One of my favourite St. Émilion estates, I have been champing at the bit to try this. Although it really needs another 2 or 3 years to develop further, you can already sense its greatness, and with sufficient aeration, it is already very enjoyable. The nose is already a fruit bomb with heady wine gum aromas of blackcurrant, strawberry, and raspberry, underpinned with vanilla. Likewise, front palate is luscious and silky, but unresolved tannin inhibits the wine end palate and on the finish masking its richness and complexity. Once this has been addressed, I can see myself giving this another 2 or 3 points, and it challenging the superlative 2005 for the top spot. A post script; I left a couple of glasses for the next evening, and it had further aerated. However, I will not revisit this for another couple of years.
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“A legend in the making” was the comment on this wine. It’s a RP 100 pointer. Remarkable with huge body but low tannins. My guess n the was Tempranillo based the color and body. Clearly I am out of blind tasting practice. It may be also eternal so really a treat to catch this “lightning in a bottle”. It may be a few more years before the others are opened.
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It’s been almost 4 years since my last bottle of this. Perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, drunk over 4 hours and then finished the next day after a night in the fridge.
Dark red to rim. Takes 2 hours to open in the glass. Dark fruits, berries, smoke, tar, tiny hint of VA. Medium-full body, layers of very ripe fruit, coats the palate, a touch of sweetness. Decent balance and pleasantly grippy tannins, a bit on the low acid side, long finish. Dialed back from the 2005 St Ems I’ve been opening recently (e.g. not raisiny or pruney) but still very modern style. Still young, no aged complexity. I think this one has a shot to get there. Excellent.
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After 2-1/2 hour decant. Rich dark red/purple with a tinge of browning. A gorgeous nose of plums, black fruits and wet fall leaves. Medium+ body, with still loads of tannins looking to soften further. Tertiary flavours starting to develop, with mushroom coming through at this point. Nice balance, and this wine feels like it is only going to get better. This wine is simply too young to maximize the enjoyment. I would suggest decanting for 4-5 hours or more, and/or wait for at least a couple of more years to open the next, it will get at least another point of 2 from me.
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100-rated 2009 Bordeaux dinner: Tonight's event featured eight 100-point-professinally-rated (by Parker and/or Dunnuck) 2009 Bordeaux reds plus Yquem. The reds: Montrose, Pontet-Canet, Leoville Poyferre, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Smith Haut Lafitte, Clinet, Clos Fortet, and Troplong Mondot. All were purchased upon release, properly cellared, and decanted 3 hours before consumption over another 2-3 hours. In general, IMO and by consensus, none of the reds drank close to perfection. Did they on release? No idea. Will they in time? No idea. I rated them in a relatively tight band of 93-97 tonight. If I owned them, I'd wait on all and gamble on tertiary development. None had material tertiary flavors now. I would hold and gamble on their getting better with it than without. WOTN was unquestionably the d'Yquem. Unlike the reds, it was immortal and perfect.
My lowest-rated wine of the night and one not loved by anyone. Somewhat harsh. Needs lots of time to turn tertiary and perhaps become something great. In fairness, it would have been rated a solid wine and value outside this comparison set.
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Friday Night Brown Bagger (R&R): Double blind. Deep crimson color. Aromas of prune and raisin, with chocolate and raspberry undertones. Shows a bit of alcoholic heat as well. Big and ripe. Medium-bodied, not as full-throttled as the bouquet suggests it will be. Mixed fruit, chocolate and prune flavors. Lengthy finish.
Does not drink like Bordeaux...a surprise when it was unveiled. Big and modern, and not really what I'm looking for when I reach for Bordeaux. This had also been decanted for two hours. Still showing on the youthful side, I suppose if I had any I might bury it and hope for something better in 10-15 years' time. (R&D)
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Lovely wine that will be 95+ in 7-10 years. Perfect feminine nose, lovely light concentration and balance. With some time this will pick up some more savory notes and a more robust nose. Patience required but this wine is worth buying if you can get it for $250<
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From a magnum. This is in a good spot of tertiary flavors having evolved but still some beautiful 2009 fruit underlying everything. Grilled meats, potpourri, spices, cedar, forest floor, and plums. Luxurious velvety mouthfeel. Tannins are in the process of resolving. Expect this continue to develop positively for at least another decade and drink well for decades after.
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Not sure this what 100 points tastes like but this was a very nice bottle of wine. PNP and delicious from the first sip Really like this producer and style
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2009 Bordeaux Night (plus some nice bonus wines) (A Pristine, COVID-Safe Setting Somewhere in Los Olivos): An eight-hour double decant failed to awake this sleeping beauty. There weren't any fruit notes on the nose, just toasted oak. The wine was inward, tight and unyielding, though the ripeness showed through, along with a touch of rusticity. I think the Cab Franc is more present than the Merlot for now. A great future, of course, but please wait a decade!
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Beautiful wine. Decanted for 2+ hours. I’m normally a Left Bank guy - St. Julien and Pauillac - but this St. Emilion is wonderful. 30-45+ second finish. Feels young still - not sure why Cellar Tracker suggests a 2010-20 drinking window. That’s not right. This will develop much more in the coming years - give it another 4-5 years of cellaring and it will be incredible.
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Dark fruits, berries, smoke, tar, hint of VA. Full body, ripe fruit, a bit sweet but seems to recede and develop more interest with an hour of air. Good balance, a bit on the low acid side, long finish. Modern style. Early in its aging curve. Excellent.
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Silky, pure, fresh, ripe, concentrated and loaded with opulently textured, ripe, deep fruits, this is delicious. Full bodied, lush and mouth filling, the wine serves up licorice, smoke, spice box, plums, cherries, earth and herbs with ease. This stunner is just starting to wake up, in a few more years, this is going to be even better!
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Tasted after a barrel sample of 2018. Expressive and concentrated on the nose, dark fruit, cherry liqueur, spices, grilled herbs, liquorice, earthy notes. On the palate quite rich and rather sweet and maybe a little heavy, stylistically quite different to the 2018 with less obvious acidity and lift. Unobtrusive tannins, very good length. 92-94
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Berry Brothers 2018 Bordeaux en primeur (plus back vintages) (Lindley Hall, London): Another sex bomb after the Clinet 09. Dark chocolate, truffle, a port like liquor. I just preferred the Clinet over this but both are terrific wines. I can see if people find them too ripe and I am aching for a glass of Burgundy after this, also not sure I would be able to drink them by the bottle, but certainly by the glass a wonderful delight!
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2009 Bordeaux 10 years in the bottle 2-day horizontal; 6/23/2019-6/24/2019 (Fribourg): Part of a grand Bordeaux 2009 tasting spanning 2 days that revealed 1) a right bank struggling with overripe fruit and overwhelming tannins, 2) wide spreak between top performers and laggards, 3) left bank, and especially Margaux, outshone the right bank cousins, 4) Top wines: Palmer, Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Vieux Chateau Certan.
Tasting note: Liqueuresque fruit, leather and some animal flvavours, a bit of black coffee and dried tea leaves. Palate shows fruit and secondary aromatics. Heavy on tannins once again.
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Bordeaux 2009 - 10 Years On - 47 Reds; 6/23/2019-6/24/2019: 2009 Bordeaux after 10 years. 48 red wines. The left bank (average rating 94.2) clearly trumps the right bank (92.6): Elegance, purity and freshness vs over-extraction, ripeness and oxidation. But there are some winners on the right bank (Cheval, Petrus, Hosanna for now, Lafleur, Trotanoy medium-term) but the highest scores were given to left bank wines (Margaux #1 overall, Palmer, Mouton, for now, Latour, St. Juliens medium-term). I guess purists will not like the loads of oak-derived aromas which in some wines are great but can make the wines a bit slutty (Cheval, Margaux, quite a lot of right banks). But there are plenty of more classically shaped wines too. Overall, the 2009s are a lot of fun with many pockets of greatness but I would be very selective on the right bank. If you like more elegant, subtle and classic wines I would focus on 2005/2010/2016. All wines tasted blind and without decanting.
TN: Slight signs of age with some soy sauce and oxidative notes on the nose. Fresher and better on the palate with a candied but not too ripe styled fruit (cassis) and a layer of minerality. Well-integrated tannins, good acidity. Pleasant on the palate but with a rather short finish and medium- complexity. Given the signs of age at the nose, this seems on a downward path and will likely not be very long-lived.
Average blind score 4 tasters: 89.5 Rank: 46th out of 48 wines
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Tasted at The Wine Society's Bordeaux tasting in London. At £210 a bottle, this was the most expensive wine at the tasting. From an excellent vintage, it's still somewhat closed and I think too young - it probably needs another 10 to 15 years to open up fully. However, it was great to taste now, rich, smooth, plummy and savoury. A hint of rich Christmas cake on the palate. If you can afford it, I think this is an excellent wine and will surely drink well for decades. For me, it's a lot of money and I think I found as good on the other tables for a lot less of my cash.
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Dark red and only slightly brownish at the edge. Dark berries, meat, cedar trees, camphor on the nose. Balanced with smooth but strong tannins, nice acidity and Liverpool NV dense taste. Does still feet young.
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With additional years of aging, this has exploded. The wine has dramatically much more weight, density, softness of tannins and length. The wine is opulent, showy, sexy and feels like crushed velvet on your palate. Layers of perfectly ripe, dark red fruits, licorice, smoke, wet earth and black cherry coat your mouth and palate. The finish hangs in there for at least 50 seconds. With another 5-10 more years of bottle age, this will be screaming!
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Regular dinner group (@ My place): I was really curious about this wine so time to open a bottle with a dinner group. In the concentrated and youthful bouquet creamy dark forest fruits and cassis. On the palate dark forest fruits, beautiful acidity and round tannin. No more specific notes, but this wine is still in its youth. Wait until 2024+ For tonight 95+
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66x Parker 100-Pointers from Bordeaux 1947-2010 tasted blind (Switzerland): Tasted blind. Dark purple. Another Californian nose here, very ripe, southern, sweet with a touch of premox. Full bodied palate lacking freshness and lift. I think this was pushed too far. Another dud in this right bank day. I do have to make an observation here. The amount of wines with drying tannins and premox aromas is something that we have only seen on the right bank and not on the left. I really think the term Parkerized wines stems from these offerings. As Petrus and Let Pin showed both in 2009 and 2010 there is no need for this if you want to make a thrilling wine. Group score: 16.77, group rank: 50/64
Tried at a tasting before Parker's perfect score and thought it was fabulous and the best Bordeaux out of over twenty tried. Just had to have a bottle and have been anxiously waiting for a special occasion to uncork it. A big anniversary gave me that chance and it did not disappoint. Velvety smooth tannins with some grip initially, even with decanting and letting sit for 90 minutes before tasting but the tannins and flavors integrated perfectly over the next two hours. Nice nose but not as big as some have suggested. On the palate, licorice and menthol with plenty of black fruit (especially cassis) still apparent. I can't complain but I don't think it's quite the 100 pointer Parker indicates as the three other 100 pointers I've had (1961 Lafite, 1996 Lafite, and 2000 Gaja Costa Russi) were a tranche better.
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Black inky goodness. This wine is a bit closed on the nose. Some black fruit and wet chalk arise from the glass after 20 minutes. The mouth feel is velvety and just glides accross the palate, though there are powerful tannins lurking beneath all that fruit(comes out with air). To be honest, this wine has completely shut down and is probably showing about 20% of what is underneath the hood. Just not expressing its beauty or complexity. There is no doubt this Right Banker has plenty of class and magic. This wine probably needs another 3-5 or so years before I would even attempt to revisit. After 4 hours in the decanter, seemed to close up in its shell. I had this wine a few times when first bottled, and it was profound with plenty of mocha, red, black fruits, minerality and crazy length. Give it time. This is epic stuff, so patience is required. While not perfect, should be interesting to see how we rate this later down the road. 96+
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The wine is opaque with a purple rim. Youthful nose of plum raspberries cigar box wet earth manure cafe au lait with nil or minimal blackcurrant or pencil shavings. Super viscous body beautifully balanced elegant with high levels of unobtrusive tannins. Via Coravin. Aired for 45 minutes. 17 degrees C. Riedel bordeaux glasses.
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Drank in London This is still very young to drink but I had to try a bottle. Incredibly powerful nose with lots of ripe fruit, caramel and vanilla. Silky smooth rich deep mouth coating palate. Amazing length. Wonderful stuff. Wow.
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RP 100. We tried to know as it is. It is integrating. Structure very good as well as the acidity. Predominance of primary aromas of red fruits with touches of mint and coffee. If not a Bordeaux I would say to decant four hours and drink. But it is a Bordeaux. The main question is: it is not and is far from a perfect wine ... at least now
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You could smell the fruit three metres from the glass! Gigantic right bank Bordeaux. Blackberries,black cherries,blackcurrant,plum, coffee beans,chocolate and other confectionary notes. Hints of lemongrass. The best Bordeaux resolves the paradox of power and elegance. The huge body is a counterpoint to the smooth elegance.Great length. Prominent but soft tannins. First pour access via Coravin. Decantered 45 minutes. Riedel Vinum. Bought at Milesima New York. Wow! Parker says 2017 to 2067.
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Very fruit forward but pure nose. Dark fruits and serious depth in the mouth. Finishes long. Relative to the '05 that was also served tonight, this showed more acidity, richness and perhaps a bit more depth of fruit today.
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A very typical Merlot dominated Cuvee with 88% Merlot, 8% Cabernet-Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet-Franc. Aged in 18 months in 80% new wood.
Colour: Dark purple colour with garnet rims. Nose: At first very fruit driven with a mix of blackberry, raspberry, black cherry and a bit of plum jam. Then a bit of mint, Mon Cheri, a lot of licorice and Espresso. Very subtle note of wood. Palate: A very polished, concentrated wine but never to big rather elegant and delicate. Dark fruit, licorice again and a bit of green pepper, everything mixed with a lot of spice. A bit bitter on the back-end. Long finish.
A very good wine for me but never worth the 100 Points from Parker.
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A very inspiring experience! It's so rare to find a Bordeaux that drinks well it its youth, yet seems to have everything to age gracefully. Not too much alcohol but beautiful concentration, an amazing nose and a perfectly balanced tasting experience with a memorable finish.
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Deep purple core with a garnet rim. Impressive and intense aromatics leap out of the glass with red plum, boysenberry, raspberry jam, and dried red cherry. The intensity of this wine rebounds on the palate and supports chewy red and black fruit. The finish is lingering and amazingly refreshing for the pure boldness of the wine. A hint of dry oak tannin peeks out at the finish on this mouthcoating wine. Seriously impressive with plenty of room to improve. An epic Merlot that I am thrilled to have tasted and will be fascinating over the next three or more decades. To bridge the gap between new world an old, this will hold its own anywhere. 97+
Good nose. Notes of peppermint, licorice, sweet plum, cassis, dark cherry with toasty oak (yum!). Dark chocolate aftertaste. Smooth and silky texture, good viscosity with fine and sweet tannins. Slightly dry but long finish with no heat despite 14.5% alcohol. Low acidity level. Fruits are there but not as forward as some other 2009 Bordeaux, maybe this wine is just about to enter dumb phase period. Good structure and complexity with exceptional balance. This is much better than the case of 1996 Clos Fourtet I have been drinking over the last few months. Great nose 8 hrs after uncorked. Intense, aromatic and forward notes of licorice and forest floor. Seems to put on more weight too and still maintains impeccable balance. Beautiful St. Emilion wine. One of the best 2009 Bordeaux I have tasted so far. Despite its young age, I can easily guzzle down a full bottle by myself. 96-98 pts.
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I was a bit dissappointed with this one. Very dark! Perfume and some god salami (or sausage?) on the nose. Massive on the palate with ripe dark fruit and some kirsch. Oaky and tannic s well. Long, for sure, but not in an entirely pleasant way. Not my cup of tea.
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Le Week-end des Grands Crus (Bordeaux): Dark colour. Rather restrained on the nose and palate, not showing very much now although the fruit concentration is great! 92-94
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Minerality, espresso beans, truffles, licorice and sweet, ripe boysenberry aromas combine with mouth filling, plush textures and silky tannins. Fresh, ripe and pure, this is a delicious St. Emilion wine
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UGC 2009 Bordeaux Tasting (Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers): A bit lighter nose than some of the other reds tonight, and not as overpowering. Dark fruit is still there, but some hints of lighter red fruit as well. Heavier tobacco & oak on the palate.
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Some exotic spice on the nose, together with anisette aromas. Quite a bit of herbal green on the palate, which I believe will take time to show well but will be beautiful and aromatic in the end. Kudos to Clos Fourtet for making a real ager that won’t necessarily show well early; a big step up from the ’08 here. 92-93+
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Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (New York, NY): Nose: Plum, Fig, Licorice and Oak. Palate: Starts out showing dark berries, Blackberry and Plum. Then I found a green streak appears in this wine. Finish: Dark Fruit, Licorice and Green Pepper. Spice notes as well. Very harsh tannins. Either this did not show very well, or it is not my kind of wine.
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Powerfull nose of ripe black fruit, lead pencil... in the mouth, very very concentrated cherries, loads of very ripe tannins, very soft and silky, almost sweet, great wine!
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Quite a striking, lifted berried nose here, giving the impression of sweetness. Meaty and savoury also (perhaps sur maturite). Complex; follows through on palate. Great richness/concentration and weight. Fine tannins which are well hidden. Excellent. 93-96
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Aromas of crushed stone, licorice, black raspberry and coffee bean are easy to find. This St. Emilion wine is deep, concentrated and powerful with layers of sweet, opulently textured jammy berries and licorice.
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2009 Clos Fourtet is dark ruby. Filled with jammy blackberry and licorice scents, this powerful, fleshy wine ends with a silky, black fruit finish. 94-96 Pts
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4/2/2024 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of my favourite St. Émilion estates, I have been champing at the bit to try this. Although it really needs another 2 or 3 years to develop further, you can already sense its greatness, and with sufficient aeration, it is already very enjoyable. The nose is already a fruit bomb with heady wine gum aromas of blackcurrant, strawberry, and raspberry, underpinned with vanilla. Likewise, front palate is luscious and silky, but unresolved tannin inhibits the wine end palate and on the finish masking its richness and complexity. Once this has been addressed, I can see myself giving this another 2 or 3 points, and it challenging the superlative 2005 for the top spot. A post script; I left a couple of glasses for the next evening, and it had further aerated. However, I will not revisit this for another couple of years.
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3/16/2024 - Winetex Likes this wine: 94 Points
“A legend in the making” was the comment on this wine. It’s a RP 100 pointer. Remarkable with huge body but low tannins. My guess n the was Tempranillo based the color and body. Clearly I am out of blind tasting practice. It may be also eternal so really a treat to catch this “lightning in a bottle”. It may be a few more years before the others are opened.
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2/2/2024 - dbg wrote:
Big, ripe, lush, modern, but well-balanced and not pruney or raisiney. Excellent.
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12/20/2023 - dbg wrote:
It’s been almost 4 years since my last bottle of this. Perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, drunk over 4 hours and then finished the next day after a night in the fridge.
Dark red to rim. Takes 2 hours to open in the glass. Dark fruits, berries, smoke, tar, tiny hint of VA. Medium-full body, layers of very ripe fruit, coats the palate, a touch of sweetness. Decent balance and pleasantly grippy tannins, a bit on the low acid side, long finish. Dialed back from the 2005 St Ems I’ve been opening recently (e.g. not raisiny or pruney) but still very modern style. Still young, no aged complexity. I think this one has a shot to get there. Excellent.
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11/26/2023 - Bottle Dog Likes this wine: 94 Points
After 2-1/2 hour decant. Rich dark red/purple with a tinge of browning. A gorgeous nose of plums, black fruits and wet fall leaves. Medium+ body, with still loads of tannins looking to soften further. Tertiary flavours starting to develop, with mushroom coming through at this point. Nice balance, and this wine feels like it is only going to get better. This wine is simply too young to maximize the enjoyment. I would suggest decanting for 4-5 hours or more, and/or wait for at least a couple of more years to open the next, it will get at least another point of 2 from me.
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11/4/2023 - Montesquieu wrote: 93 Points
100-rated 2009 Bordeaux dinner: Tonight's event featured eight 100-point-professinally-rated (by Parker and/or Dunnuck) 2009 Bordeaux reds plus Yquem. The reds: Montrose, Pontet-Canet, Leoville Poyferre, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Smith Haut Lafitte, Clinet, Clos Fortet, and Troplong Mondot. All were purchased upon release, properly cellared, and decanted 3 hours before consumption over another 2-3 hours. In general, IMO and by consensus, none of the reds drank close to perfection. Did they on release? No idea. Will they in time? No idea. I rated them in a relatively tight band of 93-97 tonight. If I owned them, I'd wait on all and gamble on tertiary development. None had material tertiary flavors now. I would hold and gamble on their getting better with it than without. WOTN was unquestionably the d'Yquem. Unlike the reds, it was immortal and perfect.
My lowest-rated wine of the night and one not loved by anyone. Somewhat harsh. Needs lots of time to turn tertiary and perhaps become something great. In fairness, it would have been rated a solid wine and value outside this comparison set.
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9/11/2023 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
elegant and in an early drinking window at vinetasters
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2/10/2023 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Friday Night Brown Bagger (R&R): Double blind. Deep crimson color. Aromas of prune and raisin, with chocolate and raspberry undertones. Shows a bit of alcoholic heat as well. Big and ripe. Medium-bodied, not as full-throttled as the bouquet suggests it will be. Mixed fruit, chocolate and prune flavors. Lengthy finish.
Does not drink like Bordeaux...a surprise when it was unveiled. Big and modern, and not really what I'm looking for when I reach for Bordeaux. This had also been decanted for two hours. Still showing on the youthful side, I suppose if I had any I might bury it and hope for something better in 10-15 years' time. (R&D)
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12/25/2022 - Hazeo wrote: 93 Points
Agree with Dikembe. This is a very lovely feminine and elegant wine, though time should bring out more of it’s savory complexities.
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10/5/2022 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 94 Points
Lovely wine that will be 95+ in 7-10 years. Perfect feminine nose, lovely light concentration and balance. With some time this will pick up some more savory notes and a more robust nose. Patience required but this wine is worth buying if you can get it for $250<
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9/3/2022 - jgreco Likes this wine: 96 Points
From a magnum. This is in a good spot of tertiary flavors having evolved but still some beautiful 2009 fruit underlying everything. Grilled meats, potpourri, spices, cedar, forest floor, and plums. Luxurious velvety mouthfeel. Tannins are in the process of resolving. Expect this continue to develop positively for at least another decade and drink well for decades after.
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3/5/2022 - Mr T wrote:
Not sure this what 100 points tastes like but this was a very nice bottle of wine. PNP and delicious from the first sip
Really like this producer and style
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12/31/2021 - Dough Boy Likes this wine: 95 Points
I agree w most comments and scores. Enjoying the distinct potpourri on the nose and grilled meat flavors on the nose. Very nice Merlot.
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8/18/2021 - marc.fyon@skynet.be Likes this wine: 96 Points
absolutely superb but no hurry. improvement potential is still there. needs at least 3 hours decanting
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10/15/2020 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
2009 Bordeaux Night (plus some nice bonus wines) (A Pristine, COVID-Safe Setting Somewhere in Los Olivos): An eight-hour double decant failed to awake this sleeping beauty. There weren't any fruit notes on the nose, just toasted oak. The wine was inward, tight and unyielding, though the ripeness showed through, along with a touch of rusticity. I think the Cab Franc is more present than the Merlot for now. A great future, of course, but please wait a decade!
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7/4/2020 - wstromb404 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful wine. Decanted for 2+ hours. I’m normally a Left Bank guy - St. Julien and Pauillac - but this St. Emilion is wonderful. 30-45+ second finish. Feels young still - not sure why Cellar Tracker suggests a 2010-20 drinking window. That’s not right. This will develop much more in the coming years - give it another 4-5 years of cellaring and it will be incredible.
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3/19/2020 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Dark fruits, berries, smoke, tar, hint of VA. Full body, ripe fruit, a bit sweet but seems to recede and develop more interest with an hour of air. Good balance, a bit on the low acid side, long finish. Modern style. Early in its aging curve. Excellent.
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9/20/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Silky, pure, fresh, ripe, concentrated and loaded with opulently textured, ripe, deep fruits, this is delicious. Full bodied, lush and mouth filling, the wine serves up licorice, smoke, spice box, plums, cherries, earth and herbs with ease. This stunner is just starting to wake up, in a few more years, this is going to be even better!
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7/3/2019 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted after a barrel sample of 2018. Expressive and concentrated on the nose, dark fruit, cherry liqueur, spices, grilled herbs, liquorice, earthy notes. On the palate quite rich and rather sweet and maybe a little heavy, stylistically quite different to the 2018 with less obvious acidity and lift. Unobtrusive tannins, very good length. 92-94
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7/3/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 97 Points
Berry Brothers 2018 Bordeaux en primeur (plus back vintages) (Lindley Hall, London): Another sex bomb after the Clinet 09. Dark chocolate, truffle, a port like liquor. I just preferred the Clinet over this but both are terrific wines. I can see if people find them too ripe and I am aching for a glass of Burgundy after this, also not sure I would be able to drink them by the bottle, but certainly by the glass a wonderful delight!
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6/23/2019 - sirpat00 wrote: 88 Points
2009 Bordeaux 10 years in the bottle 2-day horizontal; 6/23/2019-6/24/2019 (Fribourg): Part of a grand Bordeaux 2009 tasting spanning 2 days that revealed 1) a right bank struggling with overripe fruit and overwhelming tannins, 2) wide spreak between top performers and laggards, 3) left bank, and especially Margaux, outshone the right bank cousins, 4) Top wines: Palmer, Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Vieux Chateau Certan.
Tasting note:
Liqueuresque fruit, leather and some animal flvavours, a bit of black coffee and dried tea leaves. Palate shows fruit and secondary aromatics. Heavy on tannins once again.
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6/23/2019 - Cailles wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux 2009 - 10 Years On - 47 Reds; 6/23/2019-6/24/2019: 2009 Bordeaux after 10 years. 48 red wines. The left bank (average rating 94.2) clearly trumps the right bank (92.6): Elegance, purity and freshness vs over-extraction, ripeness and oxidation. But there are some winners on the right bank (Cheval, Petrus, Hosanna for now, Lafleur, Trotanoy medium-term) but the highest scores were given to left bank wines (Margaux #1 overall, Palmer, Mouton, for now, Latour, St. Juliens medium-term). I guess purists will not like the loads of oak-derived aromas which in some wines are great but can make the wines a bit slutty (Cheval, Margaux, quite a lot of right banks). But there are plenty of more classically shaped wines too. Overall, the 2009s are a lot of fun with many pockets of greatness but I would be very selective on the right bank. If you like more elegant, subtle and classic wines I would focus on 2005/2010/2016. All wines tasted blind and without decanting.
TN: Slight signs of age with some soy sauce and oxidative notes on the nose. Fresher and better on the palate with a candied but not too ripe styled fruit (cassis) and a layer of minerality. Well-integrated tannins, good acidity. Pleasant on the palate but with a rather short finish and medium- complexity. Given the signs of age at the nose, this seems on a downward path and will likely not be very long-lived.
Average blind score 4 tasters: 89.5
Rank: 46th out of 48 wines
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10/29/2018 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at The Wine Society's Bordeaux tasting in London. At £210 a bottle, this was the most expensive wine at the tasting. From an excellent vintage, it's still somewhat closed and I think too young - it probably needs another 10 to 15 years to open up fully. However, it was great to taste now, rich, smooth, plummy and savoury. A hint of rich Christmas cake on the palate. If you can afford it, I think this is an excellent wine and will surely drink well for decades. For me, it's a lot of money and I think I found as good on the other tables for a lot less of my cash.
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9/21/2018 - Neras Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark red and only slightly brownish at the edge. Dark berries, meat, cedar trees, camphor on the nose. Balanced with smooth but strong tannins, nice acidity and Liverpool NV dense taste. Does still feet young.
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7/19/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
With additional years of aging, this has exploded. The wine has dramatically much more weight, density, softness of tannins and length. The wine is opulent, showy, sexy and feels like crushed velvet on your palate. Layers of perfectly ripe, dark red fruits, licorice, smoke, wet earth and black cherry coat your mouth and palate. The finish hangs in there for at least 50 seconds. With another 5-10 more years of bottle age, this will be screaming!
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4/22/2017 - Zweder Likes this wine: 95 Points
Regular dinner group (@ My place): I was really curious about this wine so time to open a bottle with a dinner group. In the concentrated and youthful bouquet creamy dark forest fruits and cassis. On the palate dark forest fruits, beautiful acidity and round tannin. No more specific notes, but this wine is still in its youth. Wait until 2024+ For tonight 95+
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9/16/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 88 Points
66x Parker 100-Pointers from Bordeaux 1947-2010 tasted blind (Switzerland): Tasted blind. Dark purple. Another Californian nose here, very ripe, southern, sweet with a touch of premox. Full bodied palate lacking freshness and lift. I think this was pushed too far. Another dud in this right bank day. I do have to make an observation here. The amount of wines with drying tannins and premox aromas is something that we have only seen on the right bank and not on the left. I really think the term Parkerized wines stems from these offerings. As Petrus and Let Pin showed both in 2009 and 2010 there is no need for this if you want to make a thrilling wine. Group score: 16.77, group rank: 50/64
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4/21/2016 - rougeamore wrote: 98 Points
Tried at a tasting before Parker's perfect score and thought it was fabulous and the best Bordeaux out of over twenty tried. Just had to have a bottle and have been anxiously waiting for a special occasion to uncork it. A big anniversary gave me that chance and it did not disappoint. Velvety smooth tannins with some grip initially, even with decanting and letting sit for 90 minutes before tasting but the tannins and flavors integrated perfectly over the next two hours. Nice nose but not as big as some have suggested. On the palate, licorice and menthol with plenty of black fruit (especially cassis) still apparent. I can't complain but I don't think it's quite the 100 pointer Parker indicates as the three other 100 pointers I've had (1961 Lafite, 1996 Lafite, and 2000 Gaja Costa Russi) were a tranche better.
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3/20/2016 - edub7 wrote: 96 Points
Black inky goodness. This wine is a bit closed on the nose. Some black fruit and wet chalk arise from the glass after 20 minutes. The mouth feel is velvety and just glides accross the palate, though there are powerful tannins lurking beneath all that fruit(comes out with air). To be honest, this wine has completely shut down and is probably showing about 20% of what is underneath the hood. Just not expressing its beauty or complexity. There is no doubt this Right Banker has plenty of class and magic. This wine probably needs another 3-5 or so years before I would even attempt to revisit. After 4 hours in the decanter, seemed to close up in its shell. I had this wine a few times when first bottled, and it was profound with plenty of mocha, red, black fruits, minerality and crazy length. Give it time. This is epic stuff, so patience is required. While not perfect, should be interesting to see how we rate this later down the road. 96+
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5/23/2015 - jmoon Likes this wine: 95 Points
insanely good . Layered, fresh, complex and very drinkable now. Amazing with only a splash decant
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4/2/2015 - Indran Rajendra Likes this wine: 100 Points
The wine is opaque with a purple rim. Youthful nose of plum raspberries cigar box wet earth manure cafe au lait with nil or minimal blackcurrant or pencil shavings. Super viscous body beautifully balanced elegant with high levels of unobtrusive tannins. Via Coravin. Aired for 45 minutes. 17 degrees C. Riedel bordeaux glasses.
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3/17/2015 - RayOB wrote: 97 Points
Drank in London
This is still very young to drink but I had to try a bottle. Incredibly powerful nose with lots of ripe fruit, caramel and vanilla. Silky smooth rich deep mouth coating palate. Amazing length. Wonderful stuff. Wow.
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2/27/2015 - LFCHALA wrote: 93 Points
RP 100. We tried to know as it is. It is integrating. Structure very good as well as the acidity. Predominance of primary aromas of red fruits with touches of mint and coffee. If not a Bordeaux I would say to decant four hours and drink. But it is a Bordeaux. The main question is: it is not and is far from a perfect wine ... at least now
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11/23/2014 - Indran Rajendra Likes this wine: 99 Points
You could smell the fruit three metres from the glass! Gigantic right bank Bordeaux. Blackberries,black cherries,blackcurrant,plum, coffee beans,chocolate and other confectionary notes. Hints of lemongrass. The best Bordeaux resolves the paradox of power and elegance. The huge body is a counterpoint to the smooth elegance.Great length. Prominent but soft tannins. First pour access via Coravin. Decantered 45 minutes. Riedel Vinum. Bought at Milesima New York. Wow! Parker says 2017 to 2067.
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9/13/2014 - joshbryer Likes this wine:
Very fruit forward but pure nose. Dark fruits and serious depth in the mouth. Finishes long. Relative to the '05 that was also served tonight, this showed more acidity, richness and perhaps a bit more depth of fruit today.
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2/23/2014 - G_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
A 100 evening - Marc and Martin turn 100 (Martin's House): Cinnamon, oak, vanilla nice sweetness, very warm nose, nice length and great mouthfeel
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11/25/2013 - m_arcon wrote: 93 Points
A very typical Merlot dominated Cuvee with 88% Merlot, 8% Cabernet-Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet-Franc. Aged in 18 months in 80% new wood.
Colour: Dark purple colour with garnet rims.
Nose: At first very fruit driven with a mix of blackberry, raspberry, black cherry and a bit of plum jam. Then a bit of mint, Mon Cheri, a lot of licorice and Espresso. Very subtle note of wood.
Palate: A very polished, concentrated wine but never to big rather elegant and delicate. Dark fruit, licorice again and a bit of green pepper, everything mixed with a lot of spice. A bit bitter on the back-end. Long finish.
A very good wine for me but never worth the 100 Points from Parker.
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10/4/2013 - aegerter Likes this wine: 98 Points
A very inspiring experience! It's so rare to find a Bordeaux that drinks well it its youth, yet seems to have everything to age gracefully. Not too much alcohol but beautiful concentration, an amazing nose and a perfectly balanced tasting experience with a memorable finish.
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7/19/2013 - SevenDayMile wrote: 97 Points
Deep purple core with a garnet rim. Impressive and intense aromatics leap out of the glass with red plum, boysenberry, raspberry jam, and dried red cherry. The intensity of this wine rebounds on the palate and supports chewy red and black fruit. The finish is lingering and amazingly refreshing for the pure boldness of the wine. A hint of dry oak tannin peeks out at the finish on this mouthcoating wine. Seriously impressive with plenty of room to improve. An epic Merlot that I am thrilled to have tasted and will be fascinating over the next three or more decades. To bridge the gap between new world an old, this will hold its own anywhere. 97+
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10/11/2012 - pclin wrote: 98 Points
Good nose. Notes of peppermint, licorice, sweet plum, cassis, dark cherry with toasty oak (yum!). Dark chocolate aftertaste. Smooth and silky texture, good viscosity with fine and sweet tannins. Slightly dry but long finish with no heat despite 14.5% alcohol. Low acidity level. Fruits are there but not as forward as some other 2009 Bordeaux, maybe this wine is just about to enter dumb phase period. Good structure and complexity with exceptional balance. This is much better than the case of 1996 Clos Fourtet I have been drinking over the last few months. Great nose 8 hrs after uncorked. Intense, aromatic and forward notes of licorice and forest floor. Seems to put on more weight too and still maintains impeccable balance. Beautiful St. Emilion wine. One of the best 2009 Bordeaux I have tasted so far. Despite its young age, I can easily guzzle down a full bottle by myself. 96-98 pts.
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9/29/2012 - mmh wrote: 89 Points
I was a bit dissappointed with this one. Very dark! Perfume and some god salami (or sausage?) on the nose. Massive on the palate with ripe dark fruit and some kirsch. Oaky and tannic s well. Long, for sure, but not in an entirely pleasant way. Not my cup of tea.
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9/18/2012 - bcd Likes this wine: 98 Points
Great Great Great wine! Deserves the 100!
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5/30/2012 - DonalOB wrote: 95 Points
Grande Bordeaux Tasting, 2009 (Harbour Grand Kowloon, Hong Kong): Complex, full-bodied and round. Tannins are hidden behind the fruit.
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5/12/2012 - Bisty wrote: 92 Points
Le Week-end des Grands Crus (Bordeaux): Dark colour.
Rather restrained on the nose and palate, not showing very much now although the fruit concentration is great!
92-94
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3/12/2012 - jackspsp Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Overdone and oaky, maybe this is an off bottle? Not impressed.
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2/10/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Minerality, espresso beans, truffles, licorice and sweet, ripe boysenberry aromas combine with mouth filling, plush textures and silky tannins. Fresh, ripe and pure, this is a delicious St. Emilion wine
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1/27/2012 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
2009 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting; 1/27/2012-1/31/2012 (Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Chicago, Illinois): A concentrated wine with solid tannins. A minerally character with black pepper and blackberry notes. 90-93 points.
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1/26/2012 - Wine Sparty wrote: 92 Points
UGC 2009 Bordeaux Tasting (Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers): A bit lighter nose than some of the other reds tonight, and not as overpowering. Dark fruit is still there, but some hints of lighter red fruit as well. Heavier tobacco & oak on the palate.
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1/25/2012 - amateurwino wrote: 93 Points
Some exotic spice on the nose, together with anisette aromas. Quite a bit of herbal green on the palate, which I believe will take time to show well but will be beautiful and aromatic in the end. Kudos to Clos Fourtet for making a real ager that won’t necessarily show well early; a big step up from the ’08 here. 92-93+
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1/24/2012 - RockinCabs wrote: 87 Points
Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (New York, NY): Nose: Plum, Fig, Licorice and Oak. Palate: Starts out showing dark berries, Blackberry and Plum. Then I found a green streak appears in this wine. Finish: Dark Fruit, Licorice and Green Pepper. Spice notes as well. Very harsh tannins. Either this did not show very well, or it is not my kind of wine.
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1/23/2012 - alanr wrote: 92 Points
UGC 2009 Bordeaux tasting San Francisco: Deep, medium dark bright red fruit, some sweetness but excellent balance, medium tannins.
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11/12/2011 - Philippe_C wrote: 96 Points
Powerfull nose of ripe black fruit, lead pencil... in the mouth, very very concentrated cherries, loads of very ripe tannins, very soft and silky, almost sweet, great wine!
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10/18/2011 - vespasian wrote: 94 Points
Quite a striking, lifted berried nose here, giving the impression of sweetness. Meaty and savoury also (perhaps sur maturite). Complex; follows through on palate. Great richness/concentration and weight. Fine tannins which are well hidden. Excellent. 93-96
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7/30/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Aromas of crushed stone, licorice, black raspberry and coffee bean are easy to find. This St. Emilion wine is deep, concentrated and powerful with layers of sweet, opulently textured jammy berries and licorice.
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6/28/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
2009 Clos Fourtet is dark ruby. Filled with jammy blackberry and licorice scents, this powerful, fleshy wine ends with a silky, black fruit finish. 94-96 Pts
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4/1/2010 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Crushed blueberries, cool fruit expression, excellent concentration, very fresh 95-97 pts
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