Bordeaux 2009 Part 2, Grains Nobles

This was a lovely tasting led by Bernard Burtschy. He was informative, witty, and personable. The setting was perfect, in a moldy stone cave in the Latin Quarter. This is my first ever en primeur tasting, so all notes should be taken with a grain of salt. My palate was virtually gone by the time I got to wine 35 or so. Too much swishing in the beginning. Generally I found the wines "ripe" (the word is all over my tasting notes). The best wines were "rich" without that cooked prune aspect. The top wines were distinguished by incredibly elegant tannins. Comparing, for instance, Marquis de Terme and Lascombes was very informative. The former was beautiful, long, rich, and enjoyalbe even at this young stage. Lascombes was ripe, disjointed, and harsh, but somehow still undeniably delicious. The stickies were gorgeous. Guiraud, I thought, was clearly superior to Doisy-Daene, but I prefer a fresher sweet wine, so it comes down to preference. [just one more note: there was a flight of six whites and two cru bourgeois to start, but I lost my sheet. Notes are from memory, with most wines missing.]

• 2009 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Delicious. Deep and viscous. Oaky peach cut through with fresh lemon, fleur d'orange and green grass. Round and tasty.

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• 2009 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Very pure entry, quite linear green streak is surrounded by beautiful assortment of peach, lemon-lime and toast. Licorice quality to the tannins. This was somehow "better" that the SHL, but not quite as delicious. 92+

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• 2009 Château de Reignac Balthus 84 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur

  Very dark and oily. Blueberry, prune, oak on the nose. Very tasty fruit but too ripe, intense tannins.

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• 2009 Château Fougas Maldoror 80 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Côtes de Bourg

  Overcooked veggies, prune, tannic. What a start for the reds!

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• 2009 Château La Fleur de Boüard 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol

  Some pretty oak, but lots of it. Very dark, black fruit with nice lift on the nose. A bit ripe but with reassuring tannic structure.

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• 2009 Château Bourgneuf 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Port-like on the nose, with violet and black fruit. Green quality to the mid-palate, poivron vert, black pepper. A strange wine.

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• 2009 Château Rouget 82 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Very ripe on the nose, spoiled port (?). Lots of wood. Blackberries and prune, alcoholic finish. Bitter.

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• 2009 Château Le Gay Pomerol 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Cassis, blueberry and oak on the nose. Complex entry, coffee, dark chocolate, soft tannins and a very pure, linear finish. Nice.

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• 2009 Château La Tour Figeac 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Too ripe on the nose with a bread-like quality, and prune. Some nice blackberry on the mid-palate, chocolate, with tannins that somehow charm the back-end of the tongue. Not bad, considering the overly ripe aromatics. 87+

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• 2009 Château de Pressac 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Ripe nose, good black and red fruits, dark chocolate, warming tannins, but somehow simple.

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• 2009 Château Grand Mayne 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Rich nose smelling of cedar and cutting board. Prune and black fruit. Certainly mature and little simple, but with charming, fine grained tannins.

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I don't think I'll be buying 2009, but the tasting was very fun, and some wines were downright delicious. My eyes are set on 08, which I have yet to taste, but seems to be my style from the pro notes....