Wine Varietals

wines

This impressively complete wine offers up very ripe aromas of spice, earth and game that introduce strikingly rich, naturally sweet and mouth coating big-bodied flavors that explode on the formidably long finish. This is a classy wine with absolutely superb complexity, impeccable balance and almost uncanny presence, all delivered with grace and power. Be prepared to be patient however as this will need plenty of time. A ’wow’ wine that possess excellent verve, especially within the context of the ’09 vintage.Burghound | 96 BHThe opulent 2009 Clos de la Roche seems a bit more black fruity in its personality than the equally flamboyant, but much more red fruity 1985 version, at least at this early stage in its evolution. The nose is deep, pure and sappy, as it offers up scents of black cherries, plums, roasted venison, fresh herb tones, coffee and a very complex signature of soil. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, with a huge core of sappy fruit, excellent focus and balance, suave, but substantial tannins and brilliant length and grip on the opulent and palate-staining finish. (Drink between 2020 - 2070)John Gilman | 96+ JGThe 2009 Clos de la Roche Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is round, sweet and totally enveloping. It is a huge, towering Burgundy that impresses for its gorgeous inner perfume and juicy, exuberant fruit. This shows tons of richness without being heavy or overripe in any way. Anticipated maturity: 2029-2049.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-97 RPThe 2009 Clos de la Roche Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is round, sweet and totally enveloping. It is a huge, towering wine that impresses for its gorgeous inner perfume and juicy, exuberant fruit. This shows tons of richness without being heavy or overripe in any way.Vinous Media | 94-97 VM

The 2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a sexy, racy wine that captures all the radiance of the year. Kirsch, blood orange, mint, spice and dried flowers unfurl in the glass. Soft, plush contours wrap it all together. Readers will find a Dom Pérignon Rosé endowed with tremendous textural depth and resonance. The 2009 is a total hedonistic turn-on. That’s all there is to it.Vinous Media | 98 VMPeaches, fresh crushed strawberries and roses on the nose. Full-bodied and generous. Fine tannins that frame the wine beautifully and set it up for a fresh finish. Some fruit tea and cedar undertones. Enticing finish with hints of bitterness. Savory. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSA lovely rosé Champagne that waltzes gracefully across the palate, belying the concentrated range of macerated raspberry and strawberry, candied blood orange peel, toast and saffron notes carried on the elegant, satiny mousse. Long and fresh, with minerally smoke and oyster shell accents on the focused finish. Drink now through 2035.Wine Spectator | 96 WSIn comparison to the charming, pure 2008 Dom Pérignon Rosé, the 2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé possesses a ripe, dense bouquet with aromas of dark berries, licorice, dried white flowers, toast and pastry, enhanced by delicate, racy smoky hints. Full-bodied, broad and rich, it’s dense and phenolic due to the approximately 15% still red wine sourced from grapes planted in the villages of Hautvilliers, Aÿ and Bouzy, culminating in a protracted, sapid and chalky finish. Although already thoroughly enjoyable, it should age well over the next 10 years. This blend of 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay was disgorged in March 2022 with a dosage of five grams per liter.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPWith a 13% red wine addition, this is slightly less vinous than the 2006 (which saw 20%), yet still lays closer to this bold, sunny vintage than the nervier 2008 release. It’s a Dom Pérignon rosé in full stride today, showing a beautiful maturing Pinot Noir savour of dried strawberry and black tea starting to evolve over fresher notions of cooked citrus, mandarin and pomegranate. There’s a flowing ease here, the mousse ultra fine and the drama of the red Pinot Noir settled beautifully.Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

A notably floral, spicy and very cool nose is trimmed in noticeable but reasonable wood and leads to very rich, round and velvety big-bodied and powerful flavors that culminate in a moderately oaked but strikingly long finish. Again, the oak is not subtle on the palate but there appears to be more than enough concentration to handle it.Burghound | 91-94 BH

What a nose. You see the chocolate, orange peel, sweet tobacco. Goes to milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and round tannin structure. Creamy texture. Like the great 1995. Sweet and beautiful. Try in 2016.James Suckling | 95 JSThe second wine, the 2009 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, is almost as large a cuvee as the grand vin. This 7,000-case cuvee is a blend of 46% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest small quantities of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Once again the burning ember/scorched earth characteristic that often comes from Haut-Brion is found in the second wine, along with more kirsch and cassis, fewer nuances and less complexity than its bigger sibling. The wine is full-bodied with the minerality offered by this terroir as well as plenty of sweet tannins. This is the finest second wine Haut-Brion has produced since the astonishing 1989 Bahans-Haut-Brion. Enjoy it over the next two decades.Robert Parker | 92 RPThe 2009 Clarence de Haut-Brion has a refined and elegant bouquet with pure red fruit, undergrowth, clove and leather, perhaps just a little brettanomyces becoming more obvious with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, rounded in texture with truffle and leather infused red fruit. There is fine grip on the finish and it should continue to age extremely well in bottle. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis delivers the textbook profile of the appellation and vintage, with dense but mouthwatering tar, cassis, blackberry, bay leaf and dark cocoa notes all melded together and driving through the grippy finish. Approachable, but better with some time. Best from 2013 through 2023. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe second wine of Haut-Brion, the 2009 Le Clarence Haut Brion checks in as 46% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Offering a classic bouquet of blackcurrants, scorched earth, roasted herbs and earthy, gravely nuances, this beauty is broad, expansive and full-bodied on the palate, with ample depth, density, and structure. There’s no harm drinking bottles today, yet it has two decades of longevity ahead of it as well.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDA rich wine, with soft, juicy tannins, some spice, the tannins dry at the center. Good structure, touch of wood.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 2009 Raymond-Lafon has a slightly smudged bouquet although it gains clarity with time, offering pineapple and peach skin, lanolin and honeysuckle aromas. The palate is well balanced with a fresh entry, slightly edge thanks to the acidity with good concentration and persistence towards the tropical-tinged finish. Good potential. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMPale gold colored, the 2009 Raymond-Lafon gives compelling marmalade, honey nut, pineapple upside down cake and burnt sugar notes with wafts of petrol and paraffin wax. Opulent with savory undertones, the palate delivers loads of citrus fruit sparks among the richness, with a racy backbone and long, fruity finish. While showing some evolution, this still has plenty of cellaring potential.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPRich and intense, with dried pineapple, candied lemon peel and heather honey notes, followed by spice, crème brûlée and lemon meringue. The long, pure finish has great power and precision. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Best from 2013 through 2030. 3,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS