Bordeaux 2009 Vintage Report

We tasted this twice during our week in Bordeaux, and both times it was extremely impressive, with a beautiful aromatic character, rich, ripe fruit and supple tannins. It is a real charmer that should be approachable from 2012 and drink over the following five years.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“This Tour de By shows great clarity and definition on the nose with ebullient red-berried fruit, cedar and a touch of tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very well balanced with good acidity, clean black fruit laced with a touch of cedar, leading to a well defined, classy finish. The usual, slightly under-ripe Tour de By has turned in a winner in 2009.”
90-92 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com

The first 2009 right bank wine we have offered, this has strikingly bold, bright blackberry flavours, full body, concentrated fruit and rich, ripe, rounded tannins. Drink 2012 - 2016.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“This over-achieving sleeper of the vintage boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as plenty of black cherry, asphalt, and earth notes in its dense, packed and stacked personality. Lots of glycerin, heady alcohol, and a long, supple finish suggest it will drink nicely for 6-8 years.”
88-90 Robert Parker

Wow. Frédéric de Luze has excelled himself this year, producing a wine with a piercingly ripe nose, very rich, rounded tannins and velvety texture. A soft, smooth and very silky Margaux that will be approachable early. Drink 2012 – 2020.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

Truly one of the finest Crus Bourgeois we tasted all week, this is very ripe and aromatic, with densely concentrated fruit on the palate, firm, ripe tannins and excellent length. A keeper. Drink 2012 – 2018.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“Not to be confused with St.-Emilion’s Bellevue, this has been one of the most consistent Medoc cru bourgeois over a number of years, and the 2009 may reach new quality heights. A big-time sleeper of the vintage, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 20% Petit Verdot boasts a dense purple color as well as notes of creme de cassis and spring flowers, terrific fruit, sweet but noticeable tannin, and medium to full body. It can be drunk young or cellared for 8-10 years.”
90-92* Robert Parker

The nose has great ripeness but also refinement, while the palate has excellent texture, structure and depth. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the latter which Johnny Maltus points out was amazing this year. Drink 2013 - 2018.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“The 2009 Teyssier possesses a dense ruby/purple color as well as smoky barbecue notes intermixed with creme de cassis, black cherries, and earth. Ripe, generous, and medium to full-bodied, it should drink beautifully young yet age for 10-12+ years.”
89-91 Robert Parker

We came across this at the end of a very busy day’s tasting, but what a sensational wakeup call it was for our jaded palates! Intensely sweet, with tropical fruit, and superb precision, this is absolutely delicious. Certain members of the Jascots team are lining up to buy anything left over after our customers have had their fill. Drink 2012 – 2035.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“Very deep golden, with great tension and excitement and some green streaks, with layers of botrytis over them. Full and deep with intense botrytis. Great stuff! Unspittable, dried apricots (though so much richer than a Tokaji) and great acidity.”
19/20 Jancis Robinson

“The palate is well balanced with a citric entry, touches of apricot and lime, tightly coiled towards the finish with the acidity slicing through the viscous honey fruit with a touch of Tropicana. Again, this is a very focused, tensile Sauternes with beguiling clarity.”
92-94 Neal Martin erobertparker.com

One of the great surprises of the vintage, we subsequently learned that Lilian Ladouys had changed ownership a couple of years ago, and the improvement has been startling and immediate. We were very excited by this rich, concentrated, full-bodied wine with plenty of extract but a very attractive balance of fruit, tannins, and acidity. Drink 2013-2019.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“Dark color, with a spiced nose of cloves and cardamom. Tar too. Full-bodied, with round and velvety tannins and a rich, fruity aftertaste. Gorgeous young wine.”
92-95 Wine Spectator

One of our favourite CBs from Margaux of years gone by and a very impressive wine, of course, in 2009. It has black and concentrated curranty fruit and is structured and yet possesses creamy, soft tannins. My gut tells me that this will take some time to reach approachability, maybe 5+ years before it’s really hit its drinkability.
Jack Scott

92-95 Wine Spectator

Very fleshy and smooth on the palate, really ripe and juicy, with spicy cassis fruit and some supporting tannins on the finish. Drink 2011-2018. David Round M.W.

The finest La Bernadotte made to date, this 2009 is an undeniable sleeper of the vintage. Composed of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, it reveals a dense purple color along with a big, sweet kiss of black cherries, black currants, charcoal, and spice. With layers of fruit, decent acidity, freshness, and precision, and an opulent, fleshy, succulent style, it should drink easily for a decade or more. (Tasted once.) Drink 2010-2020. 90-92* Robert Parker

A beautifully aromatic, very ripe, open nose, while the palate is packed with rich, plummy fruit and youthful, ripe tannins. Long and very well balanced. Drink 2013 – 2020.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“Some berry and mineral aromas and flavors follow through to a medium body, with fine tannins and a medium finish.”
87-90 Wine Spectator

Du Glana demonstrates the best qualities of the 2009 vintage, showing ripeness, softness, fleshy fruit, beautiful balance and great elegance. Drink 2013 – 2020.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“Loads of black currant and blueberry on the nose. Full-bodied, with caressing tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Lots going on here. Yet subtle. Best in a long time.”
91-94 Wine Spectator

We have bought this for many years so it was a wine that was all the more welcome to taste at Chateau de Malleret who hosted this year’s grand tasting of Cru Bourgeois. Really fabulous in 2000 and 2003, the 2009 is going to be even better with sumptuous, massive, forward fruit, great balance and length and so terribly generous….certainly up there at 5th Growth potential.
Jack Scott

“Concentrated, with loads of currant and blackberry that turn to mint on the nose. Full-bodied, with polished and velvety tannins. Beautiful finish with licorice and fruit. Really excellent.”
92-95 Wine Spectator

This is always one of the best value classed growths, but particularly so in 2009. It’s such a classic wine, with a very refined, aromatic nose, while the palate is concentrated, elegant and well-structured. Drink 2014 – 2022.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

One of the more obscure classified growths of the 1855 classification, the Dourthe firm continues to make improvements here, and this may well turn out to be the best wine they have produced. Dense purple, with notes of red and black fruits, charcoal, graphite, and spice, the wine is deep and has terrific purity, fullbodied texture, and a fleshy, long, round mouthfeel with well-integrated tannins. It should drink well for 20 or more years. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2030.
88-90+* Robert Parker

The pricing of the grand vin was a little too rich for our blood this year, but we thought that this second wine, which is around a quarter of the price, is great value. Intensely sweet, with clean, pure fruit and fresh acidity, this is a very attractive, beautifully balanced Sauternes for drinking over the next 10 years. David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

One of the finest Sauternes in 2009, this has wonderful intensity and is very sweet, but also perfectly balanced with acidity. It is very pure and elegant, with excellent length. David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

This rocks with botrytis, offering spicy almond, peach pie and dried apricot on the nose and palate. Full and very sweet, with a long finish. So much dried fruit. Oily and powerful. Some bitterness. 35 percent Sauvignon Blanc and 65 percent Sémillon. 95-98 Wine Spectator

The 2009 is the finest Chasse Spleen since the 1989. Its deep purple color is accompanied by notes of graphite, black currants, sweet spice, and a hint of Chinese black tea. Full-bodied and opulent with well integrated acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol, it is a lush beauty to enjoy over the next 20+ years. (Tasted two times.) Drink 2010-2030. 90-92 Robert Parker

Subtle aromas of currant, spices and milk chocolate follow through to a full body, with a solid and polished core of tannins and a silky-textured finish. 90-93 Wine Spectator

Any reticence on the nose at this stage is more than compensated by the wonderfully intense, pure fruit that comes through on the palate. A very elegant, well-structured wine. Drink 2013 – 2022.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“Soft, fleshy, and opulent, with lots of black currant and black cherry fruit intermixed with hints of cedar and spice box, and an enticing texture result in a wine to drink now and over the next 10-12 years. It is a sleeper of the vintage.” 90-93* Robert Parker “Full and very velvety, with round and juicy tannins. Creamy. New ownership here is really making a difference in wine quality; this is the best ever after maybe the 1929”
93-96 Wine Spectator

Make no mistake, 2009 is a great vintage for Sauternes, and Château d’Arche has made a beautifully balanced example. Sweet, very fresh, clean and pure, this has really good intensity and length. Drink 2013 – 2025.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“Intense apple pie and lime aromas follow through to a full body. Medium sweet, with a spicy botrytis finish. Offers lots of subtle character.”
91-94 Wine Spectator

Under the ownership of Hélène Garcin-Levèque, this château has been turning out excellent wines on a regular basis for the past dozen years. The 2009 is very opulent in style, with chocolate and ripe cassis fruit, firm but rounded tannins and pretty full body. This will be a keeper. Drink 2015 – 2030.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

One of the best over-achieving, value-priced wines in Pessac-Leognan, Haut-Bergey's vineyard enjoys a superb location near Malartic-Lagraviere and Domaine de Chevalier. Composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Cabernet Franc and a dollop of Petit Verdot, the opaque purple-hued 2009 reveals a big, exuberant nose of charcoal, black currants, sweet cherries, and graphite. Dense and full-bodied, with beautiful purity, texture, and length, it should drink well for 20+ years. (Tasted two times.) P.S. I also tasted the brilliant 2000 Haut-Bergey in March, 2010, and it was still a youngster in terms of its development. Drink 2010-2030.
92-94 Robert Parker

Beautifully aromatic, with very good concentration on the mid-palate and rounded supporting tannins. Pure, ripe and elegant, this is the best Marquis de Terme I have tasted in 10 years. Drink 2015 – 2030.
David Round MW, Director of Purchasing

“The finest wine I have ever tasted from Marquis de Terme, this seamless beauty exhibits a dense ruby/purple color along with a big, sweet bouquet of licorice, seaweed, black currants, and spring flowers.”
89-91* Robert Parker

“Violets, berries and black olive on the nose. Gorgeous. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, juicy finish. Lovely fruit and acidity to this wine. One of the best La Pointes for a long time.”
92-95 Wine Spectator

“Very rich and dense and well integrated on the nose. Thick and sweet yet with sap underneath. Really impressive wine. Caresses the palate. Hint of dark chocolate.”
17.5 Jancis Robinson

If you were only to buy one case from the 2009 vintage, do make sure that it’s the Haut-Batailley. And if you’re going to buy two cases, you should probably make sure that the second one is Haut-Batailley, too. This was the wine that we were talking about on the long drive back to London from Bordeaux, long after memories of others had faded. The nose is superb, with very ripe cassis fruit and some classic cedar. The palate is so wonderful that it leaves one struggling for coherence, with its complexity, freshness and brilliant balance. Its poise, precision and elegance is a perfect illustration of why 2009 is talked of as one of the greatest vintages in history. The best Haut-Batailley we have ever tasted. Drink 2015-2030. David Round MW, Director of Purchasing



17.5/20 Jancis Robinson
Very dark crimson. Serious nose. Then splendid breadth. Minerals and bright fruit. Really appetising. Racy. Lots of energy. Lovely stuff. 13.5% Drink 2016-2029.

92-94 Neil Martin (The Wine Advocate)
Tasted at Château Grand Puy Lacoste. A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, picked between 26th September until 7th October. This Haut-Batailley has a tight, quite elegant nose, pert black fruits, blackberry leaf, a touch of sous-bois, graphite, a hint of undergrowth. It needs time to expand and blossom in the glass. The palate is very fresh with fine tannins, surfeit with coiled energy, the finish very vibrant, slightly Oriental with faint hints of Hoi Sin and even a touch of yellow plum. Very harmonious on the finish. Excellent... it reminds me of the superb ’06. Tasted March 2010.
90-93 Wine Spectator
Sweet berry, with currant and mint on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, yet reserved and silky. Lovely finish.

“The 2009 Les Pagodes de Cos is also a remarkable offering. Composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, it tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, and is better than most Cos d’Estournel vintages produced in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It is a full-bodied, opulently concentrated wine of amazing richness, density, and intensity. As with the grand vin, the harvest began on September 26 and finished on October 10. This wine possesses this vintage’s classic characteristics of enormous power, massive fruit, and extraordinary freshness and precision - largely unprecedented, particularly for Cabernet-based wines in the Medoc.”
91-94 Robert Parker

“Wow. Intense aromas of blackberry, toasted nuts and spices follow through to full body, with layers of fruit and wonderful length. Very, very impressive. For a second wine, this is quite the glassful.” 90-93 Wine Spectator

“The greatest Cantenac Brown I have ever tasted, this monumental effort possesses enormous concentration, with loads of black and blue fruits intermixed with damp earth and forest floor. I have never seen a Cantenac Brown so seamless, so powerful, yet at the same time, so elegant and densely complex. They have certainly done something here that has not been accomplished over the last three decades I have been tasting this estate’s wines. Opaque purple in color and full-bodied, this big-time sleeper of the vintage merits serious attention for the first time in my professional career. Kudos to the new ownership and team at Cantenac Brown. This wine should evolve over a 30-year period.”
94-96+ Robert Parker

Fresh berry and currant, with mint and spices. Full-bodied, with supervelvety tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Toasted oak, ripe fruit, everything. A beauty. Best ever.
93-96 Wine Spectator

““This is sexy, with beautiful ripe fruit and spices. Full bodied, with focused fruit and a long finish. Racy. So focused. Class. Best ever?”
92-95 Wine Spectator

“This consistently under-performing estate has made one of its finest wines in many years. The opaque ruby/purple-tinged 2009 offers up hints of toffee, caramelized red and black fruits, and spicy oak. Medium to full-bodied, soft, round, and generous with abundant glycerin, this beauty can be drunk over the next 10-15 years.”
88-90+ Robert Parker

“The blend for the 2009 Pichon Lalande is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, somewhat unusual at this estate which usually has more Merlot in the blend. As stated previously, the Cabernet Sauvignon reached levels of ripeness and intensity of flavor in 2009 never seen before in Bordeaux! The final blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot and a pH of 3.8 combines the best of a vintage such as 1996, in terms of structure, freshness, and precision, with the best of 1982, in terms of opulence, power, unctuosity, and thickness. The opaque purple-colored 2009 exhibits an intoxicatingly intense nose of red and black fruits, subtle smoke, charcoal, forest floor, and a hint of flowers. Unusually full-bodied for a wine from this estate as well as unctuously textured, voluptuous, and incredibly pure and precise, this dazzling wine should be drinkable at an early age, and evolve for 30+ years.” 96-98 Robert Parker

“Wow. This has an incredible complexity on the nose of currant, spice, mineral and flowers. Full-bodied, with a great density of fruit and tannins, yet polished and beautiful. This could be the new 1982 from here. Made from 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Merlot and 5 percent Petit Verdot.” 95-98 Wine Spectator

“The 2009 is one of the greatest Leoville Las Cases I have ever tasted, which is saying something given the many compelling wines that have been made at this estate. A final blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc has resulted in a wine that appears to be a hypothetical blend of the 1982, 1986, and 1996. Its 13.8% alcohol is perhaps the only thing that sets it apart from those vintages, which had nearly a full percentage point less. The high alcohol is barely noticeable in this 2009, which boasts an inky/purple color, monumental concentration, and great clarity and purity of creme de cassis, black cherry, spice box, graphite, and wet rock characteristics. Extremely full-bodied with a boatload of sweet tannin nearly concealed by the wine-s power, glycerin, and awesome fruit concentration, this intense effort never tastes heavy or tiring. This remarkable St.-Julien should be accessible in 3-4 years, and will evolve for 40-50.” 96-100 Robert Parker

“Black color. What a nose. Black licorice, raspberry, currant and dried flowers galore. Full-bodied and superpowerful, with masses of fruit and toasted oak, but a blockbuster finish of fruit, tannins and everything else. I have never tasted such a flashy sample. I am blown away by this. A more fruit-forward style for Las Cases.” 97-100 Wine Spectator

“What a fabulous wine. It's an explosion of fruit, yet it's very refined. I absolutely love the nose on this, with apricot tart, apple crumble, caramel and crème brûlée. Full-bodied, superripe and spicy, with mango, papaya, spices and sweet dried lemons. Incredibly long. It really rocks your socks off. Amazing. This could be even better than 2001.” 97-100 Wine Spectator

“Lively greenish gold. Very indulgent nose that sends a tingle down the spine. Great tang and life as well as richness. So pure and flirtatious – not one of the sweetest but beautiful balance and refreshment, without being an ‘aperitif style Sauternes’. Quite exceptionally persistent. Hints of blossom and real lift. Orange peel and real zest – great energy. Not heavy at all, This takes 2009 Sauternes to a new level. Extremely bright fruit. Long and rich. Not a fat style of Yquem. Drink 2016-2046.” 19+ Jancis Robinson 96-100 Robert Parker