Bordeaux 2009
Joins the ranks of the best vintages of the last 30 years

Simon Larkin MW, Head of Fine Wine Trading for Lay & Wheeler, gives his views on the 2009 vintage…

The hype for the 2009 vintage seemed to build from an early stage, as is increasingly the norm. Like many clients, I am suspicious of comments that appear in the wine press just after harvest, preferring to taste for myself. So, our trip to Bordeaux was fascinating.

Left Bank: The vintage is highly successful and consistent in Pauillac and St-Julien. St-Estèphe, Margaux and Pessac-Léognan all show more variation, but there is a handful of truly great wines from each commune none-the-less.

Cabernet Sauvignon excelled in the Médoc, allowing many Cabernet-reliant wines to demonstrate sublime ripeness and poise. By contrast, occasionally, Merlot became heady, gaining high potential alcohol. Paul Pontallier of Château Margaux commented that his Merlot was harvested at over 14%, resulting in the Château creating a Cabernet-dominant Grand Vin. Such astute decisions were echoed at properties like Calon-Ségur, while La Mission-Haut-Brion and Cos d’Estournel have maintained an effortless sense of balance, despite relatively high Merlot content. Much was due to the individual terroirs. While on lesser terroirs there was a coarse nature to the tannins, at Château Palmer the Merlot was impeccable.

Right Bank: I had high hopes for Cheval-Blanc, Figeac, Ausone and Vieux Château Certan, given the proportion of Cabernets Franc and - in Figeac’s case – Sauvignon that they have at their disposal. While these Châteaux did excel, they were not alone. Terroir and harvest date played important roles, allowing even the most Merlot-dominated of wines to shine if judged correctly. The best wines show luscious dark stone-fruit flavours and admirable freshness and poise.

St-Emilion is always a mixed bag and some wines had drying tannins and notes of raisiny fruit. This was not a product of the vintage, but due to the Châteaux’s desire to make something supercharged; a shame in a year when the fruit was so naturally concentrated. I find myself generalising about the high quality of Pomerol, but this is based on a tight range of famous wines. However, many lesser lights showed far better than in any vintage I can recall of the last ten.

Second wines: I was hugely impressed by the selection process employed at many Châteaux. There is now such strict selection for the second wine (i.e. Pavillon Rouge or Blason de l’Evangile) that anything not making the cut is sold off for blending. The resulting second wines were superb and comfortably the finest I have tasted. For potentially great value, particular attention should be paid to those included in our offer.

Nick Dagley, Head of Buying for Lay & Wheeler, gives his views on the 2009 vintage…

Like many, I arrived in Bordeaux with a sense of controlled expectation. By the time I left, having tasted widely, I was genuinely excited. There are some terrific wines across all appellations – I, for one, now believe the hype.

Style: The 2000 and 2005 vintages are the two finest in the last decade, both with serious structure and requiring bottle age. Analytically, the 2009s have even higher levels of tannin, but their ripeness means that they feel supple in comparison. As a result, this vintage was a joy to taste; indeed, it is difficult to imagine how the best wines could be any better.

There were wines which lacked balance: too much alcohol, extraction and oak were not uncommon, especially in St-Emilion. However, the best wines coupled concentration and freshness and these will age gracefully for many years. This vintage has not overpowered the terroir, but helped to express it.

Highlights: It has been particularly easy to pick out my highlights in this vintage. In the Médoc, Potensac and Charmail stood out, both tasting like wines from more revered appellations. Calon Segur in St-Estèphe was pure, complete and as good as I have ever tasted there. As ever, the standard was high in Pauillac and, unsurprisingly, the wines at Château Latour were quite a trio. In St-Julien, Gruaud Larose was as savoury and traditional as ever, but with a ripeness and depth that should make it a canny buy. I also fell for the suitably sleek and stylish Chanel-owned Châteaux Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux and Canon in St-Emilion. There were lots of options in Pomerol, but I won’t be the only member of the wine trade hoping they can afford a case of Vieux Château Certan.

The campaign: There is little doubt that the hunger for the top properties is filtering down a level or two and producing healthy competition. This rivalry, and the sheer number and volumes of wines produced, means there will be something to suit everyone. However, the tastings were the busiest I have seen, indicating that demand is likely to be sky high. Whilst we can only hope that the common sense of the 2008 campaign continues, I suspect the top wines will be priced accordingly. Nonetheless, a little further down the ladder, there should be some serious wines with less serious price tags.

I cannot recommend the wines from this vintage more highly; my only concern is the impact this vintage will have on my own wallet!

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