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The 2009 Clarets (Jul 2012)

Bright, medium ruby-red. Nuanced, expressive nose combines dark cherry, redcurrant, mocha, graphite, cedar and hot bricks. Plush on entry, then sweet but firm in the middle, with a solid mineral spine giving shape to the fine-grained dark berry and cedar flavors. This wonderfully glossy wine boasts excellent structure on the subtly long back end, with…

A Test Of Greatness: 2009 Bordeaux Ten Years On (March 2019)

The 2009 Cos d’Estournel is exactly as I predict on the nose, almost overwhelming with over-ripe black plum, raisin, fig and black olive, smudged and lacking the precision and tension of the 2009 Montrose. The palate is sweet and cloying on the entry, hedonistic and voluminous, yet unequivocally bereft of tension and sense of terroir…

The 2009 Clarets (Jul 2012)

Saturated dark ruby. Exotic, port-like aromas of blackberry liqueur, mocha and grilled meat. Fat, lush, saline and sweet, conveying an impression of extreme port-like ripeness. Huge, mouth-saturating flavors of dark berries and chocolate. Not heavy but doesn’t exactly dance on the palate. Does this need years to shed some of its baby fat or will…

Bordeaux 2009: The Best Ever? (May 2010)

(a blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, and 2% cabernet franc; 80% new oak; 33 hectoliters per hectare; 14.5% alcohol; IPT 99; 56% selection for the grand vin Inky purple. Extremely ripe aromas of red fruits macerated in alcohol, espresso and dark chocolate (almost Banyuls- or port-like), with a more refreshing floral element emerging…

The 2009 Clarets (Jul 2012)

Opaque, almost impenetrable purple-ruby. Closed nose hints at ripe dark plum, cassis, violet, coffee, minerals and ink. Opulent flavors of blackcurrant, minerals and herbs are pure and clean, with harmonious acidity lifting and extending them on the very long, rich, suave finish. This wine has improved considerably since the Primeurs. In fact, this is even…

A Test Of Greatness: 2009 Bordeaux Ten Years On (March 2019)

The 2009 Mouton-Rothschild has a very backward bouquet that is clearly nowhere near its drinking plateau, unfolding reluctantly with cedar and pencil box infused black fruit. Glimpses of pressed rose petal unfurl with continued aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a mixture of red and black fruit, and veins of blue. Very harmonious…