Items0
Total£0
Edit
Checkout
Menu
- France
- Italy
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Chile
- Germany
- Hungary
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- South Africa
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- USA
Go back to the main Bordeaux 2009 page
To register your interest for Bordeaux 2009, please get in touch your usual sales contact, call 020 7908 0660 or email privateclients@armit.co.uk
Saint Emilion
Saint-Émilion is one of the principal red wine areas of Bordeaux along with the Médoc, Graves and Pomerol. The region is much smaller than the Médoc and adjoins Pomerol. As in Pomerol and the other appellations on the right bank of the Gironde, the primary grape varieties used are the Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with relatively small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon also being used by some chateaux.
|
La Tour du Pin 16 - armit Red fruit and nicely fragranced on the nose, this has freshness and rigour on the mid-palate and a tidy, compact structure that asks for a little time to unravel. This has definitely stepped up this year and is comfortably the best we have tasted here. Drink 2017-2030 - armit Pierre Lurton, the director of Cheval Blanc, has completely resurrected this estate since it was acquired by the owners of Cheval Blanc. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc grown in clay and gravel soils, the 2009 La Tour du Pin is the finest wine I have ever tasted from this property. It reveals terrific fruit intensity along with a full-bodied unctuosity, great purity, sweet tannins, and a heady, long finish. The alcohol level must be more than 14% given the glycerin content and the wine's thickness. It should drink well for 15+ years. (Tasted once.) Quinault L'Enclos 15.5 - armit Dark cherry fruit, simple and direct with good balance and polished tannins. Earthy, mineral notes on the finish adding complexity. This is a solid, stylish St Emilion. Drink 2015-2025- armit Now owned by the proprietors of Cheval Blanc, the 2009 Quinault l'Enclos (composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) exhibits an opaque purple color, notes of licorice, incense, raspberries, and black cherries, medium body, elegant, stylish flavors, and no hint of oak. This is a beautifully made, pure, deep wine that continues to confirm what Dr. Alain Raynaud suspected when he bought this property in 1997. The naysayers all said this terroir was suspect, but that has been proven wrong by the wines that have been produced. This 2009 should drink well for 10-20 years. (Tasted once.) Moulin St Georges, Saint Emilion Grand Cru
Rich red fruit liqueur with wild strawberry and loganberry sitting beside the perfume of violet and lavender. Very fine textures on the palate with fresh acidity and a mineral backbone providing a perfect counterpoint to the ripeness of the fruit. Sweetness from the oak comes through on the finish but there is certainly enough material to permit this to integrate over time. A St Emilion which combines elegance, charm and ripeness to offer pleasure for all palates. Drink 2017-2030 - armit Offers blueberry and mineral on the nose. Full-bodied, with a tight tannin structure and juicy fruit. Bright acidity. Very lively. La Serre, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé Jancis: 16 Quite fragrant and pale. Luscious and delicate. Relatively lightweight and the fruit seems a little too informed by the oak at the moment but there is some refreshment here. - Jancis Robinson Blueberry, blackberry and mineral aromas follow through to a full body, with fine tannins and a juicy, chocolate finish, turning velvety and beautiful. - James Suckling Tasted at JP Moueix. I always have a soft spot for La Serre and the 2009 is no different with ebullient red-berried fruit: raspberry, wild strawberry and a touch of redcurrant with fine definition. The palate is very pure, very feminine with pure red fruits, filigree tannins and a silky, beautifully delineated finish. Superb. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin |
||||
|
Larcis Ducasse Jancis: 17 Some development at the rim. Rich and super-ripe black fruits. Sweet and rather fruit-juice like. Polished and made with great elan. Super smooth. I think people would like this. The tannins have been well managed. It’s just a little too sweet for my personal taste. - Jancis Robinson Gorgeous, juicy fruit, with light wood, full and velvety tannins, and loads of Indian spices. Though there's lots going on, I was expecting a little more. - James Suckling Tasted at JP Moueix. I always have a soft spot for La Serre and the 2009 is no different with ebullient red-berried fruit: raspberry, wild strawberry and a touch of redcurrant with fine definition. The palate is very pure, very feminine with pure red fruits, filigree tannins and a silky, beautifully delineated finish. Superb. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin |
||||
|
Magdelaine, 1er Grand Cru Classé - £540 add to basket Jancis: 16+ Brilliant cherry red. Rather inexpressive on the nose. Very round and juicy with a slightly inky note on the finish. Fairly dry tannins and a hint of rusty nail. More like the traditional style than the Puy-Blanquet. Let’s see how it turns out. Flattering fruit. - Jancis Robinson Blueberry and floral aromas follow through to a full body, with racy tannins and a compacted berry and chocolate aftertaste. Expected a little more from this. - James Suckling Tasted at JP Moueix. The 2009 Magdelaine is rounded and more voluptuous on the nose than in previous years, with lifted strawberry, mulberry and black plum. Very fine definition, perhaps one could say, a little more modern. The palate is medium-bodied with very good weight, the tannins very well defined, very pure black fruit with a saline touch towards the deft, silky smooth finish. Perhaps it lacks a little persistency, but one can only admire the focus and precision here. Tasted March 2010 - Neil Martin |
||||
|
Pavie, 1er Grand Cru Classé Jancis: 18 Blackish purple. Suddenly interesting! Very distinctive. Very appetising and succulent. All pleasure but with a promise of future development. So much more satisfying and succulent than its stablemates. - Jancis Robinson Blackberry, black cherry, licorice and mineral. Full-bodied, with a big core of velvety tannins and rich fruit. Full throttle, and all there. Really massive. Blockbuster and more. Could be a tad overdone. But we will see in bottle. - James Suckling Tasted at Chateau Pavie and then at a negociant. Cropped between 5th and 15th October at 28hl/ha, a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. At the chateau: this has a very dense, introverted bouquet that opens up with aeration, to show some dense black fruit, boysenberry, kirsch and a touch of dried prune. Another bottle that had been open for 30 minutes is much fresher. The palate is full-bodied and well balanced, fine definition and brightness of fruit, not an elegant Pavie but it has panache. Firm grip on the finish with fine minerality. Excellent. The sample at the negociant had more forthright tannins that were very aggressive and dry on the finish. Difficult to pin down with so many different showings, hence the question mark for now. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin |
||||
|
Pavie Macquin, Grand Cru Classé Jancis: 16 Deep, bright crimson. Very ripe, alcoholic notes on the nose. Very sweet black cherry flavours – kirsch actually – on the palate. Super-modern elixir. Not my favourite style of wine but some will love it and it’s well done. Not too painful on the finish – just a little drying. Round and juicy and very suave with carefully chosen dry oak. Sinewy and drying. Very cool. - Jancis Robinson Superfocused and beautiful, like looking at Mont Blanc with a clear sky and a blanket of snow. Full and refined, with gorgeous fruit and wonderful refinement. Silky tannins. Clearly the best ever. - James Suckling Tasted at the Saint Emilion UGC, this has a very ripe, almost porty nose that I think is just a little over-extracted (which is a great surprise.) Macerated black cherries, cassis, apricot jam and a touch of damson. Pretty, but less would have been more. The palate shows much better balance with fine, saturated tannins, fabulous concentration with layers of spicy red fruits on the ebullient finish. Leaving my sample aside for 10 minutes, that nose does calm down as I think it will through its elevage, after which I am sure this will represent one of the top Saint Emilion wines. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin |
||||
|
Puy Blanquet - £125 add to basket Jancis: 15.5 Very deep crimson. Smudgy, low-key nose, not that fresh? Almost singed. I want a bit more freshness please! Rather pruney. - Jancis Robinson Tasted at JP Moueix. This has a soft plum and boysenberry scented bouquet with sweet red cherries developing with aeration. Moderate definition. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite supple tannins on the entry, just a touch of pepper on the entry, good backbone towards the finish that has a slight tinny edge from the Merlot. Fine. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin |
||||
|
Troplong Mondot, Grand Cru Classé |
||||
|
Pavie Decesse Jancis: 16.5 Very dark crimson. Warm, rich nose with some minerality and interest. Thick and sweet and porty. Then very dry and drying. Tarry. A bit like a syrup. To be impressed by rather than to drink with pleasure? Very dry end. - Jancis Robinson Tar and blackberry on the nose, with hints of licorice. Full-bodied and very concentrated, with loads of blackberry fruit. Massive. But slightly less extracted than the Pavie. - James Suckling Tasted at Chateau Pavie. Picked on 12th October at 26hl/ha, a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, this has a ripe, exotic bouquet lacquered in creamy new oak: macerated black cherries, creme de cassis, black plum and damson jam. Moderate definition. The palate is full-bodied with dense but well balanced tannins, showing more harmony and focus than the Monbousquet, the tannins less aggressive at this stage, although the mouth is still lacquered on the finish. Fine. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin |
||||
|
Angélus, 1er Grand Cru Classé St Emilion Jancis: 18 Very dark crimson. Rather animal on the nose. Thick and sweet but with generosity. Broad and jewelly. Shame we were not allowed to taste it blind with the other grands crus classées. Awfully sweet and concentrated, not relaxed, lots of dryness on the finish, revitalising. Hint of cocoa. - Jancis Robinson Concentrated aromas of boysenberry and raspberry jam. Full-bodied and powerful, with beautiful fruit-coated tannins and a long, spicy, rich aftertaste. All there for a top vintage from Angélus. - James Suckling Tasted at Chateau Angelus. Picked from 21st September until the 14th October, the Angelus ’09 is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the Angelus ’09 has a well-defined, creamy bouquet with pure black cherry, cassis and a touch of creme de menthe. Very rounded and sensuous. The palate is full-bodied with firm grip, the tannins robust and structured, lending a masculinity to this Saint Emilion. Grippy on the finish with touches of dried herbs and tobacco although a second sample at a négoce was endowed with a more voluptuous finish. I prefer the finesse shown by Hubert de Bouard’s Château Bellevue at present. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin |
||||
|
Ausone, 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion Jancis: 17.5+ Full and gamey and broad and expressive. Very distinctive wine. Still a bit tough and modern and super-focused. Very drying on the end. Quite demanding for now. Drying on the finish. Really quite painful – as though it had been concentrated, or certainly as though the grapes suffered quite a bit of drought stress. Lots of minerality on the finish. Very ambitious. Shades of Pavie 2003? I'm sure many palates will really, really appreciate this wine, and I look forward very much to following its progression as I have the utmost respect for Alain and now Pauline Vauthier interviewed here about the effect of the hail damage her family's vineyards suffered in May. I see the fiche technique specifies a yield of 27hl/ha and 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot but no picking date and I seem to have forgotten to ask. - Jancis Robinson Such a dreamy, perfumed aroma to this wine. Full-bodied, but wonderfully polished and integrated. It touches every millimeter of your palate and the texture makes you want to cry. It touches your soul. Goes on for minutes. Another perfect red? - James Suckling I tasted this three separate times and on two occasions, I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine. The home estate of Hubert de Bouard, this 62+ acre vineyard produce a 60%Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, blend in 2009, with yields of 20 hectoliters per hectars and a whopping alcohol degree of 14.5. Of course, the later component is no even noticeable, as that is one of the erroneous myths about wine alcohol in some 2009 bordeaux. It just doesn't show, thanks to the wine extraodinary concentration. This is a fabulous wine, with that tell-tale, dense, inky blue color that Angelus always seems to achieve. It displays an extraodinary nose of acacia flowers (or is it violets?) intermixed with blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, cassis, licorice, incence and graphite. Full bodied viscous with great intensity, vibrancy and transparency, this is one of the all time great wines from Angelus and a 21st century version of their 1989 and 1990. It should drink well for 20+ years- at the very minimum. (Tasted three times). - Robert Parker |
||||
|
Bellevue Mondotte, Grand Cru Saint Emilion armit: 14 |
||||
|
Cheval Blanc, 1er Grand Cru Saint Emilion Jancis: 18.5 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. 85% of the total went into the grand vin – they were so pleased, especially with the Merlot. Very rich and comfortable on the nose. Very juicy. Dry finish. Very serious wine. Lots of layers and a dry finish. Pretty long – opens out on the finish. But it’s not a knocker-off-of-socks and has rather more classic Cheval character than some recent vintages. It's really quite subtle – but then there's no over-the-top ripeness, which is a relief. Rather contained and pretty. The challenge on the right bank after all was to keep it all in check... (compared with the left bank, which could wallow more in the extra ripeness). Certainly not that sweet... Almost like a child told to concentrate and do its piano practice. 13.9% - Jancis Robinson I have never smelled a Cheval like this, with red fruit and an undertone of seashell, lilac and sandalwood that makes you dream, turning to chocolate. Full-bodied, but tight and precise with a laser-guided finish of ultrafine tannins. Superlong. 60 percent Merlot and 40 percent Cabernet Franc. This is like the 1990 but superclean. - James Suckling The harvest for the 2009 Cheval Blanc began in mid-September and finished on October 8. One of this estate’s greatest wines, the 2009 (58% Merlot and 42% Cabernet Franc) came in at 13.5% natural alcohol (some lots were as high as 14.5%). The wine exhibits sumptuous aromatics of subtle menthol intermixed with caramel, black raspberries, mulberries, kirsch, and cassis. With a stupendous opulence and a fleshy mouthfeel, but no heaviness or fatigue, this dense wine is staggeringly concentrated, very full-bodied, powerful, and silky smooth. Irresistible already, it is almost frightening to think how compelling this beauty should be in a few years. (Tasted once.) Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050. - Robert Parker |
||||