Progressing ….needs 39 mins to open….dark as night ….dried cherries, anise, rosemary, tar…a bit of tii ok tannins. Think this will be better in 10 years
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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.
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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.
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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
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.
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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.
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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+
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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.
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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.
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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+.
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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
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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.
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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Dark, very dark, almost black in the glass. The nose is full of black fruits, elder and vanilla. The palate shows a full bodied wine with lots of sweet dark berries. The level of acidity is high and the slightly bitter tannins are drying (overextracted?). The finish is quite short and the bitterness stays on the tongue for a while. I would expect such a style from Lalande de Pomerol not Haut Medoc. I prefer the more elegant and multi layered wines. Perhaps it will benefit from further cellaring. 86P Update 2 days later, bottle was preserved with Argon spray: The wine is now much more approachable and balanced. The bitterness is gone and the drying tannins are better now. This is the proof, that this wine is still on the youthful side and benefits from aeration and/or further cellaring. 88-89P
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Couleur encore très sombre, bleutée. On croirait avoir affaire encore à un jeune vin avec des arômes de fruits noirs quoique certaines notes tertiaires comme le sous-bois ressorte. Belle allonge, un rapport qualité prix exceptionnel à 27$...
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Dark crimson. Cedar, forest floor, and cassis nose. Medium bodied, dirty cranberries, herbs, black cherries, very woody tannins, tobacco, and a medium finish. Best with food.
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Similar to last tasting note 4 years ago. However, this bottle seemed a bit past it's prime with some faded fruit flavors and some off-putting secondary flavors. Hopefully my remaining bottle is in better condition.
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First bottle from an OWC of 12. Dark garnet with translucent rim. Initially very forward on the nose with plenty of berries. On the palate however still a fair bit of tannins which soften with more air. Still this does not find a great balance tonight. Good freshness and acidity meets fruit that seems to lack the concentration one can find in this vintage elsewhere. Decent length. Will wait for another 12 month and hopefully this will come together. I really enjoyed their 08 not long ago but this is so far is a little disappointing. RIP Vincent Mulliez - last vintage he harvested but unfortunately never got to see in bottle.
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Wow. This defines a value Bordeaux. I purchased this in ‘12 for $18. I wish I had another case. Wonderfully structured, med + tannins that linger into the second day open.
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Beau claret avec un fruit encore primaire, des tannins fins et souples et une finale un peu chaude et sucré. Encore une fois, 2009 presente un caractère nouveau monde à Bordeaux. Peut etre attendu encore 8 ans facile. 90
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Hat sich gut entwickelt. In der Nase intensiv, Schwarzkirsche, Pflaume, Röstaromen, erdig. Am Gaumen noch dicht, gute Säure, dunkle Fruchtmelange, wenig Struktur, kaum mehr Tannin.
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Given the high proportion of petit verdot (20%) in this wine, I'd held off on sampling this to let it's tannin resolve somewhat, and possible 'green' flavors integrate. It seems to be in a pretty good spot right now. This showed Dark fruits, gravelly/mineral flavors, good balanced structure from acid and tannin. A nice drink, presumably into it's drinking window with no indications it is going to fall off too too soon
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Very dark red color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. This shows a lot of pencil and charcoal on the nose with black currants and black cherry fruit with plenty of wood spices. The palate is medium full bodied, and really driven by the minerality and gravelly flavors and texture, tobacco, pencil, wood, black currant, and plum. This drinks well above its price point. It is all of a 90 point wine IMO and I'd say there's enough to kick a point more, but either way this delivers a lot.
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The nose is clean. The aromas have a medium intensity and show notes of oak (chocolate) and generic dried black fruit. Swirling reveals additional black fruit notes (ripe black plum, blackberry). The wine is developing.
On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+) acidity, medium(+) alcohol, and medium body. The medium level tannins are ripe and silky in nature. The flavours have a medium intensity and show notes of black fruit (black plum, blackcurrant, blackberry), oak (chocolate), and herbaceous characters (very subtle green capsicum). The finish has a medium(+) length.
This is a good quality wine. The flavours are concentrated and have a great balance with the acidity. The flavours have a reasonable balance with the alcohol, showing some warmth on the mid-palate that builds further over the finish. The tannins have a good balance with the acidity. In its current state, the wine shows primary, secondary, and tertiary characters. The wine is predominately primary, supported by oak, and some subtle tertiary characters in the background. The finish has a great length.
The wine drinks well now, but is not suitable for long term ageing. While the flavour concentration is great, with the primary characters still showing well, the balance with the alcohol will not improve with age.
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Haut Medoc Birthday lunch (Bel & Brio, Barangaroo): Plums, cream, ripe blackcurrant, spice, a little alcohol warmth and, oddly, pyrazine. On the palate, it's big, bold with alcohol warmth, flour textured tannic grip, medium plus length. Hmm.
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Opened up after 2hrs. Decent aroma, viscous in the glass, nice dark color, smooth entry, tart but pleasant cherry fruit, firm tight tannis with long lingering charcoal fruit flavors. Great QPR wine.
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La robe du vin est rubis intense aux reflets violacés. Le nez embaume la prune confite, la vanille, la boite à épices, la réglisse et le cuir. La bouche est intense et concentré, ronde et assez équilibré, dirigé par une acidité bien dosé et des tanins semi-fermes. Un peu trop boisé à mon goût et très extrait. C'est large sur le coulis de fruits noirs et autres arômes perçu au nez. À l'aveugle j'aurais dit, soit un Rioja GR assez jeune, ou un (bon) Cab Américain. Bien bon mais moins ma tasse de thé. J'ai préféré le 2008 bu il y a 2-3 ans.
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Ruby purple to the rim. Black Currant, black berries, mulberries and a hint of new oak. What makes this a real head turner? Its low level of round tannin, his high acidity providing freshness and his concentrated fruit. Very animating and poised. Still not peaking I guess, at least it has 10 years ahead in a cool cellar.
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Similar tasting note to the last ones, but this feels a little more advanced (also 3 years later) than my last bottle. It's in a good place now, I would start to drink up. I thought it was a little more vibrant last time. Still a very good value priced Bordeaux.
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Really quite impressive for the price. Loaded with chocolate and dark fruit. Just starting to develop some additional complexity from aging. Acidity and tannic to support again for 3-5 more years.
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Open and accessible, sweet new-world fruit, spicy oak and some classy Bordeaux funk, a nice mix of Bordeaux and new world style, ready fo drinking, everyone liked it, good value wine; interestingly, when retasting several Bordeaux wines 2 days later, many 2010s that were initially closed seemed to have more depth and elegance than the 2009s. - 89 points
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1 hr decant. Very dark red, almost opaque. Good intensity nose of dark fruits, earth, tobacco. Nice rich dark fruit on the palate with hints of cedar earth and tobacco. Firm tannins on the medium length finish. Well balanced and elegant. Drinking well now but could benefit from more cellar time. Great QPR.
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Robe rubis intense avec des reflets pourpre. Nez de fruits noirs, de cerise, de crème fraîche, de vanille et de tabac à l'aération. En bouche, le vin est équilibré et propose un beau fruit riche. Les tannins sont relativement souple et la finale moyenne sur la cerise. Agréable immédiatement, mais beau candidat pour 5 ou 6 ans de cave.
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The wine was dark ruby, almost purple in colour and offered floral notes, blueberry, blackberry, black currant, shredded dark chocolate, cedar and pencil shaving on the nose. On the palate the wine showed ripe fruit, blackberry, black currant, dark cherry, coffee, cedar, tobacco, graphite and mild vegetal notes, with medium-level acidity, firm, medium plus tannin and good length. A medium-bodied, ripe and concentrated yet firm Bordeaux, with new world fruit and old world structure. It benefited from aeration and I would recommend decanting for two hours. Very good!
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Very dark red color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. This is continuing to show well. Last had a year ago. Very nice fruit on the nose, cassis, blueberry and blackberry notes with oak spice, charcoal, and dried spice. The palate is forward, very bright appealing fruits, cassis, boysenberry, blueberry, deep and layered, scorched earth, dusty medium tannins and tobacco provide a good backdrop on a medium plus finish. This was balanced, stylish, and a great value at $23. 90+pts.
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Restraint, stylish and rich. Polished, very fresh black and red fruit, notes of smoke and cellar-humidity. Rich, dense, structured and quite deep. Mineral and long. Very good future ahead. Great QPR. Would recommend.
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. It tastes like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and medium toast. The body is medium/full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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Very dark garnet red hue. Decanted for 1 hours, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. Nose has nice black fruit, blackberry, cassis, boysenberry, vanilla. The palate is plush, textured, pretty fruits, consistent with the nose, light toasted oak, fine grained tannins, medium finish, balanced and ready. Crowd pleaser.
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Très opaque, presque noir, d'intensité moyenne au nez, avec des arômes marqués de cerise et de bois. Intense en bouche, suit le nez et bien équilibré, avec des tanins encore présents. C'est un bon vin qui, sans être très complexe, est agréable et tout en fruit, et qui pourra possiblement gagner encore en complexité.
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A really successful wine this year but quite a modern style for an Haut-Medoc. Dark berry fruit mix, notes of graphite, some high quality oak flavors, dark chocolate, rather silky tannins, medium acidity, good weight and length, just sligthly chewy on the finish. Good paring with lamb. Already approachable now, not really a wine for the cellar imho, but should drink well for a few years. - 89 points
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0.375 L bottle at a dinner with friends, late Oct 2014: about 30 min. decanted; rich cherry red color; nice bouquet with cherry and other red fruits, roasted bread and milk coffee; not many flavors detectable in the mouth: short finish.
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Robe pourpre très opaque. Beau nez sur les fruits noirs, le plomb et les notes grillées. Bouche d'une belle densité, longueur moyenne, tannins assez fins. Finale légèrement asséchante et chaude. Quelques années supplémentaires devraient polir le tout. Très bon RQP. 90+
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Medium purple color. Tempting nose of blackberries, black currant, some blueberries, toasty oak, licorice and some tobacco. On the palate there are similar notes of mainly dark fruit, but also a touch of spices and some tobacco as well as some dark chocolate. Medium+ bodied with medium+ tannin and medium acidity. Good length for a wine in this Price range. Everything is still young, but in very good balance. Really a lot of fun to drink, especially with food. Great QPR. I think it put on some more weight since I last tasted it about a year ago. (90+)
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I am thinking the '09's are shedding a bit of their sexy allure and becoming a bit more stern. A bit of a transitional phase but only suggests there are great things to come. Backbone becoming evident.
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Impressively dark, almost black color. Initially some reduction that disappears quickly. Then, the wine is restrained and focused on the nose, but after some time in the decanter and swirling in the glass, it starts reveiling aromas of ripe, mostly dark fruits like cherry, blackberry and plum alongside sweet spices like licorice and cinnamon. On the palate it is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and balancing acidity. Medium to long aftertaste. Still very youthful and primary, will benefit from another 5 years of cellaring, but a great value for Bordeaux. Surprisingly its character is closer to a right-banker. Alcohol is quite high at 14% but nicely integrated and fruit is dark and ripe but by no means sweet and this is what it makes it distinguishable from a similar new world wine.
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un peu d'alcool en final, mais très beau nez. bouche qui gagnera avec le temps, un peu angulaire à l'ouverture mais se replace après 2 heures de carafe
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Nice and ripe - a modern leaning, rich but medium bodied bordeaux that delivers what it should. Great balanced texture with some chocolatey ripe tannins. Alcohol is in check. Not a ton of perfume or complexity but open with confidence or age short term. I was surprised at the lack of any green notes that I usually ecpect in the haut medoc. This doesnt really even need food in this ripe style.
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Medium ruby/purple color. Nice nose of black currant/cassis, dark berries, licorice, dark chocolate and a touch of oak. On the palate there is some dark berry, chocolate and some minerality too. Medium-bodied with medium+ tannin and a medium acidity. Pretty long finish. Nice and inexpensive Bordeaux from this top-notch vintage with the stuffing to age nicely for at least 10 years.
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Un très beau vin pour le prix, qui a dit que Bordeaux coûtait les yeux de la tête? Couleur pourpre foncée, très concentré, fruité mur mais assez fin. L'élevage est bien sûr encore présent, mais ce vin parait déjà bien équilibré et tout à fait agréable. M'a semblé supérieur à certains cousins "collègues" comme le Rollan de By, qui m'avait apparu disjoint et sous la forme d'une bête dans ce millésime. Délicieux et pour plusieurs années.
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Still too young to give a proper rating, but you can tell there's some nice qualities that should yield a semi-special wine here. Very tight and somewhat tannic. Nice acidity level, very nice with food. Opened up a bit after about 3 hours. Nice potential here for a solid QPR.
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Very nice. My first 2009 Bordeaux and it's really drinking well right now. Slightly chalky tannins on the finish takes away a little bit, but certainly a great value at $20.
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This bottle was not as showy as the first, muted aromas with bare hints of red fruit and spice. Noticeable was the tannin, but the lushness of the red fruit just held its ground with the aid of a little acid. Overall not as memorable as the first bottle, but it was enjoyable with braised chuck roast.
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Popped and poured. Interesting New World ripeness with unusual tart quality, would not mistake for Cali/New World secondary to earthy/dirt qualities. Oak substantial but not over the top. Plenty of tannin. Finish pretty clean. I'd like more concentration and some dark fruit but overall, not a bad bottle of Bdx for the price.
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My first 2009 Bordeaux and what an impression. Wow what a great drinker for $18.00 and for those that likes fruit forward wines CA style Cabs and being only like $18.00 this would not be a bad pick. Exuberant nose of black plums, black cherries and a little touch of vanilla. On the palate this wine exhibits a whole lot of fruit that is not overly done, but is just rich, concentrated, big bodied and rounded with some very delightful sweet tannin and acid. It is certainly made in the CA style (New World) of wine, but without it being over the top in the extraction fruit or oak treatment. I am surmising this would go very well with a BBQ steak in spring.
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2009 Bordeaux Masterclass, Hilton Hotel, Sydney. Dark purple/black. Floral, red cherry, cedar nose. Full bodied palate with juicy red and black fruit. Big, slightly awkward tannins that will probably resolve with bottle age.
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Can't say this expresses Bdx but it's a fresh easy drinking wine with notes of chocolate and coffee. Quite modern and lacking a sense of place but very good. 90
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From a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and a large percentage Petit Verdot that clocks in at 20%, the wine is packed with sweet, jammy black cherries, coffee, licorice, blackberry and earth, Soft, round and forward, this is already fun to drink. It should be available for about $20. This is an outstanding Bordeaux value wine.
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Totally agree with Godfather. Big, New World, cali style wine but balanced and if you like the style quite good. Definitely not an average of 84. Not 92 either. 90 may be generous but I don't want by bias to influence the score of a decent wine.
Three days later the wine has held up however there are far more herbal, terroir notes than earlier. Additionally, some plum and prune notes as well. Tannins now are far more aggressive and drying than when first opened. Chalkiness on the mid palate with mild spice notes on a more astringent finish. Would revise 88-90. Time will favor this wine.
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Nice everyday drinking wine. Nose was fruit and some vanilla. This comes off as a very new world wine. Was looking for a little earthiness and it just wasn't there. Cab/Merlot/Petite Verdot combination was balanced. Not overly long finish but a pleasant drinker.
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Young, definitely needs a long decant. Very tannic with little flavor upon opening but over several hours last night it actually did soften considerable and become a pleasant accompaniment with dinner. Nose of dark cherries and tobacco. Mild dark fruit, tobacco and some vanilla became discernible later in the evening. Definitely would cellar this for several years or, as I said earlier, plan on decanting this wine for several hours.
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Dark and bigger and fatter than I like in a bordo. Lots of fruit. Ready to drink altho a couple years will soften the tannins, which are actually pretty well integrated, but I still wished it was less new worldly.
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5/10/2024 - DesMarteau Likes this wine: 91 Points
Progressing ….needs 39 mins to open….dark as night ….dried cherries, anise, rosemary, tar…a bit of tii ok tannins. Think this will be better in 10 years
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2/18/2024 - mbk07 wrote: 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.
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11/7/2023 - JJOO Likes this wine: 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.
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6/10/2023 - ThMeyer wrote: 89 Points
Agree with TN from Purple Tooth. Lots of stewed fruit, a bit syripy, quite evolved, big wine.
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4/15/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote: 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
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3/5/2023 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 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.
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12/20/2022 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar to previous note. This is classed growth quality
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10/22/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 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.
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5/15/2022 - Caruso Likes this wine: 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+
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5/7/2022 - ccarter5181 wrote: 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.
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3/8/2022 - mat600 wrote: 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.
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10/3/2021 - Caruso Likes this wine: 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+.
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9/5/2021 - ThMeyer Likes this wine: 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
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5/25/2021 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 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.
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5/8/2021 - mike410 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent QPR. Still relatively young. Should drink well for the next 5 years.
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1/29/2021 - doc_shop wrote: 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.
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1/23/2021 - vino_per_tutti wrote: 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.
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1/3/2021 - nic.fcn wrote: 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.
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11/15/2020 - pavel_p wrote:
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
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10/28/2020 - schiwi Likes this wine: 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.
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10/14/2020 - WilD wrote: 89 Points
Last bottle. Fine delicate nose. On the palate small berries, fine tannins. medium bodied. Drinking well now but nothing special for me.
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7/25/2020 - gordy240 wrote: 90 Points
Drink up folks
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6/29/2020 - WilD wrote: 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.
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5/22/2020 - pavel_p wrote: 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.
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5/14/2020 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 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.
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5/11/2020 - GrapeScott wrote: 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.
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3/29/2020 - Villon wrote: 91 Points
Très bon, encore jeune, magnums à garder jusqu'en 2029!
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3/23/2020 - schneesurfer wrote: 88 Points
Dark, very dark, almost black in the glass. The nose is full of black fruits, elder and vanilla. The palate shows a full bodied wine with lots of sweet dark berries. The level of acidity is high and the slightly bitter tannins are drying (overextracted?). The finish is quite short and the bitterness stays on the tongue for a while. I would expect such a style from Lalande de Pomerol not Haut Medoc. I prefer the more elegant and multi layered wines. Perhaps it will benefit from further cellaring. 86P
Update 2 days later, bottle was preserved with Argon spray: The wine is now much more approachable and balanced. The bitterness is gone and the drying tannins are better now. This is the proof, that this wine is still on the youthful side and benefits from aeration and/or further cellaring. 88-89P
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3/22/2020 - ludwigbpm wrote: 91 Points
Couleur encore très sombre, bleutée. On croirait avoir affaire encore à un jeune vin avec des arômes de fruits noirs quoique certaines notes tertiaires comme le sous-bois ressorte. Belle allonge, un rapport qualité prix exceptionnel à 27$...
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2/6/2020 - merryberry Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark crimson. Cedar, forest floor, and cassis nose. Medium bodied, dirty cranberries, herbs, black cherries, very woody tannins, tobacco, and a medium finish. Best with food.
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2/1/2020 - ccarter5181 wrote: 88 Points
Similar to last tasting note 4 years ago. However, this bottle seemed a bit past it's prime with some faded fruit flavors and some off-putting secondary flavors. Hopefully my remaining bottle is in better condition.
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1/18/2020 - pavel_p wrote: 89 Points
First bottle from an OWC of 12. Dark garnet with translucent rim. Initially very forward on the nose with plenty of berries. On the palate however still a fair bit of tannins which soften with more air. Still this does not find a great balance tonight. Good freshness and acidity meets fruit that seems to lack the concentration one can find in this vintage elsewhere. Decent length. Will wait for another 12 month and hopefully this will come together. I really enjoyed their 08 not long ago but this is so far is a little disappointing.
RIP Vincent Mulliez - last vintage he harvested but unfortunately never got to see in bottle.
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12/12/2019 - nrk99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wow. This defines a value Bordeaux. I purchased this in ‘12 for $18. I wish I had another case. Wonderfully structured, med + tannins that linger into the second day open.
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11/15/2019 - gordy240 wrote: 91 Points
Thoroughly enjoyed this bottle. Great nose, classic medoc, good structure, decent complexity, great QPR from a great vintage.
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10/26/2019 - nic.fcn wrote: 89 Points
Good but not memorable. Hopefully age it more to develop more character.
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8/20/2019 - WilD wrote: 90 Points
Not as intense as a year ago but still nice. Blueberries, some vanilla notes. Medium Bodied. Think this wines needs to be drunk within 2 years.
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8/15/2019 - Villon wrote: 90 Points
Beau claret avec un fruit encore primaire, des tannins fins et souples et une finale un peu chaude et sucré. Encore une fois, 2009 presente un caractère nouveau monde à Bordeaux. Peut etre attendu encore 8 ans facile. 90
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7/30/2019 - pinotwok wrote: 89 Points
Hat sich gut entwickelt. In der Nase intensiv, Schwarzkirsche, Pflaume, Röstaromen, erdig. Am Gaumen noch dicht, gute Säure, dunkle Fruchtmelange, wenig Struktur, kaum mehr Tannin.
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7/21/2019 - thalver wrote:
Given the high proportion of petit verdot (20%) in this wine, I'd held off on sampling this to let it's tannin resolve somewhat, and possible 'green' flavors integrate. It seems to be in a pretty good spot right now. This showed Dark fruits, gravelly/mineral flavors, good balanced structure from acid and tannin. A nice drink, presumably into it's drinking window with no indications it is going to fall off too too soon
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1/25/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Very dark red color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. This shows a lot of pencil and charcoal on the nose with black currants and black cherry fruit with plenty of wood spices. The palate is medium full bodied, and really driven by the minerality and gravelly flavors and texture, tobacco, pencil, wood, black currant, and plum. This drinks well above its price point. It is all of a 90 point wine IMO and I'd say there's enough to kick a point more, but either way this delivers a lot.
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1/2/2019 - schiwi wrote: 90 Points
Wundervoller Trink-Bordeaux. Beerig, saftig mit Druck und Länge. Passt.
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12/15/2018 - CBRwineguy wrote:
Haut-Medoc lunch (Bel & Brio, Barangaroo, Sydney): The appearance is clear and deep ruby in colour. Tears are visible.
The nose is clean. The aromas have a medium intensity and show notes of oak (chocolate) and generic dried black fruit. Swirling reveals additional black fruit notes (ripe black plum, blackberry). The wine is developing.
On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+) acidity, medium(+) alcohol, and medium body. The medium level tannins are ripe and silky in nature. The flavours have a medium intensity and show notes of black fruit (black plum, blackcurrant, blackberry), oak (chocolate), and herbaceous characters (very subtle green capsicum). The finish has a medium(+) length.
This is a good quality wine. The flavours are concentrated and have a great balance with the acidity. The flavours have a reasonable balance with the alcohol, showing some warmth on the mid-palate that builds further over the finish. The tannins have a good balance with the acidity. In its current state, the wine shows primary, secondary, and tertiary characters. The wine is predominately primary, supported by oak, and some subtle tertiary characters in the background. The finish has a great length.
The wine drinks well now, but is not suitable for long term ageing. While the flavour concentration is great, with the primary characters still showing well, the balance with the alcohol will not improve with age.
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12/15/2018 - chatters wrote:
Haut Medoc Birthday lunch (Bel & Brio, Barangaroo): Plums, cream, ripe blackcurrant, spice, a little alcohol warmth and, oddly, pyrazine. On the palate, it's big, bold with alcohol warmth, flour textured tannic grip, medium plus length. Hmm.
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10/12/2018 - nowine4u Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened up after 2hrs. Decent aroma, viscous in the glass, nice dark color, smooth entry, tart but pleasant cherry fruit, firm tight tannis with long lingering charcoal fruit flavors. Great QPR wine.
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7/22/2018 - schiwi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Zurzeit in einer bestechenden Form. Wieso warten? Unkomplizierter Bordeaux-Genuss ohne Reue. Ausgezeichnetes Preis/Leistungsverhältnis.
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7/9/2018 - DesMarteau wrote: 90 Points
Holy crap too young. Olive oil....blush, asleep blueberries, cherries, tar
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6/3/2018 - bethel31 wrote:
Not much tannins. Good to drink. Black berries and a bit of oak at the nose.
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4/22/2018 - Smahlatz Likes this wine: 89 Points
Solid wine, Could do with a few more years
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4/15/2018 - IvanKrazy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking very well right now. You get a nose full of black bruit as soon as you open and the blackberries carry along for the long finish. Digging it!
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3/16/2018 - WilD wrote: 91 Points
Whoow, what a nice performance. Nice oak, good concentration, nice legs. Blackberries, deep dark red. This wine rocks. Great PQR.
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2/5/2018 - ManuKey Likes this wine: 88 Points
La robe du vin est rubis intense aux reflets violacés. Le nez embaume la prune confite, la vanille, la boite à épices, la réglisse et le cuir. La bouche est intense et concentré, ronde et assez équilibré, dirigé par une acidité bien dosé et des tanins semi-fermes. Un peu trop boisé à mon goût et très extrait. C'est large sur le coulis de fruits noirs et autres arômes perçu au nez. À l'aveugle j'aurais dit, soit un Rioja GR assez jeune, ou un (bon) Cab Américain. Bien bon mais moins ma tasse de thé. J'ai préféré le 2008 bu il y a 2-3 ans.
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7/15/2017 - Caruso Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby purple to the rim. Black Currant, black berries, mulberries and a hint of new oak. What makes this a real head turner? Its low level of round tannin, his high acidity providing freshness and his concentrated fruit. Very animating and poised. Still not peaking I guess, at least it has 10 years ahead in a cool cellar.
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5/25/2017 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 89 Points
Similar tasting note to the last ones, but this feels a little more advanced (also 3 years later) than my last bottle. It's in a good place now, I would start to drink up. I thought it was a little more vibrant last time. Still a very good value priced Bordeaux.
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5/22/2017 - Kriska Likes this wine: 90 Points
very good and ready to drink
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2/24/2017 - Brett Pitt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really good
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2/5/2017 - hebill wrote: 88 Points
Really quite impressive for the price. Loaded with chocolate and dark fruit. Just starting to develop some additional complexity from aging. Acidity and tannic to support again for 3-5 more years.
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11/7/2016 - isbjoern wrote: 89 Points
Open and accessible, sweet new-world fruit, spicy oak and some classy Bordeaux funk, a nice mix of Bordeaux and new world style, ready fo drinking, everyone liked it, good value wine; interestingly, when retasting several Bordeaux wines 2 days later, many 2010s that were initially closed seemed to have more depth and elegance than the 2009s. - 89 points
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4/9/2016 - ccarter5181 wrote: 90 Points
1 hr decant. Very dark red, almost opaque. Good intensity nose of dark fruits, earth, tobacco. Nice rich dark fruit on the palate with hints of cedar earth and tobacco. Firm tannins on the medium length finish. Well balanced and elegant. Drinking well now but could benefit from more cellar time. Great QPR.
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3/2/2016 - pomelo wrote: 90 Points
Robe rubis intense avec des reflets pourpre. Nez de fruits noirs, de cerise, de crème fraîche, de vanille et de tabac à l'aération. En bouche, le vin est équilibré et propose un beau fruit riche. Les tannins sont relativement souple et la finale moyenne sur la cerise. Agréable immédiatement, mais beau candidat pour 5 ou 6 ans de cave.
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2/25/2016 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
The wine was dark ruby, almost purple in colour and offered floral notes, blueberry, blackberry, black currant, shredded dark chocolate, cedar and pencil shaving on the nose. On the palate the wine showed ripe fruit, blackberry, black currant, dark cherry, coffee, cedar, tobacco, graphite and mild vegetal notes, with medium-level acidity, firm, medium plus tannin and good length. A medium-bodied, ripe and concentrated yet firm Bordeaux, with new world fruit and old world structure. It benefited from aeration and I would recommend decanting for two hours. Very good!
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2/10/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Very dark red color. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. This is continuing to show well. Last had a year ago. Very nice fruit on the nose, cassis, blueberry and blackberry notes with oak spice, charcoal, and dried spice. The palate is forward, very bright appealing fruits, cassis, boysenberry, blueberry, deep and layered, scorched earth, dusty medium tannins and tobacco provide a good backdrop on a medium plus finish. This was balanced, stylish, and a great value at $23. 90+pts.
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12/31/2015 - r.o.man Likes this wine: 93 Points
Restraint, stylish and rich. Polished, very fresh black and red fruit, notes of smoke and cellar-humidity. Rich, dense, structured and quite deep. Mineral and long. Very good future ahead. Great QPR. Would recommend.
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7/13/2015 - steveo3456 wrote: 88 Points
Needs several hours aeration, dark crimson, medium bodied with black fruits, forest floor and vanilla notes, the tannins are not fully integrated
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7/1/2015 - nicking Likes this wine: 88 Points
Cerise noir , chocolat , boîte à cigare , eucalyptus , bon tannin , belle aciditée , très bon vin 88+
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5/18/2015 - Androurse wrote: 89 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. It tastes like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and medium toast. The body is medium/full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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3/26/2015 - sellerscellar Likes this wine: 89 Points
Quite serviceable BDX. Nothing fancy or complex, but not flawed either. Enjoyable and a no-brainer QPR.
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1/25/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Very dark garnet red hue. Decanted for 1 hours, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. Nose has nice black fruit, blackberry, cassis, boysenberry, vanilla. The palate is plush, textured, pretty fruits, consistent with the nose, light toasted oak, fine grained tannins, medium finish, balanced and ready. Crowd pleaser.
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1/16/2015 - Le Vinophile wrote: 88 Points
Très opaque, presque noir, d'intensité moyenne au nez, avec des arômes marqués de cerise et de bois. Intense en bouche, suit le nez et bien équilibré, avec des tanins encore présents. C'est un bon vin qui, sans être très complexe, est agréable et tout en fruit, et qui pourra possiblement gagner encore en complexité.
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12/4/2014 - isbjoern wrote: 89 Points
A really successful wine this year but quite a modern style for an Haut-Medoc. Dark berry fruit mix, notes of graphite, some high quality oak flavors, dark chocolate, rather silky tannins, medium acidity, good weight and length, just sligthly chewy on the finish. Good paring with lamb. Already approachable now, not really a wine for the cellar imho, but should drink well for a few years. - 89 points
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10/24/2014 - Fatty Cat wrote: 88 Points
0.375 L bottle at a dinner with friends, late Oct 2014: about 30 min. decanted; rich cherry red color; nice bouquet with cherry and other red fruits, roasted bread and milk coffee; not many flavors detectable in the mouth: short finish.
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10/7/2014 - Fantasio Likes this wine: 89 Points
Superbe nez, belle extraction, de la matière. Seul bémol, un peu disjoint en bouche. Tannins fermes et acidité élevé. Temps et/ou air requis.
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9/10/2014 - americanstorm Likes this wine: 92 Points
much better than the bottle I have about a year ago. Has become really nice with a great pqr, wish I had more.
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8/29/2014 - Villon wrote: 90 Points
Robe pourpre très opaque. Beau nez sur les fruits noirs, le plomb et les notes grillées. Bouche d'une belle densité, longueur moyenne, tannins assez fins. Finale légèrement asséchante et chaude. Quelques années supplémentaires devraient polir le tout. Très bon RQP. 90+
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8/24/2014 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium purple color. Tempting nose of blackberries, black currant, some blueberries, toasty oak, licorice and some tobacco. On the palate there are similar notes of mainly dark fruit, but also a touch of spices and some tobacco as well as some dark chocolate. Medium+ bodied with medium+ tannin and medium acidity. Good length for a wine in this Price range. Everything is still young, but in very good balance. Really a lot of fun to drink, especially with food. Great QPR. I think it put on some more weight since I last tasted it about a year ago. (90+)
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5/24/2014 - Fantasio Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smoky good et bon RQP!
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4/25/2014 - Spl232 wrote: 84 Points
Oak is still way to prominent... needs at least another 2-4 years to integrate better and balance out.
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3/28/2014 - Scottlmatthews wrote:
Gave to the Rotary Kihei-Walea Auction
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3/28/2014 - aschmid71 wrote: 88 Points
Rubinrot
Nase: fruchtig, rote Beeren, Himbeeren, rote Zwetschgen, Schwarzer Pfeffer
Geschmack: fruchtig, rote Beeren, leicht erdig, mittlere Säure, mittleres Tannin, mittlerer Alkohol
Gesamt: sehr rund, weich, passt perfekt zu vielem
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3/12/2014 - lumpyelbow wrote:
I am thinking the '09's are shedding a bit of their sexy allure and becoming a bit more stern. A bit of a transitional phase but only suggests there are great things to come. Backbone becoming evident.
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11/14/2013 - Yiannis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Impressively dark, almost black color. Initially some reduction that disappears quickly. Then, the wine is restrained and focused on the nose, but after some time in the decanter and swirling in the glass, it starts reveiling aromas of ripe, mostly dark fruits like cherry, blackberry and plum alongside sweet spices like licorice and cinnamon. On the palate it is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and balancing acidity. Medium to long aftertaste. Still very youthful and primary, will benefit from another 5 years of cellaring, but a great value for Bordeaux. Surprisingly its character is closer to a right-banker. Alcohol is quite high at 14% but nicely integrated and fruit is dark and ripe but by no means sweet and this is what it makes it distinguishable from a similar new world wine.
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11/1/2013 - Frank&Steph wrote: 89 Points
un peu d'alcool en final, mais très beau nez. bouche qui gagnera avec le temps, un peu angulaire à l'ouverture mais se replace après 2 heures de carafe
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9/30/2013 - James Bornn wrote:
Nice and ripe - a modern leaning, rich but medium bodied bordeaux that delivers what it should. Great balanced texture with some chocolatey ripe tannins. Alcohol is in check. Not a ton of perfume or complexity but open with confidence or age short term. I was surprised at the lack of any green notes that I usually ecpect in the haut medoc. This doesnt really even need food in this ripe style.
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8/9/2013 - NostraBacchus wrote: 90 Points
Medium ruby/purple color. Nice nose of black currant/cassis, dark berries, licorice, dark chocolate and a touch of oak. On the palate there is some dark berry, chocolate and some minerality too. Medium-bodied with medium+ tannin and a medium acidity. Pretty long finish. Nice and inexpensive Bordeaux from this top-notch vintage with the stuffing to age nicely for at least 10 years.
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8/2/2013 - Fatty Cat wrote: 90 Points
0.375 L bottle, early Aug 2013: not decanted; crimson red color; cherry and vanilla; full body; smooth texture.
89-90 points.
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5/12/2013 - ludwigbpm wrote: 91 Points
Un très beau vin pour le prix, qui a dit que Bordeaux coûtait les yeux de la tête? Couleur pourpre foncée, très concentré, fruité mur mais assez fin. L'élevage est bien sûr encore présent, mais ce vin parait déjà bien équilibré et tout à fait agréable. M'a semblé supérieur à certains cousins "collègues" comme le Rollan de By, qui m'avait apparu disjoint et sous la forme d'une bête dans ce millésime. Délicieux et pour plusieurs années.
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3/28/2013 - sellerscellar Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still too young to give a proper rating, but you can tell there's some nice qualities that should yield a semi-special wine here. Very tight and somewhat tannic. Nice acidity level, very nice with food. Opened up a bit after about 3 hours. Nice potential here for a solid QPR.
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3/5/2013 - Fatty Cat wrote: 85 Points
0.375 L bottle, early Mar 2013: black red ink; very closed; high alcohol content.
Too young, wait!
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3/3/2013 - rralls wrote: 90 Points
Very nice. My first 2009 Bordeaux and it's really drinking well right now. Slightly chalky tannins on the finish takes away a little bit, but certainly a great value at $20.
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1/13/2013 - lumpyelbow wrote:
Fresh and fleshy. Lot's of fruit, easy and ready. Great for early drinking.
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12/5/2012 - JustDrinkIt Likes this wine:
Aerated in a decanter for 3hrs
This bottle was not as showy as the first, muted aromas with bare hints of red fruit and spice. Noticeable was the tannin, but the lushness of the red fruit just held its ground with the aid of a little acid. Overall not as memorable as the first bottle, but it was enjoyable with braised chuck roast.
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12/4/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Interesting New World ripeness with unusual tart quality, would not mistake for Cali/New World secondary to earthy/dirt qualities. Oak substantial but not over the top. Plenty of tannin. Finish pretty clean. I'd like more concentration and some dark fruit but overall, not a bad bottle of Bdx for the price.
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11/23/2012 - JustDrinkIt wrote: 89 Points
Aerated in a decanter for 3hrs
My first 2009 Bordeaux and what an impression. Wow what a great drinker for $18.00 and for those that likes fruit forward wines CA style Cabs and being only like $18.00 this would not be a bad pick. Exuberant nose of black plums, black cherries and a little touch of vanilla. On the palate this wine exhibits a whole lot of fruit that is not overly done, but is just rich, concentrated, big bodied and rounded with some very delightful sweet tannin and acid. It is certainly made in the CA style (New World) of wine, but without it being over the top in the extraction fruit or oak treatment. I am surmising this would go very well with a BBQ steak in spring.
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11/12/2012 - wenderoth wrote: 91 Points
2009 Bordeaux Masterclass, Hilton Hotel, Sydney. Dark purple/black. Floral, red cherry, cedar nose. Full bodied palate with juicy red and black fruit. Big, slightly awkward tannins that will probably resolve with bottle age.
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9/20/2012 - Zo65 wrote: 89 Points
Much better the second day. Nice bouquet with interesting petite verdot bite. Excellent Bordeaux.
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9/17/2012 - Annie1 wrote: 86 Points
Changing my initial notes. After being open about 3 hours this wine became enjoyable with a palate bursting with cherries.
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9/15/2012 - Georgewoods wrote: 90 Points
Great drinking now. More fruity and less tannins than I'd expect from Bordeaux; very approachable.
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7/15/2012 - lumpyelbow wrote:
Can't say this expresses Bdx but it's a fresh easy drinking wine with notes of chocolate and coffee. Quite modern and lacking a sense of place but very good. 90
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7/12/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
From a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and a large percentage Petit Verdot that clocks in at 20%, the wine is packed with sweet, jammy black cherries, coffee, licorice, blackberry and earth, Soft, round and forward, this is already fun to drink. It should be available for about $20. This is an outstanding Bordeaux value wine.
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6/8/2012 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
Totally agree with Godfather. Big, New World, cali style wine but balanced and if you like the style quite good. Definitely not an average of 84. Not 92 either. 90 may be generous but I don't want by bias to influence the score of a decent wine.
Three days later the wine has held up however there are far more herbal, terroir notes than earlier. Additionally, some plum and prune notes as well. Tannins now are far more aggressive and drying than when first opened. Chalkiness on the mid palate with mild spice notes on a more astringent finish. Would revise 88-90. Time will favor this wine.
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4/28/2012 - the godfather wrote:
quite modern' huge, but still balanced
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1/25/2012 - StlAndy wrote: 87 Points
Nice everyday drinking wine. Nose was fruit and some vanilla. This comes off as a very new world wine. Was looking for a little earthiness and it just wasn't there. Cab/Merlot/Petite Verdot combination was balanced. Not overly long finish but a pleasant drinker.
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1/25/2012 - Annie1 wrote: 83 Points
Young, definitely needs a long decant. Very tannic with little flavor upon opening but over several hours last night it actually did soften considerable and become a pleasant accompaniment with dinner. Nose of dark cherries and tobacco. Mild dark fruit, tobacco and some vanilla became discernible later in the evening. Definitely would cellar this for several years or, as I said earlier, plan on decanting this wine for several hours.
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12/4/2011 - jellisfeingold wrote: 88 Points
Dark and bigger and fatter than I like in a bordo. Lots of fruit. Ready to drink altho a couple years will soften the tannins, which are actually pretty well integrated, but I still wished it was less new worldly.
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