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Question: What grape variety was thought to be extinct?
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The 2009 Bordeaux were released with great fanfare as an outstanding vintage because of record sunlight hours resulting in grapes of high sugar ripeness. The resulting expensive at the time wines generally showed this open forwardly extra ripe opulent style with easier lower acidity levels and supple tannins. They continue to carry this reputation which was reinforced by the also excellent twin but more classic 2010. The very attractive voluptuous seductive early appreciation of 2009 Bordeaux is key. How are they developing in bottle?
Jane Anson has just released on her site some insightful assessments on 2009 & 2010. Vinous (Neal Martin) did a thorough review at 10 years and has a tasting of 2009 set in Miami on November 23. Lots of interest in these.
Our Vancouver Group of Eight held their 124th dinner event at Blue Water Cafe on October 8 tasting nine top 2009 Bordeaux. Some impressions:
Liked the mature creamy toasty fruit and honey in this bubbles of 1990 BOLLINGER GRANDE ANNEE BRUT CHAMPAGNE with a Bagel Lobster starter. This quality Champagne is only produced in exceptional vintages from Grand & Premier vineyards of Pinot Noir & Chardonnay with first fermentation in oak casks with a minimum aging on lees of 5 years.
2009 CHATEAU LE GAY Pomerol 90% Merlot & 10% Cab Franc
Open plummy sweet fruit that is deep and intense and very Merlot ripe. Softer and less concentrated from the lower yields (25hl/ha) than expected. Prefer to see more definition. Approachable. Easy drinking now.
2009 CHATEAU MALESCOT ST. EXUPERY Margaux 51CS 35M 8CF 4PV
Good depth of colour. More reluctant aromas. Smooth ripe attractive style showing the vintage more than the AC. Enjoyed recently the juicy cherries and acidity of the 2006. Value property.
2009 PAVILLON ROUGE DU CHATEAU MARGAUX 67CS 29M 4PV
Fragrant with more Cab Sauv. A bit herbaceous with concentrated tannins from 14% added press wine. Good depth (first year of third wine “Margaux”) for a second wine of excellent balance with charm and some delicacy. Prefer complexity of 2000.
2009 CHATEAU PALMER Margaux 52M 41CS 7PV
Darkest of First Flight. Best textures and structure. Loads of big fruit and classy 60% new oak. Youthful exuberance improved in the glass with airing. Bigger more alcohol but not as elegant as 1989 or other worldly 1961 (and 1966). Should develop well. Delicious with an outstanding duck tortellini dish.
2009 CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY Pessac-Leognan 60CS 37M 3CF
Really admire the elegance, finesse, and balance here. Outstanding terroir of Pessac-Leognan really shines through helped by the riper vintage. A new book of their 25 years: 1998-2023 “Haut-Bailly On The Move” captures well the mission statement of Robert Wilmers & Veronique Sanders. Quote Jean Sanders: “Nothing to excess, Balance” and Gabriel Vialard Technical Director on the style: “The ideal, perfect balance between power, freshness, and softness, without any aggressiveness with a silky smooth texture.” A healthy restraint seeking true harmony is certainly accomplished here (and in the more classic 2010).
2009 CHATEAU DUHART-MILON Pauillac 63 CS 37M
Made one of the best 2003s and improved again here. Pauillac classic definition with black currant/cassis notes. Lovely forward accessibility with no rush. Improving property to watch of still good value.
2009 CHATEAU GRUAUD LAROSE Saint-Julien 68 CS 32M
Your scribe is fortunate to drink frequently the remarkable 1982 & 1986 and memories of that 1961. Pleased to see this property returning to form with power in almost a Pauillac concentration in 2009. This will age well as lots of clean fruit and structure to develop.
2009 CHATEAU DUCRU-BEAUCAILLOU Saint-Julien 85CS 15M
Harvest September 23-October 9. Big fruit and noticeable oak. Powerful fresh St. Julien statement too. Noticeable cloves and sage. Bruno Borie and team working the excellent terroir to best advantage. Bigger spicier more refined wine than elegant lighter exquisite 1970 enjoyed at 50 years.
2009 CHATEAU MONTROSE Saint-Estephe 65CS 29M 5CF 1PV
Very dark and concentrated with big impressive fruit but not the usual strong tannins. A new fresh almost Pessac-like style not picked too late by Jean Bernard Delmas? Thought I knew this terroir from monitoring the 1990 but don’t recognize it here. Michael Broadbent in Wine Tasting describes St. Estephe as follows: “Deep colour; stark raw fruity nose, cabernet less marked; full, firm tannic. Slow developing. Solid wines from heavier clay soil.” That was the old style St. Estephe (first published in 1968) and not the new one that is evolving. An outstanding wine nonetheless that will age well.
2005 CHATEAU COUTET Sauternes-Barsac
Finished up with this Barsac and the developing 2009s airing in the glass with a unique baked camembert with candied pecans. Seems bigger sweeter and more powerful than many Coutets and pairs nicely with the honey & nuts.
Summary: These top 2009 Bordeaux are developing very well with a seductive voluptuous nature plus buckets of ripe fruit still remaining to continue on a lovely drinking plateau for some time into the future. Impressed.
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Question: Which wines may show notes of cassis?
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The Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin held their annual Vancouver Induction dinner on October 1, 2024 at Five Sails restaurant. Dr. Christine Collinson is the incoming Grande Senechale succeeding George Laverock. Colourful ceremony with special visiting guests Dr. Brendan and Christine Quinn Grand Pilier General from Ottawa presiding.
The evening started off well with Vazart-Coquart Champagne Blanc de Blancs Reserve Grand Cru (mainly 2017 plus reserves going back to 1982 from their Reserve Perpetuelle) showing the classy terroir of Chouilly chardonnay fruit paired with local Kisu plump oysters and remarkably delicious arancini of Dungeness Crab with Yuzu.
The whites spotlighted an educational focus on Chablis Premier Cru with two stellar vintages of intense minerally 2010 and bright acidity 2014. All three 2010 were from the ancient estate of Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix using batonnage (stirring settled lees back into the wine) methods for creamy balance. The 2014 was Domaine Daniel Dampt showing Les Vaillons to compare this same vineyard with a 2010. Cote de Lechet is grown on a very steep slope of the Left Bank of the River Serein with richer mature styling while Les Lys lighter but much fresher and lively. The 2010 Vaillon was spicier with the 2014 more vibrant. These Kimmeridgien marl top vintages paired well with the first two seafood courses.
An old fav organic Domaine Pavelot (always recommending their La Dominode here the 2010 on January 4, 2016) of Jean-Marc et Hugues in Savigny-Les-Beaune Aux Guettes of classic 2005 and warmer riper 2009 quite stony with a lot of clay vineyard at 300 metres with 12 months en barrique (25% new). The 2005 was quite a bit lighter bodied having less mineral fruit left than the young firm impressive rich full bodied 2009. Both perfectly matched to the innovative duck course.
A big step up to the Grand Cru complexity level with two Cortons paired with lamb. The classic vintage 2010 from top producer Lucien Le Moine with Renardes has a beautiful ripe cherries nose and outstanding depth of flavours that opened more with swirling and airing. Would have benefited by decanting- as all LLM deserve. Renardes often has some Petrichor notes (defined here on Ask Sid May 12, 2021) of earthy rain on gardens or drier soils but bigger intense fruit hides any in 2010. The younger important cellaring 2015 Vintage of Rognet is east and lower down from Renardes in Ladoix with the top third allowing white Corton-Charlemagne (Faiveley). The producer improving Domaine Michel Mallard has the largest vineyard holding here and is using 50% whole clusters in the fermentation with more new oak. One to watch.
Nice treat to check out how these wines from only outstanding vintages are developing!
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