and crushed stone aromas on the nose. You would put this down as a Pauillac if served blind, unsurprising given that it borders that appellation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, silky smooth in texture with immense depth. It is blessed with quite brilliant delineation and the precision on the finish is magnificent. Chapeau Mon. Delon. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMBeing Léoville-Las Cases, it is, as you would expect, still pretty determined to play its cards close to its chest. And yet the exuberance and generosity of 2009 is beginning to peep though. For those of us who lack patience, these kind of years are just brilliant for checking out what Las Cases is all about: brooding tannins are just starting to stir, controlling a tight-knit cassis, cigar box, pencil lead and liquorice body. You feel the skill in the unpeeling of the tannins, opening to reveal the perky fresh core, and you can see just why this is such a great estate. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DEC(Château Leoville las Cases) The last vintage of Leoville las Cases to really move me was the 1978, so I am probably underrating this very powerful and seamlessly constructed wine a bit. The nose today on the ’09 is very deep, sappy and quite primary at this point in its evolution, as it offers up scents of black cherries, cassis, a touch of blueberry, dark chocolate, tobacco smoke and raw (but integrated) new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full and sappy at the core, with plenty of firm tannins, excellent focus and balance and a very long, still somewhat woody finish. There is little doubt that there is sufficient stuffing here to fully absorb its sixty-five percent new oak with further evolution, and I am sure that there are other tasters that will really love this wine for its deep and powerful personality. But for me it is a bit of a brute and I have a hard time imagining the wine ever developing any breed or nuance to go with its raw power. Very well made in its style. (Drink between 2020-2050).John Gilman | 90-92+ JG

The 2009 Lagrange was picked from 28 September to 6 October. This has a sensual and very floral bouquet with lavender and violet aromas infusing the plush and generous red berry fruit. It retains fine delineation despite its concentration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, velvety smooth with layers of red berry fruit laced with clove and thyme, gently fanning out towards the caressing finish. Superb. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is a good Lagrange, showing well now with no need to wait too long. It perhaps doesn’t have the concentration and precision of today’s Lagrange, but it’s a good 2009 with lots to enjoy. It has a firm cassis and blackberry purée character, with spiced herbs through the mid-palate, and firm but pliable tannins, all leading to a finish with good lift. Effortless and with St Julien elegance. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036.Decanter | 94 DECRipe wine, with soft tannins allied to great density. Weight and lovely, juicy, final fruit flavors meld together easily. This is solid, dense, impressive and for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Lagrange rolls out of the glass with beautiful redcurrant jelly, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves notions plus hints of fallen leaves, camphor and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with red and black fruit preserves and lively herbal sparks, with a firm grainy backbone and great freshness on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPLovely ripe cassis character, fullish body and elegant tannins make this an easy 2009 to enjoy in spite of the wine’s ample structure. Drink now. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 93 JSOne of the more backward, tight wines in this retrospective, the 2009 Château Lagrange needs lots of air to show at its best, yet still holds things close to its vest. A youthful ruby color is followed by beautiful and classic Bordeaux notes of crème de cassis, cedar pencil, unsmoked tobacco, and a touch of earth. It’s not massive by any means, yet it’s beautifully balanced, with ripe, polished tannins and a great finish. With a Château Lafite-like elegance and seamlessness, it will be loved by the Claret lovers out there and is certainly a beautiful wine. It should evolve for another 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD(Château Lagrange) Lagrange harvested from September 28th until October 20th and the team here has produced one of the reference point wines on the Left Bank. The bouquet is deep and simply superb, as it jumps from the glass in a classic mélange of black cherries, dark berries, coffee, woodsmoke, espresso, tobacco leaf, a lovely base of soil and a discreet touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with excellent focus and balance, fine-grained tannins and beautifully length and grip on the palate-staining and impressively tangy finish. There are not a lot of wines on the Left Bank with this type of zesty acidity and pinpoint focus. A terrific 2009. (Drink between 2020-2070).John Gilman | 92-93+ JGThis has a solid core of juicy plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that sits in reserve, while mouthwatering briar and toasty spice notes move along the edges. Grippy and focused through the finish, with well-embedded acidity. Best from 2013 through 2024.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSaturated with the warm ripeness of the 2009 vintage, this is well upholstered rather than hyperripe. Its plump blueberry and currant flavors feel concentrated, completely integrating the oak so that the tannins are cushioned rather than extracted. Its vintage character shows in caramelized notes at the end of the wine, in spice that builds out of the warmth. Enjoyable now with roast duck, this will gain complexity as it ages.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&S