1 | Wine | Bordeaux, 2009 | Page 4

"The 2009 is possibly the best Cap de Faugeres yet made, a sleeper of the vintage, and a realistically priced one at that. A blend of 85% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 14% natural alcohol, the wine displays loads of charcoal, blackberry, espresso roast and white chocolate. It is full-bodied, unctuously textured, with very sweet tannin and stunning purity, texture and length. This is a super-duper wine, bottled unfined and unfiltered under the guidance of the consultant Michel Rolland. Drink it over the next 10+ years."-Robert Parker

"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."-Robert Parker

"The grand vin is the result of an increasingly strict selection process, with approximately 50% of the production going into the final wine and the balance used in the Croix de Beaucaillou. The 2009 may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Up-front, precocious and generous, it possesses a dense purple color, a big, broad, unctuous texture and abundant notes of creme de cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with hints of wood smoke, vanillin and earth. This nearly viscous-styled wine can be drunk in 2-3 years or cellared for 15+."-Robert Parker

"Opaque ruby/purple, with a beautiful nose of charcoal, forest floor, and black fruits, the wine hits the palate with great intensity, a sumptuous texture, yet brilliant precision and purity. This is a superb wine that should drink well for 20-25 years."-Robert Parker

"The brilliant 2009 Les Pagodes de Cos actually has more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than the grand vin (69% versus 65%) in addition to mostly Merlot and a small quantity of Petit Verdot. As powerful as the Cos in terms of alcoholic clout (14.5%), the full-bodied, round, generous Les Pagodes de Cos exhibits lots of creme de cassis and floral notes intermixed with hints of wood/barrique and spice. Juicy, succulent and remarkably fresh and well-delineated, it merits considerable attention from consumers. It should drink well for 15-20 years. Oddly enough, the second wine is superior to many vintages of Cos in the 1960s 1970s and 1980s!" -Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 94 pts.

"Wow. Intense aromas of blackberry, toasted nuts and spices follow through to full body, with layers of fruit and wonderful length. Very, very impressive. For a second wine, this is quite the glassful." -Wine Spectator, 90-93 pts.

"This expressive red delivers floral, vanilla, red berry and licorice aromas and flavors that are bright and focused. Offers firm tannins and fresh acidity. Vivid and long, in the modern style."

An intense wine from the Becot family (Michel Rolland is the consultant), this blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc was cropped at a very low 25.5. hectoliters per hectare. The wine has an opaque ruby/purple color and a big, projected nose of red and black fruits, toasty oak, graphite, and a hint of burning embers. A large-scaled wine at 14.5% alcohol, with the requisite glycerin and unctuous texture, this is a thick, juicy, very pure and impressively well-made wine from one of the most fashionable satellites of the Cotes de Bordeaux (Castillon), and thus kudos should go to proprietress Julliette Becot. Drink it over the next decade." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"This is rock-solid, with cocoa, fig and blackberry notes rolled together, framed by dense but polished structure and all weaving nicely through the lightly grippy finish."

"Bottled the week of January 16 (a week before I tasted it), the 2009 Pavie Decesse (from a tiny 9-acre vineyard on the limestone slopes above Pavie) is an uncommonly fat, succulent, rich, 1,000-case cuvee with 14.3% alcohol. It boasts an inky/blue/purple hue along with notes of incense, spring flowers, roasted espresso, chocolate, licorice, blackberries and blueberries. Even though it is aged in 100% oak, the wood is virtually non-existent. An inky blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine exhibits a flawless integration of acidity, alcohol and tannin. This opulent, viscous, thick, juicy St.-Emilion will be accessible in 5-7 years and last for three decades."
-Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate - 98 pts

"Gorgeous aromas of ceps and dark fruits with lots of forest fruit too. Love the nose o forest fruits. Incredibly deep. Full-bodied, with super chewy tannins. Powerful and rich with hints of wood. This is a powerful yet classic wine. I love the complexity to this—the balance. The density and compacted character to this is superb."