Beauregard, Pomerol

Ripe, fleshy and open for business, this is soft and supple with red fruit, lifted aromatics and a pleasing, even graceful form on the palate. Fine quality here. Drink 2017-2030- armit

While Beauregard's wines have a tendency to be monolithic and oaky, the 2009 is one of the finest I have tasted from this estate. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by copious quantities of licorice, blackberry, and mulberry characteristics as well as silky tannins, a sweet, fat mid-palate, and a long finish with just a hint of oak. It should drink well for 10-15+ years. (Tasted two times.) - Robert Parker

Bourgneuf

Jancis: 16
Wine Spectator: 90-93
Neil Martin: 89-91

Dark crimson. Not much nose. Stolid, thick and inky. Not much charm or even expression at this stage. Tannins a little stolid too. A bit obdurate and very dry on the end. Even a slight note of greenness. - Jancis

Displays crushed Merlot grapes on the nose, and lovely pure, grapey fruit character. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and lots of fruit. A little one-dimensional, but I really appreciate the concentration. - James Suckling

Tasted at JP Moueix. Not getting much on the nose here, although with rigorous coaxing some black cherry and iodine aromas reluctantly emerge, more fruit-driven than demonstrating its terroir. The palate is much more promising with sappy red-berried fruit on the entry, wild strawberry, raspberry leaf and yes...more mineralité than augured by the aromatics. Fine definition on the finish, this Bourgneuf has won me round by its grainy finish. Tasted April 2010. -Neil Martin

Certan de May

Jancis: 17.5
Wine Spectator: 90-93
Neil Martin: 93-95

Dark purplish crimson. Heady, sweet, intense nose. Polished and very savoury. Well mannered. Rather old style but with the extra ripeness of the vintage. Chewy end. A bit austere at the moment but there is integrity underneath. Very interesting on the finish. It grows towards the end.- Jancis Robinson

I love the dark fruit and underlying aromas of fresh herbs and dried flowers. Full-bodied, with a lovely silky texture and a clean, fresh, fruity and delicate finish. - Wine spectator

Tasted at JP Moueix. This is a Pomerol property flying under the radar at the moment and the nose here is marvellous: beautifully defined with exquisite blackberry, briary and minerals. The palate is medium-bodied with real tension and focus, almost understated on the entry, very harmonious with superb delineation towards the finish that is inflected with hints of bay leaf and thyme. This is a great 2009 from a vineyard that is really on song at the moment. Tasted April 2010 - Neil Martin

Clinet

Jancis: 17
Wine Spectator: 95-98
Neil Martin: 92-94
Robert Parker: 97-100*
Decanter: 18

Thick and sweet and almost a cliché of Pomerol with its great meay richness and savour. Should calm down and become something quite exciting eventually, but quite tough on the end. - Jancis Robinson

Blackberry and mineral aromas, with flowers. Full-bodied, but reserved and supersilky and pretty. This is the bomb. Forget the 1989. - James Suckling

The greatest Clinet since the incredible duo produced by the late Jean-Michel Arcaute in 1989 and 1990, the 2009 (tasted on 4 separate occasions) was off the charts in terms of quality and potential. Yields of 47 hectoliters per hectare were not particularly low, and the fruit used in the final blend (87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon; 14% natural alcohol) was all harvested between September 21 and October 7. The wine boasts an opaque black/purple color in addition to a gorgeous bouquet of truffles, charcoal, asphalt, blackberries, blueberries, and meaty, smoky notes. This dense, unctuously-textured Pomerol is built like a skyscraper with multiple layers, sweet tannins, and enormous concentration as well as length. The good news is there will be 4,000 cases of this modern day legend in the making. It should drink well for 30-35 years. While it’s hard to eclipse a 100-point wine (1989), the 2009 appears to be the finest Clinet has ever made. (Tasted four times.) - Robert Parker

La Conseillante

Jancis: 16
Wine Spectator: 95-98
Neil Martin: 96-98
Robert Parker: 95-98
Decanter: 18.5

Picked 19-28 Sep. Very dark. Though no darker than the Duo. Not much nose – less expressive than the Duo! Very rich and intense. Super-ripe. Taken to an extreme of ripeness? A bit overripe. Lacks acidity. I think I prefer the Duo. Heavy with a bit of tarriness on the finish. I’d love to taste this again but on this showing I fear there is not enough acid and too obvious tannin. When I subsequently tasted this blind, I wrote ' Sweet and almost Argentine on the nose! None of Bordeaux’s subtlety here. I can’t really see the point. And awfully drying on the finish.' - Jancis Robinson

Such wonderful clarity to this wine, with violets, black and exotic fruits. Fabulous nose. Full-bodied, with superfine tannins and a silky, silky finish. Such beauty. Really stunning. Class. - James Suckling

Now that La Conseillante is making a second wine with more severe selection, think of the 2009 as a version of the 2000 on steroids. This is never going to be a blockbuster wine, because the terroir just seems to produce silky, elegant wines, but in this case, the 2009 has an extra kick and level of concentration that is unprecedented. Inky bluish purple, with an extraordinary nose of framboise, black raspberries, spring flowers, spice box, and a hint of truffle, the wine has great depth, full-bodied opulence, silky tannins, enormous power and richness, but again, a vibrancy and uplift that are just freakish in this vintage. That’s one of the great hallmarks of 2009 and one that will always stand out over the next 30 years. This wine should be drinkable in 5-7 years and last 40 or more. (Tasted three times.) - Robert Parker

L'Eglise Clinet

Jancis: 17.5+
Wine Spectator: 97-100
Neil Martin: 96-98
Robert Parker: 98-100
Decanter: 19

Scented nose. Very rich and thick and polished. Fresh and expressive – lots of nervy fruit. Very lively and exciting and nervy – not unlike its maker. Still very tight though. - Jancis Robinson

The nose on this already suggests a deep and contemplative wine with blackberry, dried flowers and sweet berries. Evolves to black olive and hints of asphalt. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and tangy, rich fruit. It really grabs hold of you and wants to tell you it's special. Loads of ripe tannins too. Big and structured. Turns to tapenade. - James Suckling

The 2009 l’Eglise Clinet may eclipse some of the other efforts made by proprietor Denis Durantou over the years. Harvested between September 14 and 28, this blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc is a powerful, almost uber-concentrated wine that tastes like an elixir of Pomerol with an incredibly unctuous feel. This dense purple-colored 2009 (which achieved 14.5% natural alcohol) is extremely powerful, but that power is concealed beneath a mountain of glycerin, fruit, concentration, and body. The purity and richness are off the charts, and the silkiness of the tannins is ethereal. This extraordinary wine possesses extremely high levels of tannin, but according to Durantou, they have almost disappeared because of the wine’s amazing depth and richness. It will undoubtedly need a decade of aging after bottling, but it should last for 50+. It is a modern day legend in the making. (Tasted two times.) - Robert Parker

Evangile

Jancis: 18
Wine Spectator: 96-99
Neil Martin: 91-93
Robert Parker: 96-100*
Decanter: 18.5

39 hl/ha. 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Just a bit deeper than the Blason. Silky and subtle on the nose. Great richness and intensity. Firm line through it. Really up there. Great structure. Very firm and dry on the finish but not drying, Much more than just ripeness. Great density. Exotic and racy. Very long. - Jancis Robinson

I love the aromas of black olive and blueberry, with mineral and light mint. Full-bodied, with supervelvety tannins. Superlong. This is dense and very beautiful, with such a great core of fruit. Silky texture. Not sure it is going to be better than 2005 (100 pointer!) but super. - James Suckling

The prodigious 2009 l’Evangile may be the greatest wine made at this estate during my 30+ years of tasting Bordeaux. Yields were 39 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest was relatively long, with everything being picked at perfect maturity between September 11 and October 7. The estate is doing malolactic in barrel (a la Burgundy), and the final blend (95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc) achieved 14.5% natural alcohol. Amazingly, this cuvee is aged in 100% new oak barrels, yet no oak is present in the aromas or flavors. Readers should think of it as a better, richer, fuller, more alcoholic version of the 1982 l’Evangile. Dense, full-bodied, and opaque purple-hued, it boasts an extraordinary bouquet of spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, and boysenberries. A blue and black mountain fruit character suggests coolness, but an intensity and voluptuous texture present the paradox of 2009. The wine has all the characteristics of a hot vintage in terms of power, texture, and richness as well as elements of a cool vintage in its precision, elegance, freshness, and vibrancy. Make no mistake about it, this is an enormous wine that is incredible to taste. Frankly, I could have drunk the entire barrel sample if it hadn’t been my first appointment of the day (at 8:15 a.m.)! This wine should drink well for 30-40 years. Bravo! (Tasted once.) - Robert Parker

Gazin - £540                                                                                            

Jancis: 16
Wine Spectator: 92-95
Neil Martin: 94-96
Robert Parker: 94-96*
Decanter: 17.5

Luscious and intense with the merest hint of animal fur. Thick and then rather tough and acid. Rather austere on the end. - Jancis Robinson

Blackberry and light tar aromas follow through to a full body, with soft and velvety tannins and a fruity finish. Delicate in a rich way. - James Suckling

Ferocious extract, huge tannin, an opaque purple color, and enormous richness all make for a potentially brilliant wine from this vineyard, located on the plateau of Pomerol just adjacent to Petrus. Probably a late finisher of malolactic given its showing on three separate occasions, this wine, which is enormously endowed, very rich, and full-bodied, has a chance to be the best Gazin ever made. However, patience will be a virtue, as the wine will certainly need 5-8 years of cellaring. (Tasted three times.) - Robert Parker

Lafleur

Jancis: 18.5
Wine Spectator: 97-100
Neal Martin: 98-100
Robert Parker: 94-97
Decanter: 19.5

47% Merlot, 53% Cabernet Franc. Dark and luscious. Gamey and animal on the nose. Sweet start. Super-luscious. Really polished and fragrant and gorgeous. Such succulence. Top notes. Really rich but light! Aérien! Just so racy and fine. Great structure under racy fruit. Just doesn't seem as though it’s trying at all! Lip-smacking, So neat! Real zest and elegance. The Cabernet Franc here was obviously a wonderful addition. - Jancis Robinson

The nose is fascinating, with blackberry, black licorice, mineral, flowers and more. Full-bodied, with an incredible texture of ripe tannins and cashmere yarn. A tightly wound ball. What length too. This wine made me feel like getting in the lotus position and meditating. It's almost more than wine. Vinous Nirvana. I think the Cabernet Franc really gave that extra level to it all. - James Suckling

A blend of 47% Merlot and 53% Cabernet Franc, the Merlot cropped the 16th, 17th and 23rd September and the Cabernet Franc on 28th September and 1st October, representing around 50% of production in 2009. A lucid purple hue, the Lafleur ’09 has a cerebral bouquet much like the 2008, but with perhaps a little more purity and femininity. Blackberry, a touch of small black cherry, some notes of violets coming through with aeration. The palate is full-bodied with firm, more masculine tannins than implied by the aromatics; deep broody dark fruits, blackberry, tar, graphite, more linear on the tightly wound finish where the minerality is really evident. More cohesive at this stage than any vintage I have tasted since the 2005, long and persistent towards the finish. Undoubtedly one of the wines of the vintage. Thrilling. Tasted April 2010. - Neal Martin

La Fleur Pétrus

Jancis: 17+
Wine Spectator: 95-98
Neal Martin: 90-92
Robert Parker: 96-98+*
Decanter: 17.5 

Bright, deep crimson. Polished, scented, quite concentrated. Just a little inky. Lots of substance and classic interest. Real density. Chewy finish. Solid quality that recalls older vintages. - Jancis Robinson

Licorice, blackberry, coffee bean and blueberry aromas; this gets more complex with every sniff. And what a palate. It's so polished, soft and cuddly. Like curling up in a big cashmere blanket. Full-bodied, yet balanced and fresh. Lots of tannins. But all in harmony. Hidden giant here. - James Suckling

A mind-boggling effort, this is the finest La Fleur Petrus I have ever tasted. Layers and layers of black raspberry and black currant fruit intermixed with licorice, truffles, and earth are found in this dense ruby/purple-colored elixir. With extraordinary purity, decent acidity, melted tannins, and massive fruit along with elegance and precision, it should drink well for three decades or more. It is an amazing effort! Bravo to Christian Moueix and his team. (Tasted once.) - Robert Parker

Pétrus

Jancis: 19
Wine Spectactor: 97-100
Neal Martin: 94-96
Robert Parker: 96-100
Decanter: 19

Started picking 18/9 Sep but waited for rains. Mostly picked 1 Oct. Atypical phenological cycle. More like hot places. Acid higher than for most hot years. Very dark crimson. Very subtle and exciting on the nose. Really rich and round and vibrant. Very sweet and exciting. So luscious. Great richness, A certain gentleness of texture. Exciting. Very well mastered - no excess. Very rich too. The tannins very well hidden. 14% - Jancis Robinson

What a nose this has. I close my eyes when I smell this, and I see perfectly ripe Merlot grapes crushed in the vats. Blackberry, mineral, black licorice, coffee bean and chocolate lead to a full body, with round yet firm tannins and beautiful fruit. The luxurious finish offers a cashmere texture and gorgeous fruit. Rich and subtle. Doesn't appear to be the 2005, but very close. - James Suckling

Harvested between September 17 and the beginning of October, the 2009 Petrus reminds me of what the 1982 tasted like at a similar age. Sweet tannins along with extraordinarily pure mulberry and black cherry fruit intermixed with hints of licorice and truffle are found in this 2009 in addition to a voluptuous mouthfeel, an unctuous texture, and, for Petrus, relatively high alcohol of 14.2%. Stuffed, rich, and creamy-textured with a full-bodied, powerful, exuberant personality, it should be approachable in a decade, and last for 40-50 years. (Tasted once.) - Robert Parker

Vieux Château Certan

Jancis: 18
Wine Spectator: 97-100
Neal Martin: 92-94
Robert Parker: 96-99*
Decanter: 18.5

84% Merlot (mainly the 1942 plantings), 8% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. Same blend as in 1998, oddly – which was their reference point for Merlot. pH 3.8, 40+ hl/ha compared with the very small vintages of 2008 and 2006. 'Now that we have a better cellar, we can take more risks. In old days we couldn’t have taken 09’s risks.' Unusually low proportion of Cabernet Franc; these particular old vines just did not deliver in 2009. Very dark – much darker than Le Pin. Very luscious – more like the nose you would expect of Le Pin!  Very big and rich and full. Round and chewy and very very ripe but not heavy nor very hot. Splendid nose with great richness and savour but not excessive sweetness. Gouleyant. 13.7% - Jancis Robinson

This has an incredible nose of chocolate and berries that turns to sweet tobacco and China tea leaves. Full-bodied, with a beautiful softness and silkiness that makes you want to keep tasting it. Goes on and on. 84 percent Merlot, 8 percent Cabernet Franc and 8 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. - James Suckling

A blend of 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, subtle smoke, charcoal, Christmas spices, and licorice. Massive, unctuously textured, and rich, but at the same time refreshing and vibrant, this extraordinary effort appears to be the finest Vieux Chateau Certan made in my lifetime. (Tasted once.) - Robert Parker