Parker Jr.'s 100's
If readers go back and read Issue 188 (April 2010), my barrel tasting report on the 2009s was titled “Once Upon A Time – 1899, 1929, 1949, 1959, 2009.” In it, I suggested that many châteaux had made the finest wines that I had tasted in over 32 years of evaluating Bordeaux vintages. After spending nearly two weeks there at the end of January, this is unquestionably the greatest Bordeaux vintage I have ever tasted. Of course, 2010 is not yet in bottle, and it is going to be another fascinating vintage. However, it will not have the early charm, appeal and opulence that the 2009s already possess. What was clear in the tastings from the bottle (and most of the wines except for the first growths and a few other wines were tasted two, three and sometimes even four different times) is the remarkable consistency of the vintage. Obviously the classified growths have produced extraordinary wines, but what is so striking about 2009 – and I haven’t really seen this kind of excitement since 1982 – is the quality of the cru bourgeois and the petits vins and generic Bordeaux that are available. Of course, everyone focuses on the top of the pyramid, the first growths, second growths, and a handful of very exclusive Pomerols and St.-Emilions, then complains about greed, absurd prices, market manipulation, and the self destruction of Bordeaux. However, the global marketplace, the tendency for Asian collectors, especially the Chinese, to pay record prices for these wines are the new reality, yet, truth be known, they only represent a small percentage of what Bordeaux produces, and there are hundreds and hundreds of reviews that follow of wines under $25 a bottle that represent absolutely compelling value.
In short, 2009 is the greatest vintage I have tasted in Bordeaux since 1982, of which it is a modern-day version, but greatly improved. It is more consistent (many châteaux that were making mediocre wine in 1982 are now making brilliant wine) and of course, the yields are lower, the selection process is stricter, and there are any other number of factors, from investments in the wineries to impeccable, radical viticulture, that have resulted in extraordinary raw materials.
This is an excerpt from the article The Empire Strikes Back by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate.
The full article can be viewed at
http://www.erobertparker.com/entrance.aspx
FIRST GROWTHS
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 99+
The 2009 Mouton Rothschild has a striking label from Anish Kapoor. The wine is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot that begs comparison as a young wine with what the 1982 tasted like in 1985 or, I suspect, what the 1959 may have tasted like in 1962. Representing 50% of their production, the wine has an inky purple color to the rim and not terribly high alcohol for a 2009 (13.2%), but that is reflected by the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a remarkable nose of lead pencil shavings, violets, creme de cassis and subtle barrique smells. It is stunningly opulent, fat, and super-concentrated, but the luxurious fruit tends to conceal some rather formidable tannins in the finish. This is an amazing wine that will be slightly more drinkable at an earlier age than I thought from barrel, but capable of lasting 50 or more years. Kudos to the Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and the entire Mouton team, lead by Monsieur Dalhuin.
Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 99+
The main reason the 2009 Lafite Rothschild did not receive a perfect score is because the wine has closed down slightly, but it is unquestionably another profound Lafite, their greatest wine since the amazing 2003. Among the most powerful Lafites ever made (it came in at 13.59% alcohol), the final blend was 82.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot. The selection was incredibly severe with only 45% of the crop being utilized. A tight, but potentially gorgeous nose of graphite, black currants, licorice and camphor is followed by a full-bodied wine revealing the classic elegance, purity and delineated style of Lafite. It is phenomenally concentrated with softer tannins than the 2005, the 2003's voluptuous, broad, juicy personality, and low acidity. There are several vintages that I thought were a replay of their colossal 1959, most notably 1982 and 2003, but 2009 is also one to keep an eye on. It is still extremely youthful and seems slightly more backward than I would have guessed based on the barrel tastings, but it needs 10-15 years of bottle age, and should last for 50+.
Chateau Latour 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
A blend of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7% Merlot with just under 14% natural alcohol, the 2009 Latour is basically a clone of the super 2003, only more structured and potentially more massive and long lived. An elixir of momentous proportions, it boasts a dense purple color as well as an extraordinarily flamboyant bouquet of black fruits, graphite, crushed rocks, subtle oak and a notion of wet steel. It hits the palate with a thundering concoction of thick, juicy blue and black fruits, lead pencil shavings and a chalky minerality. Full-bodied, but very fresh with a finish that lasts over a minute, this is one of the most remarkable young wines I have ever tasted. Will it last one-hundred years? No doubt about it. Can it be drunk in a decade? For sure. Proprietor Francois Pinault and his director, Frederic Engerer, have pulled out all the stops to produce one of the most monumental Latour’s ever made.
Chateau Margaux 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 99
A brilliant offering from the Mentzelopoulos family, once again their gifted manager, Paul Pontallier, has produced an uncommonly concentrated, powerful 2009 Chateau Margaux made from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. As with most Medocs, the alcohol here is actually lower (a modest 13.3%) than most of its siblings-. Abundant blueberry, cassis and acacia flower as well as hints of charcoal and forest floor aromas that are almost Burgundian in their complexity are followed by a wine displaying sweet, well-integrated tannins as well as a certain ethereal lightness despite the wine-s overall size. Rich, round, generous and unusually approachable for such a young Margaux, this 2009 should drink well for 30-35+ years.
Chateau Haut Brion 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
What a blockbuster effort! Atypically powerful, one day, the 2009 Haut-Brion may be considered to be the 21st century version of the 1959. It is an extraordinarily complex, concentrated effort made from a blend of 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc with the highest alcohol ever achieved at this estate, 14.3%. Even richer than the perfect 1989, with similar technical numbers although slightly higher extract and alcohol, it offers up a sensational perfume of subtle burning embers, unsmoked cigar tobacco, charcoal, black raspberries, wet gravel, plums, figs and blueberries. There is so much going on in the aromatics that one almost hesitates to stop smelling it. However, when it hits the palate, it is hardly a letdown. This unctuously textured, full-bodied 2009 possesses low acidity along with stunning extract and remarkable clarity for a wine with a pH close to 4.0. The good news is that there are 10,500 cases of the 2009, one of the most compelling examples of Haut-Brion ever made. It requires a decade of cellaring and should last a half century or more. Readers who have loved the complexity of Haut-Brion should be prepared for a bigger, richer, more massive wine, but one that does not lose any of its prodigious aromatic attractions.
RIGHT BANK
POMEROL
Chateau Petrus 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
An opulent Petrus very much in the stylistic family of the 1990, this 100% Merlot has a dense plum/purple color and a sweet nose of mulberries, black cherries, some subtle toast and licorice as well as a floral element. A wine of great intensity, a multidimensional mouthfeel and full-bodied, stunning concentration, the 2009 Petrus 2009 is everything one would expect of it. Given the sweetness of its tannin, much like the 1990, I suspect this wine will always be “open for business,” appealing even in its youth. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2050+.
2009 La Fleur Petrus
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 97
Even with considerable youthful characteristics, this stunning, open-knit 2009 is quite approachable. This fabled terroir sandwiched between Petrus and Lafleur (hence the name) generally produces one of the more elegantly-styled Pomerols, but in 2009 it offers an extra dimension of flavor intensity as well as more texture and concentration. It reveals a super-seductive perfume of mocha, loamy soil, herbs, black cherries and black currants, truffles and licorice, full body and velvety tannins. The overall impression is one of intensity, power, glycerin and richness as well as undeniable elegance and laser-like focus. This 2009 can be drunk now or cellared for another 25-30+ years.
Chateau Certan de May 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 93+
A bruising, black/purple-hued, full-bodied wine, the 2009 Certan de May displays notes of charcuterie, smoked game, herbs, black truffles, roasted meats, cassis and black cherries. This backward, robustly-styled Pomerol is loaded with tannin as well as extract. Give this full, powerful 2009 a decade of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years. I’m sure it is not better than the immortal 1982 Certan de May.
Chateau Gazin 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 96
A big, powerful, masculine Pomerol with a style not dissimilar from Le Gay, the dense purple-colored 2009 Gazin exhibits black currant, black cherry liqueur, coffee, roasted herb, an exotic Asian spice component, vanillin, creme caramel and toasty oak in its aromatics and flavors. From a vineyard near Petrus, Le Gay and La Fleur Petrus, it is full-bodied with licorice, earth, truffle and creme de cassis in the mouth. Give this powerful, backward 2009 an additional 6-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following three decades.
Chateau L'Evangile 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
An astonishing effort from the Rothschild family, the 2009 l’Evangile may be the reference point offering from this estate for decades to come. A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak, with 15% natural alcohol, it exhibits a sumptuous bouquet of caramels, black raspberry liqueur, blackberries, violets, graphite and truffles. Thick, viscous flavors are reminiscent of such super-ripe vintages as 1982, 1959, 1949 and 1947. The striking aromatics, massive, full-bodied mouthfeel and multilayered palate that resembles a skyscraper in the mouth offer an abject lesson in great winemaking, extraordinary terroir, and the ability to combine power with precision, elegance and freshness. This is unquestionably a huge wine, but it also possesses mindboggling complexity and finesse. Because of its sheer extract and velvety personality, it will be drinkable in 4-5 years, and will keep for four decades or more where well-stored. The most profound L’Evangile ever made?
ST-EMILION
2009 Cheval Blanc
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 99
It will be fascinating to follow the evolution of the 2009 Cheval Blanc versus the 2010 as well as the awesome 2005, 2000, 1998 and 1990. This famous estate’s vineyard is situated at the juncture of Pomerol and the sandy, gravelly soils of St.-Emilion, facing the two noble estates of l’Evangile and La Conseillante. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 Cheval Blanc tips the scales at just under 14% natural alcohol. Its dense blue/purple color is accompanied by an extraordinary nose of incense, raspberries, cassis, sweet forest floor and a subtle hint of menthol. Opulent and full-bodied with low acidity but no sense of heaviness, this dense, unctuously textured, super-smooth, velvety, pure, profound Cheval Blanc is impossible to resist despite its youthfulness. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050+.
Chateau La Croix Figeac 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 89
Another sleeper of the vintage, this wine possesses exuberant black cherry liqueur notes intermixed with blacker fruits, some lead pencil shavings, incense and plum sauce in an attractive, fat, fleshy style that exhibits low acidity and oodles of fruit. Drink it over the next decade.
Chateau La Dominique 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 93
Finally we have returned to the great La Dominiques made in 1989 and 1990. This has much of the style of the 1990, with supple tannin and loads of spicy fruitcake, licorice, cassis and kirsch-like notes that jump from this dense ruby/purple wine. Fat, fleshy and full-bodied, with beautiful richness, purity and length, this wine will be approachable in its youth yet last for two decades (just like the 1989 and 1990).
Chateau Lucia 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 92
From a tiny, sort of garagiste estate, this very front-end loaded, flattering style of St.-Emilion, cropped at 25 hectoliters per hectare, can boast Stephane Derenoncourt as its consultant. An enormously appealing style of wine with a dark plum/purple color to the rim, its sweet kiss of subtle oak intermixed with Asian spice, plum sauce, black cherries and black currants pushes some of the oak to the background. Plump, opulent, low in acidity and very sexy, this wine can be drunk over the next decade or more.
Chateau La Tour du Pin 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 90+
This wine has closed down somewhat since I had it from barrel and exhibits a firm, earthy, mineral-laced style. Made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the ripe black raspberry and blueberry fruit are present, along with some sandy, loamy soil notes. The tannins are sweet, but very elevated, and the wine rich and long but currently somewhat austere and needing bottle age. Give it 2 or 3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15+ years.
LEFT BANK
ST-ESTEPHE
Chateau Montrose 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
A colossal effort, the 2009 Montrose represents a hypothetical blend of the monumental duo of 1989 and 1990 combined with the phenomenal 2003. With 13.7% alcohol (an all-time high at Montrose), it is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Some structure and minerality can be detected in the background, but the overall impression is one of massive blackberry, black currant and mulberry fruit intermixed with forest floor, damp earth, crushed rocks and a hint of spring flowers. Full-bodied with sweet but abundant tannin, Jean-Bernard Delmas believes this is the greatest wine he has made during his short tenure at Montrose since retiring from Haut-Brion. This wine will undoubtedly shut down for a decade, then unleash its power, glory and potential perfection. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050+.
Chateau Cos d'Estournel 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
One of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted, the monumental 2009 Cos d’Estournel has lived up to its pre-bottling potential. A remarkable effort from winemaking guru Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot (33%) and a touch of Cabernet Franc (2%) was cropped at 33 hectoliters per hectare. It boasts an inky/black/purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of white flowers interwoven with blackberry and blueberry liqueur, incense, charcoal and graphite. The wine hits the palate with extraordinary purity, balance and intensity as well as perfect equilibrium, and a seamless integration of tannin, acidity, wood and alcohol. An iconic wine as well as a remarkable achievement, it is the greatest Cos d’Estournel ever produced. It is approachable enough at present that one could appreciate it with several hours of decanting, but it will not hit its prime for a decade, and should age effortlessly for a half century.
Chateau Calon Segur 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 94+
The 2009 has the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) ever included in a Calon-Segur (the rest is Merlot and Petit Verdot). Completely different from its St.-Estephe brethren, it is more backward and structured with a dense purple color, lots of black cherry, black currant, loamy earth, forest floor and spice notes, excruciatingly high levels of tannin, and a wonderful inner core of sweetness and concentration. It could behave like the 1982, which, at age 30, is just becoming mature. The 2009 is an uncompromising, masculine, massive style of wine that needs 15-20 years of cellaring even in this luscious, flashy, flamboyant vintage. It is super-tight and needs lots of coaxing and aeration. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2050+.
Chateau Phelan-Segur 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 90
The best Phelan-Segur since the 1990, this is a rather dense, full-bodied, massive wine for a cru bourgeois. Sweet blackberry and black raspberry fruit intermixed with crushed rock and a hint of subtle oak jump from the glass of this full-bodied, intense, yet attractive and alluring wine. There is significant depth and substance to this Phelan-Segur, which is a sleeper of the vintage that should last up to 15 or more years.
2009 La Dame de Montrose
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 91
Over the last twenty years, Montrose-s second wine, La Dame de Montrose has been an excellent buy. The 2009 La Dame de Montrose (almost all Merlot with a tiny bit of Cabernet Sauvignon) is a seductive, succulent effort revealing silky tannins, abundant blueberry and blackberry fruit notes intermixed with notions of damp earth, truffles and camphor, and an appealing, luscious personality. Enjoy it over the next 10-15 years.
Pauillac
Chateau Pontet-Canet 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
An amazing wine in every sense, this classic, full-bodied Pauillac is the quintessential Pontet Canet from proprietor Alfred Tesseron, who continues to reduce yields and farms his vineyards biodynamically – a rarity in Bordeaux. Black as a moonless night, the 2009 Pontet Canet offers up notes of incense, graphite, smoke, licorice, creme de cassis and blackberries. A wine of irrefutable purity, laser-like precision, colossal weight and richness, and sensational freshness, this is a tour de force in winemaking that is capable of lasting 50 or more years. The tannins are elevated, but they are sweet and beautifully integrated as are the acidity, wood and alcohol (which must be in excess of 14%). This vineyard, which is situated on the high plateau of Pauillac adjacent to Mouton Rothschild, appears to have done everything perfectly in 2009. This cuvee should shut down in the cellar and re-open in a decade or more. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2075.
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 98
Revealing incredible quality and performing better than it did from barrel, the 2009 appears to be the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron since the 1990 and 1989. An amazing opaque blue/purple color is followed by scents of spring flowers, graphite, smoky charcoal, incense, blackberries, blueberries and hints of coffee and chocolate. Incredibly intense, pure and flawlessly constructed with extravagant layers of fruit and richness, this offering has developed beautifully under the management of Christian Seeley. It is a voluptuous, opulent Pichon Longueville Baron that may eclipse anything they have made in the past. This brilliant wine should be at its peak between 2018 and 2045.
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 95
A beautiful effort, the 2009 Pichon Lalande, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, possesses copious mocha, lead pencil, unsmoked, high class tobacco, black currant, forest floor and herbaceous characteristics. It is a deep purple-hued, charming, surprisingly open-knit Pauillac with wonderful freshness, a plump, fleshy mouthfeel, opulence and unctuosity, medium to full body and a well-delineated, luscious style. More elegant than its nearby neighbor, Pichon Longueville Baron, and not as massive in concentration and extract, it is one of the great Pichon Lalandes of the last twenty years.
Les Forts de Latour 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 95
Possibly the best second wine ever made at Latour (and I love how the 1982 is drinking at age 30), the 2009 Les Forts de Latour is composed of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot blended with a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot, and finished at 13.5% alcohol. Juicy notes of creme de cassis, licorice, camphor, smoke and crushed rocks are followed by a rich, unctuously textured, thick, juicy, exceptionally pure, long wine. This beauty will be at its finest in several years and should keep for three decades.
Chateau Lynch Bages 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 98
Performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel, this appears to be the finest Lynch Bages since the 2000, 1990 and 1989. According to the chateau, the 2009 has the highest level of polyphenols ever measured as well as high alcohol (nearly 13.5%). A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest largely Merlot with touches of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it is an expressive, voluptuously textured effort with unctuosity and powerful, juicy, succulent blackberry and black currant flavors, low acids, a layered, massive mouthfeel, but no sense of heaviness or fatigue. This exquisite Lynch Bages should drink well for 30+ years
ST JULIEN
Chateau Beychevelle 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 93
The finest Beychevelle since the 2003 and probably since the 1982, Beychevelle’s 2009 is opaque purple in color, with a beautiful, floral nose intermixed with black currant fruit, licorice, cedar wood and Christmas fruitcake. Full-bodied yet still elegant and pure, this wine has velvety tannins, a broad, savory mouthfeel, and a very long finish. There is plenty of tannin behind the extravagant fruit, glycerin and texture of this wine, but it is largely concealed. This wine could actually turn out to be even better than my relatively conservative tasting note. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2042.
Chateau Gruaud Larose 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 95
As I wrote in my barrel tasting note, the 2009 appears to be the finest Gruaud Larose since their 1990. Some of my concerns about too much brett in previous vintages are long gone as the purity of the 2009 jumps out. Copious notes of sagebrush, cedar, cigar box, licorice, incense, blackberries and lead pencil shavings suggest a big Pauillac rather than a St.-Julien. Broad, rich and full-bodied with good balance and abundant, but sweet, well-integrated tannin, this big, masculine Gruaud Larose reveals remarkable finesse, richness, extract, density and a cascade of fruit that nearly hides the lofty tannins. This beauty should be at its best between 2020-2045.
Chateau Leoville-Las Cases 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 98+
The 2009 Leoville Las Cases may be the most open-knit and forward Las Cases I have tasted to date. Analytically, it is high in tannin and the alcohol is 13.8%, nearly a record at this estate. This blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc was showing brilliantly at the 2009 tasting I did in Hong Kong and at a later tasting. It boasts an inky/purple color, monumental concentration and lots of sweet, jammy black currant, black cherry and kirsch fruit intermixed with crushed rock and mineral notes. As always, proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon has built a massive wine with exceptional precision, unbelievable purity and aging potential of 40-50 years. I was surprised by the lusciousness of this cuvee on several occasions, and how much more forward it is given the fact that Las Cases can often be forebodingly backward and in need of 10-15 years of cellaring (at age 30, the 1982 is still a baby in terms of development!). The super-concentrated 2009 needs another 5-7 years before additional nuances emerge. This is a brilliant, full-throttle St.-Julien.
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
The 2009 Ducru Beaucaillou will eclipse the brilliant wines produced in 2005, 2003 and 2000. It will be interesting to see how the 2009 fares against the 2010 after twenty years of aging, but my money is on the 2009. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, this inky purple, unctuous wine possesses classic aromas of graphite, creme de cassis, blueberries, violets, licorice and Christmas fruitcake. Full-bodied and intense with Ducru’s inimitable elegance and purity, it should firm up in the bottle after 7-10 years of cellaring and last for 40-50 years. Magnificent!
Chateau Talbot 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 91
Extremely sexy, soft, supple and opulent, with notes of cedar, herbs, incense and black currant fruit, this is a full-bodied, generously endowed but silky Talbot to drink now and over the next 20+ years. By any standard of measurement, this is irresistible.
MARGAUX
Chateau Lascombes 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 94
The 2009, which is inky blue/purple to the rim, is a final blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot at 14% natural alcohol. The wine has a beautiful blueberry-scented nose with hints of acacia flowers, licorice, graphite and some subtle charcoal and background oak. Clearly a modern style of Margaux, it is pure, seamless, full-bodied and opulent, and the high glycerin and silky texture of 2009 are brilliantly displayed in this wine. Drink it over the next 15+ years, although it is certainly capable of lasting well past two decades.
Chateau Palmer 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 97
One of the all-time great Palmers (along with the 1961, 1966, 1970, 1989, 2000 and 2005), the 2009 Palmer is a blend of 52% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and a whopping 7% Petit Verdot that came in at close to 14% natural alcohol. An opaque blue/black color suggests a wine with thrilling levels of concentration and intensity, and that-s exactly what a taster gets. Subtle smoke, incense and Asian spice (soy?) notes interwoven with graphite, blueberry, blackberry and cassis characteristics lead to a full-bodied, phenomenally concentrated, viscous, opulent wine with plenty of sweet tannin. This sensational Palmer reveals even more floral notes than vintages such as 2005 and 2000. It should drink well for 50 years.
Chateau Prieure-Lichine 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 93
The soft, sexy 2009 exhibits a dense plum/purple color along with a big, sweet bouquet of raspberries, black cherries, black currants, smoke and forest floor. Opulent and round with an attractive viscosity as well as outstanding purity, depth and length, it should drink well for two decades. While not one of the longest lived wines of the vintage, it is among the most precocious, flattering and charming at present.
Chateau Du Tertre 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 92
A seductive, opulent, textured Margaux with notes of licorice, black fruits, asphalt, pen ink and truffle, this is one of the finest du Tertres ever made. It has a hedonistic quality to it, but at the same time, there is great class, precision and freshness to this full-bodied, concentrated, but very supple-textured wine. Drink it over the next 20+ years.
PESSAC-LEOGNAN & GRAVES
Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 91
A sensational wine from this Pessac-Leognan estate, the 2009 possesses notes of charcoal, graphite, roasted herbs, truffles, spice box, and luxurious quantities of black currant and black cherry fruit. Full-bodied, impressively endowed. and well under the radar for most consumers, this outstanding wine is a sleeper of the vintage and well worth buying. It should drink well for 15 or more years.
Chateau La Garde 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 88
Sexy black cherries, unsmoked cigar tobacco, hot rocks and roasted herbs all characterize this soft, lush, very fruity and enticing wine, which is mid-weight and ideal for drinking over the next 6-8 years.
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
A candidate for the wine of the vintage, the 2009 La Mission-Haut-Brion stood out as one of the most exceptional young wines I had ever tasted from barrel, and its greatness has been confirmed in the bottle. A remarkable effort from the Dillon family, this is another large-scaled La Mission that tips the scales at 15% alcohol. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (47% of each) and the rest Cabernet Franc, it exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a magnificent bouquet of truffles, scorched earth, blackberry and blueberry liqueur, subtle smoke and spring flowers. The wine-s remarkable concentration offers up an unctuous/viscous texture, a skyscraper-like mouthfeel, sweet, sumptuous, nearly over-the-top flavors and massive density. Perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime La Mission-Haut-Brion, the 2009 will take its place alongside the many great wines made here since the early 1920s. The good news is that there are nearly 6,000 cases of the 2009. It should last for 50-75+ years. Given the wine-s unctuosity and sweetness of the tannin, I would have no problem drinking it in about 5-6 years.
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 100
The finest wine ever made by proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, the 2009 Smith-Haut-Lafitte exhibits an opaque blue/purple color in addition to a glorious nose of acacia flowers, licorice, charcoal, blueberries, black raspberries, lead pencil shavings and incense. This massive, extraordinarily rich, unctuously textured wine may be the most concentrated effort produced to date, although the 2000, 2005 and 2010 are nearly as prodigious. A gorgeous expression of Pessac-Leognan with sweet tannin, emerging charm and delicacy, and considerable power, depth, richness and authority, it should age effortlessly for 30-40+ years. Bravo!
Chateau Pape Clement 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 95
Although the 2009 Pape Clement may not be as sublime as the 2005 or 2000, but it is very close to those two efforts, and it will be fascinating to compare them (as well as the 2008 and 2010) over the following three decades. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc with a modest 13.5% alcohol, the 2009 reveals considerable structure and tannin along with tell-tale notes of burning embers, scorched earth, graphite, blueberries, blackberries and toasty vanillin, and a full-bodied mouthfeel. This rich, full offering is surprisingly backward. This cuvee should drink well in 5-6 years as one rarely has to wait a decade or more to enjoy Pape Clement. It should age for three decades or more.
BORDEAUX
Chateau Marjosse 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 87
The home estate of Pierre Lurton, the manager of Cheval Blanc, this is one of his better efforts in a number of years. An attractive, fruity, soft wine with lots of berry fruit as well as some loamy soil notes; it is medium-bodied, with good purity and overall balance. A sleeper of the vintage, it will be best drunk over the next several years.
FRONSAC
Chateau Fontenil 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 92
The basic Fontenil (95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) has a deep bluish purple color and relatively hefty alcohol at 14.5%, but it is not noticeable in this full-bodied, layered, opulent wine, with lots of black raspberry fruit intermixed with some blueberries and crushed rock. Both of these wines have a good 10-15 years of potential in a fine cellar.
ST-ESTEPHE CRU BOURGEOIS
Chateau Lilian Ladouys 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 90
Elegant, with loads of black currant fruit, cherries and dusty, loamy soil notes as well as hints of tobacco leaf, spice box and cedar, it is a medium to full-bodied, nicely textured, fleshy wine that should drink nicely for 10-15+ years. This is the best wine I have ever tasted from this property, which has gone through many changes and frequent listless, uninspiring performances. The change to a better class of St.-Estephe was started by the late Vincent Mulliez, who passed away tragically last year, but who got things started by reducing yields, cleaning up the place, eliminating the TCA that had tainted so many wines in the past, and going with a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The result is the best wine they have ever made, or at least the finest I have ever tasted from them.
HAUT MEDOC
Chateau Cantemerle 2009
Wine Advocate #199
Feb 2012 Robert Parker: 91+
Readers looking for the more ethereal, elegant side of Bordeaux need search no further than Cantemerle, one of the estates in the very southern end of the Medoc. Dense ruby/purple (nearly opaque), this wine offers up notes of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, raspberries and black cherries. The wine is ethereal, medium-bodied, and by no means a blockbuster, but long and intellectual. However, the tannins are present, and the wine is certainly capable of putting on weight with time in the bottle. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25+ years.
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Parker Jr Archive
Robert Parker Jr.'s 100's - Australia
ROYAL FLUSH 2010 BORDEAUX
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Robert Parker Jr.'s 100's - Complete List
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Robert Parker Jr.'s 100's - Germany
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Robert Parker Jr.'s 100's - Spain
Robert Parker Jr.'s 100's - Italy
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