A wide range of 2009 Bordeaux wines were offered at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting in January. The quality across the range of wines was quite high. The asking prices are quite high as well for the top names, so I’ve included some less familiar, albeit exceptional, wines in the list below. A few of my favorites among the stellar group of wines were:
DRY WHITES:
2009 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc: Always a top Pessac-Léognan white, the 2009 dazzles with layers of pure tropical and citrus fruits plus exotic floral, vanilla and spice tones.
2009 Château de Chantegrive, Graves: Supremely refreshing with juicy lemon and mango fruits, fresh herbs, layers of flavor and pure fruit lingering beautifully at the finish.
TOP REDS:
2009 Château Pichon-Longueville, Pauillac: Plush and velvety even at this young age with pure blackcurrant and black cherry fruits underscored by subtle herb, spice and vanilla nuances.
2009 Château La Conseillante, Pomerol: Perfectly balanced and complex with blackberry fruit, hints of cocoa, espresso, vanilla and allspice.
2009 Château Léoville-Barton, St. Julien: Luscious black and red cherry fruits, a creamy texture, floral hints plus rich, roasted herb and spice elements.
2009 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière, St. Emilion: Blackberry and cherry fruits with layers of toasty oak, flowers, roasted coffee and baking spices.
TOP “VALUE” REDS
2009 Château Poujeaux, Moulis-en-Médoc: A consistently good estate in recent years, the ’09 offers plush red and black cherry fruits interwoven with vanilla, cream, herb and spice tones.
2009 Château Croizet-Bages, Pauillac: The wines here have improved dramatically lately and this one pleases the senses with its blackberry and cherry fruits plus cedar, smoke, vanilla, herb and spice hints.
2009 Château du Tertre, Margaux: Always a big an chunky style for Margaux, the ’09 adds cocoa, vanilla and herbal nuances to its dense blackcurrant fruit.
2009 Château Olivier, Pessac-Léognan: A supple and elegantly-styled red with red cherry and blackberry fruits plus hints of fresh herbs, vanilla and spices.
2009 Château Ormes de Pez, St. Estèphe: Lovely fruit expression – red and black cherries plus blackcurrants – are backed by herb, floral and oak spice nuances.
SWEET WHITE
2009 Château Climens, Barsac: The best of the sweet whites shown, it is lavish and voluptuous with honey, butterscotch, baked apple, peach, cream, vanilla and spice layers. Completely decadent, but exotic and appealing.