Haut-Médoc - Red Wine
187781 (XD) 750 mL
$21 per btl $63 per 3-btl. lot
DEC: ***
WS: 87-90
JR: 16.5
WE: 88-90
TJW: 9.0+
TASTING NOTE: A fruity and clean wine, with chocolate and berry character. Delicate finish. Score: 87-90 (WS)
193995 (XD) 750 mL
$39 per btl $117 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 88-90+*
DEC: ****
WS: 89-92
JR: 16
GD: 15.5
TJW: 9.1
TASTING NOTE: Licorice, currant and mineral on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a polished, silky-textured finish. There's a touch of bright acidity. Score: 89-92 (WS)
191536 (XD) 750 mL
$27 per btl $81 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 90-92*
DEC: ****
WS: 88-91
JR: 16.5
TJW: 9.3
TASTING NOTE: Not to be confused with St.-Emilion’s Bellevue, this has been one of the most consistent Medoc cru bourgeois over a number of years, and the 2009 may reach new quality heights. A big-time sleeper of the vintage, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 20% Petit Verdot boasts a dense purple color as well as notes of creme de cassis and spring flowers, terrific fruit, sweet but noticeable tannin, and medium to full body. It can be drunk young or cellared for 8-10 years. (Tasted once.) Drink: 2010-2020. Score: 90-92* (RP)
196477 (XD) 750 mL
$32 per btl $96 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 90-92*
DEC: ***
WS: 87-90
JR: 16
GD: 17.5
TJW: 9.1
TASTING NOTE: The finest La Bernadotte made to date, this 2009 is an undeniable sleeper of the vintage. Composed of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, it reveals a dense purple color along with a big, sweet kiss of black cherries, black currants, charcoal, and spice. With layers of fruit, decent acidity, freshness, and precision, and an opulent, fleshy, succulent style, it should drink easily for a decade or more. (Tasted once.) Score: 90-92* (RP)
196444 (XD) 750 mL
$52 per btl $156 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 92-94*
DEC: ****
WS: 88-91
JR: 15.5
GD: 15
TASTING NOTE: This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the Cabernet dominating, looks to be the best they have ever produced, even eclipsing the 2005. Dense purple in color, with extraordinarily elegant floral notes intermixed with raspberry, black currant, cherry, and spice box, it is medium to full-bodied, not massive, but again, very seamless, with beautiful precision, sweet tannins, and an endearing fleshiness and depth of flavor that are neither heavy nor fatiguing. This wine will be relatively approachable in 3-5 years and drink well for 25-30. (Tasted two times.) Score: 92-94* (RP)
191460 (XD) 750 mL
$24 per btl $72 per 3-btl. lot
DEC: ****
WS: 89-92
JR: 15.5
TJW: 8.9
TASTING NOTE: Crushed blackberry and blueberry on the nose, with hints of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a pretty texture. Slightly hollow center palate, but attractive. Score: 89-92 (WS)
189035 (XD) 750 mL
$22 per btl $66 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 87-89
JR: 15.5
TJW: 9.1+
TASTING NOTE: Long-time readers know d’Aurilhac is one of my favorite under-the-radar Bordeaux in top vintages. This impressively made Medoc offers a lot of quality for its price. The 2009 reveals copious black cherry, black currant, earth, and spice notes intertwined with a hint of background oak. A luscious texture, a succulent style, and a juicy, long finish suggest it will drink well for 5-7 years. (Tasted once.) Drink: 2010-2017. Score: 87-89 (RP)
191544 (XD) 750 mL
$22 per btl $66 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 89-91*
DEC: ***
WS: 86-89
JR: 14.5
TASTING NOTE: The 2009 Gironville is the best wine I have ever tasted from this estate in the southern Medoc. A blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot that achieved 14% natural alcohol, this sleeper of the vintage exhibits a dark purple color in addition to beautiful notes of graphite, blueberries, flowers, and cassis, and a long, layered mouthfeel. A sensational value, the 2009 should drink well for a decade. (Tasted once.) Drink: 2010-2020. Score: 89-91* (RP)
200667 (XD) 750 mL
$85 per btl $255 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 94-96
DEC: ****
WS: 93-96
JR: 15
TASTING NOTE: I don’t think anyone could possibly rate this higher than the 2005, which is certainly the greatest wine made at this estate since 1982. However, this is another blockbuster, gorgeously aromatic, with notes of subtle oak interwoven with perfumed black, blue, and red fruits. Its opaque purple color, the gorgeous elegance allied to compelling intensity of flavor, and its full-bodied opulence make for the quintessential expression of this terroir. This is beauty that will be relatively approachable in 3-4 years and evolve for 20 or more years. (Tasted three times.) Drink: 2013-2033. Score: 94-96 (RP)
194555 (XD) 750 mL
$49 per btl $147 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 91-93*
DEC: ****
WS: 90-93
JR: 16.5+
WE: 90-92
GD: 15.5
TJW: 9.2
TASTING NOTE: The finest wine made here since the 2005, the 2009 (a blend of 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) was harvested between September 29 and October 22. Its dense purple color is followed by abundant aromas of camphor, charcoal, barrique, blackberries, and creme de cassis. Dense, structured, and full-bodied with high, but sweet, well-integrated tannins, and tremendous precision as well as freshness, this 2009 should evolve for 20-25 years. (Tasted three times.) Drink: 2010-2035. Score: 91-93* (RP)
189001 (XD) 750 mL
$26 per btl $78 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 90-92
WS: 86-89
TASTING NOTE: Generally a St.-Julien/Pauillac-like offering, the 2009 Lanessan seems more explosive and concentrated than prior vintages. I’m not sure it is the finest I have ever tasted, but it boasts a dense purple color as well as copious creme de cassis, cedar wood, underbrush, and spice notes. Beautiful opulence, silky tannins, and a long finish suggest this sleeper of the vintage will drink well for 2-3 decades. (Tasted once.) Drink: 2010-2040. Score: 90-92 (RP)
192880 (XD) 750 mL
$21 per btl $63 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 87-88
DEC: ***
WS: 86-89
JR: 14.5
GD: 15.5
TJW: 9.1
TASTING NOTE: This stylish, elegant Haut-Medoc offers up aromas of spice box, black currants, and cherries in its medium-bodied, easy-going personality. Consume it over the next decade. (Tasted once.) Score: 87-88 (RP)
189241 (XD) 750 mL
$24 per btl $72 per 3-btl. lot
WS: 90-93
JR: 16
TJW: 9.1
TASTING NOTE: Gorgeous black currant on the nose, with tar and lead pencil. Pauillac-like. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long finish. Serious. Score: 90-93 (WS)
192088 (XD) 750 mL
$22 per btl $66 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 90-92
DEC: ***
WS: 88-91
JR: 16+
TJW: 9.2
TASTING NOTE: A sleeper of the vintage for me, the 2009 Saint-Paul is the first example of this wine I have tasted. Made by Stephane Derenoncourt, it is a blend of 48% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. An opulent, fleshy effort, it exhibits lots of red and black fruit and licorice characteristics, but no evidence of wood even though 15% new oak is utilized. The alcohol of 13.5% is modest by 2009's standards. This inexpensive beauty should provide plenty of pleasure for 3-5 years. (Tasted once.) Drink: 2010-2015. Score: 90-92 (RP)
193177 (XD) 750 mL
$25 per btl $75 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 89-91*
DEC: ***
WS: 87-90
JR: 16+
TJW: 9.0
TASTING NOTE: Run by the Cordier family, with the vineyard managed by Alfred Tesseron’s team at Pontet-Canet, this is the first vintage from their biodynamically farmed estate, and it is certainly the best wine I have ever tasted from Senejac. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, oodles of black currant fruit are intermixed with some licorice, underbrush, and foresty notes. Great fruit, a sumptuous, fleshy texture, and plenty of succulence and length make for a big, rich, nicely textured wine to drink over the next decade. (Tasted two times.) Drink: 2010-2020. Score: 89-91* (RP)
197269 (XD) 750 mL
$65 per btl $195 per 3-btl. lot
RP: 90-92+
DEC: ****
WS: 89-92
JR: 16.5
GD: 16
TJW: 9.2
TASTING NOTE: Ferocious tannins are not unusual for Sociando Mallet, but I was surprised that in a vintage that produced exceptionally tannic, but ripe wines, the Sociando Mallet tannins were atypically austere. Nevertheless, the wine boasts huge concentration along with an inky/purple color, a full-bodied, powerful palate, and a long finish. Excellent purity, density, and minerality are present in this cuvee, and it is capable of lasting 30-40 years. This estate is situated on some of the finest terroir of the Haut-Medoc, near Calon-Segur in St.-Estephe. (Tasted two times.) Drink 2010-2050. Score: 90-92+ (RP)
Scores:
We have included corresponding scores from various sources including:
RP: Wine Advocate, www.erobertparker.com
DEC: Decanter magazine, www.decanter.com (5-star system)
WS: James Suckling, Wine Spectator, www.winespectator.com
JR: Jancis Robinson MW, www.jancisrobinson.com (20-point system)
WE: Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast
GD: Greg Dunlop, Category Manager, VINTAGES European Wines (20-point system)
TJW: Tom Wilson, Vice President, VINTAGES (10-point system)
Note: An asterisk (*) next to a Robert Parker score indicates "...the finest potential of all the offerings I had ever tasted from that estate in nearly 32 years of barrel tasting samples in Bordeaux."
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