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| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.3 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 134 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by mbk07 on 2/18/2024 & rated 90 points: Still enjoyable BDX with very present notes or dark fruits and some herbs and a hint of tabacco. Delivers all (or just bit more) You can expect from that quality level after 15 years. Should be good for a few more years. (440 views) | | | Tasted by JJOO on 11/7/2023 & rated 90 points: 2009, I had this bottle in my cellar since 2012. I wasn’t sure what to expect but wow what a great wine for a reasonable price. Visually no signs of aging, nice nose of raspberry smoke and black pepper. Fruit is still very much present. Balanced acidity polished tannins and a medium to long aftertaste. (703 views) | | | Tasted by ThMeyer on 6/10/2023 & rated 89 points: Agree with TN from Purple Tooth. Lots of stewed fruit, a bit syripy, quite evolved, big wine. (1137 views) | | | Tasted by Purple Tooth on 4/15/2023 & rated 90 points: High extraction and big fruit for haut medoc. Not the elegant and mild mannered table wine that I was expecting. Stewed, ripe red fruit with lots of sediment, shows notes of coffee and scorched earth as it warms in the glass. A little hot…I took this all wrong and might give it a point more with a rich, fatty meal. Reminds me of something from fronsac, like ville cure….this should actually age well! Drink or hold (1653 views) | | | Tasted by vino_per_tutti on 3/5/2023 & rated 90 points: Splash decanted. Dark crimson color. Alarmed at whiff of port initially, but blew off after 30 minutes or so. Black plum, red berries and cedar box on the nose. Sweet plum and red berries, cedar and sweet tobacco on the palate. Full flavored and broad across the palate. Tannins nicely resolved but still a pleasant grip on the palate and finish. Even better on Day 2 with more depth and layers of fruit and texture. Drinking really well at the moment, but probably not much more left here - drink up! Au revoir Vincent. Gone too soon. (1425 views) | | | Tasted by ProfByron on 12/20/2022 & rated 91 points: Similar to previous note. This is classed growth quality (1598 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 10/22/2022 & rated 92 points: Very dark red/purple color. PNP, split bottle over 3 hours. CS50, M30, PV20. Brought this to the Ranch to have with my dad. This was in really fine form and had my dad singing its praises. Impressive from the start the nose is quite effusive, with smoky earth, creme de cassis, black raspberry, graphite, charcoal, leather, and purple floral notes. The palate is medium full bodied, with a core of brambly fruits; cassis, boysenberry, blackberry, charcoal, a little creosote with dusty tannins and polished texture. Really impressive and totally in the zone, this should go for another 5-8 years anyway. 92+ to 93pts. (1768 views) | | | Tasted by Caruso on 5/15/2022 & rated 92 points: This bottle was stored in a cellar at temperatures between 15°C (winter) and up to 19°C in a hot summer. So this should be more evolved than perfectly stored bottles. Evolved? This is still developing at a glacial pace if exeptable stored since release. Crimson with no sign of age. Intense nose of bramble, currants, cherries. Maybe some hints of new oak, vanilla, tobacco. On the palate concentrated and still primary but open from the start without decant. Wines like this were impossible to produce two or three decades ago. And, yes, this is not as typical bordeaux as Cru bourgeois was in the last century, but I can't see something wrong with this. Maybe we just have to wait some decades even for Cru bourgois like this to become less primary and less fruit driven. On the palate it is already quite smooth with excellent balance of fruit, acidity and round tannin. Not very complex, but nuanced enough for keeping interesting. 5/12+/16+/9. 2022-2030+ 92+ (1791 views) | | | Tasted by ccarter5181 on 5/7/2022 & rated 90 points: Excellent Bordeaux. 20 minute decant. Enticing nose, nice dark fruits, enjoyable secondary elements and good balancing acidity. Drinking very well now, probably at peak, no sign of decline. Great value at $27 CAD. (1533 views) | | | Tasted by mat600 on 3/8/2022 & rated 89 points: Un vin qui possède un nez bien fruité de fruits rouges et noirs. En bouche, il n'y a pas grand complexité mais c'est un bon indice de buvabilité. 89 sur 100. (1756 views) | | | Tasted by Caruso on 10/3/2021 & rated 91 points: Nearly black to crimson with no sign of age. Middle intense nose of blackcurrants, black berries, cigar, licorice and spicy notes. In the long finish you find some minty notes as well. This hasn't change much in the last 4 years. And acceptabel cellared bottles should have at least 5 years ahead of it. 5/12/16/8. -2026+. (2022 views) | | | Tasted by ThMeyer on 9/5/2021 & rated 90 points: Modern Bordeaux. A bit syrupy but still pleasant. Ripe dark fruits. Some early mature notes but would think it will hold for another 2-3 years. Good but not great (1901 views) | | | Tasted by Skibank114 on 5/25/2021 & rated 90 points: We find Belle-Vue always steady - good value, nice balance, and worthy of some space to lay in the cellar to age. The '09 is a great example of a better than average Chateau in a very good year. The nose is distinct, hints of dark fruit, medium finish with flavors of dark cherry. It has hit the end of its window in terms of improvement IMO. It will hold for another year or so, but it is time to drink up. (2012 views) | | | Tasted by mike410 on 5/8/2021 & rated 91 points: Excellent QPR. Still relatively young. Should drink well for the next 5 years. (1918 views) | | | Tasted by doc_shop on 1/29/2021 & rated 88 points: Gut, aber nichts Besonderes. Irgendwie war der Trinkspass vor ein, zwei Jahren besser. Letzte von sechs, aber das ist nicht schlimm. Wird nicht besser, vermute ich. Austrinken. (2133 views) | | | Tasted by vino_per_tutti on 1/23/2021 & rated 89 points: 1 hr decant. Dark, opaque crimson color with sediment at bottom of bottle. Red fruits (plum, berries), leather on the nose; red berries, lead pencil and herbal notes on the palate. Bright and floral. Tannins are present, and slightly tart on the medium finish. Full flavored and very drinkable, but not memorable. Starter BDX. (1719 views) | | | Tasted by nic.fcn on 1/3/2021 & rated 89 points: Pretty decent. Drank without airing first then kept the half bottle in the wine fridge for another day. Even better on the second day. (1582 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 11/15/2020: After some mediocre recent experience with this wine, decided to decant. Interesting to see that this has closed down a bit now, and needs a good 2h in the decanter. While the tannins are there for a long life ahead, am once again not impressed by the fruit concentration and rather short finish. Would hold for at least 2-3 years and hope for the best. So far, clearly prefer the 08 Belle Vue which had much more Bdx typicity, and balance. Again 88-89 (2036 views) | | | Tasted by schiwi on 10/28/2020 & rated 87 points: Zwischentief oder schon vorbei? Auf jeden Fall nicht mehr viel übrig vom hedonistischen Trinkspass der letzten Flaschen vor 1,2 Jahren. Nun OK, aber nicht mehr. (1775 views) | | | Tasted by WilD on 10/14/2020 & rated 89 points: Last bottle. Fine delicate nose. On the palate small berries, fine tannins. medium bodied. Drinking well now but nothing special for me. (1627 views) | | | Tasted by gordy240 on 7/25/2020 & rated 90 points: Drink up folks (1990 views) | | | Tasted by WilD on 6/29/2020 & rated 89 points: Agree with GrapeScott.
Dark nearly opaque purple in color. Tertiar aromas of mushrooms, leather, espresso and plum notes. Rich and mouthfilling, dominated by smokey oak notes with a floral/violet finish and suave but firm tannins. Another modern-styled '09 that is barely recognizable as BDX. Drink it NOW. (1945 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 5/22/2020 & rated 89 points: Four months after the first bottle from an OWC of 12, would still rate this at 89 points. Pnp. The wine has closed down a bit, with the fruit in retreat both tannins but also the toast come more to the forefront. Good acidity and freshness, this is not a new world type of Cab, but the fruit does still not strike me as particularly deep despite the outstanding Bdx vintage. As of now, would prefer to open a bottle of their very good and ready to drink 2008. (2265 views) | | | Tasted by ProfByron on 5/14/2020 & rated 91 points: Wow, this is lush, oaky style. Perhaps unlike Haut-Medoc, but then again one might argue they embraced the vintage. It’s certainly 2009. Nothing wrong with that.
I’m not unhappy with it. Even if it’s not my style of Bordeaux I certainly don’t mind it now and then. Great value. (1961 views) | | | Tasted by GrapeScott on 5/11/2020 & rated 88 points: A big wine, dark nearly opaque purple in color. A powerful nose with smoke, espresso and plum notes. Rich and mouthfilling, dominated by smokey oak notes with a floral/violet finish and suave but firm tannins. Another modern-styled '09 that is barely recognizable as BDX, at least at this stage. Maybe time will tell. (1965 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Belle-Vue (Haut-Médoc) - Read about Chateau Belle-VueRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Haut-Médoc Read more about Haut Medoc and its wines Long-standing fame The legally created division into Médoc and Haut-Médoc dates from 1935. But as long ago as 1815 a Chartrons broker, whose word carried weight, spoke of great red wines in the Haut-Médoc, so recognizing the high quality successfully achieved by this region's growers in the eighteenth century. The same Bordeaux broker revealed that the business world of the Chartrons and the great Bordeaux proprietors had established a sort of league-table of the parishes in which the vine-growing communes of today's Haut-Médoc appellation showed up well.
The Haut-Médoc appellation stretches over some thirty seven miles from north to south, from Saint-Seurin de Cadourne to Blanquefort. Within this area, certain zones produce wines exclusively with the Haut-Médoc appellation. It has terroirs of remarkable quality. And although we may note a certain predominance of layers of gravel (essentially Garonne gravel) from the Quaternary, all these sites are characterized by their wide diversity. Today in the southernmost communes of the appellation, the suburbs of Bordeaux, numerous vineyards which existed at the beginning of the twentieth century have disappeared, victims of urban expansion. But the vines live on... because man has retained his devotion to them.
The astonishing variety of different terroirs, the result of the very extent of the area, explains the diversity of Haut-Médoc wines, a fact which is rare within one and the same appellation.
But, over and above the differences, linked to this mosaic of climatic and geological influence, all these wines have the same family traits of character.
Alert and lively, full-bodied without being too powerful, and harmoniously balanced, they acquire a rare bouquet over the years.
In order to have the right to the Haut-Médoc appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Blanquefort, Le Taillan, Parempuyre, Le Pian, Ludon, Macau, Arsac, Labarde, Cantenac, Margaux, Avensan, Castelnau, Soussans, Arcins, Moulis, Listrac, Lamarque, Cussac, Saint-Laurent de Médoc, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Sauveur, Cissac, Saint-Estèphe, Vertheuil, Saint-Seurin de Cadourne "excluding all the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (48 hectolitres per hectare).
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