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 produced a 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc blend in 2009, with yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare, and a whopping alcohol degree of 14.5%. Of course, the latter component is not even noticeable, as that is one of the erroneous myths about high alcohol in some 2009 Bordeaux. It just doesn’t show, thanks to the wine’s extraordinary concentration. This is a fabulous wine, with that tell-tale, dense, inky blue color that Angelus always seems to achieve. It displays an extraordinary nose of acacia flowers (or is it violets?) intermixed with blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, cassis, licorice, incense, 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, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

The 2009 Ausone, was produced at probably twice the yields of the absolutely remarkable 2008, but is another profound effort from Vauthier. Dense purple in color, with an almost liqueur of limestone intermixed with acacia flowers, blueberry, raspberry, and boysenberry fruit, the use of 100% new oak is completely concealed by the wealth of fruit and the lavish richness this wine exhibits. Nevertheless, there is a striking precision, minerality, and purity to Ausone. This wine might be far more drinkable in 7-8 years than the 2005 or 2008 will be with the same amount of aging. Nevertheless, any person lucky enough to latch on to one of the 1200 or so cases of this wine should realize it is going to evolve for 20-50 years. (Tasted once.)

Two more brilliant wines from Alain Vauthier, but you might have to forgive me for not giving a potentially perfect score in 2009. Readers (and I) have been spoiled by my reviews of 2008, 2005, 2003, and 2000. Certainly, his 2009 may turn out to be as riveting, but at this stage, I would have to rate all those vintages just a notch or two higher.

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

The 2009 Ausone, was produced at probably twice the yields of the absolutely remarkable 2008, but is another profound effort from Vauthier. Dense purple in color, with an almost liqueur of limestone intermixed with acacia flowers, blueberry, raspberry, and boysenberry fruit, the use of 100% new oak is completely concealed by the wealth of fruit and the lavish richness this wine exhibits. Nevertheless, there is a striking precision, minerality, and purity to Ausone. This wine might be far more drinkable in 7-8 years than the 2005 or 2008 will be with the same amount of aging. Nevertheless, any person lucky enough to latch on to one of the 1200 or so cases of this wine should realize it is going to evolve for 20-50 years. (Tasted once.)

Two more brilliant wines from Alain Vauthier, but you might have to forgive me for not giving a potentially perfect score in 2009. Readers (and I) have been spoiled by my reviews of 2008, 2005, 2003, and 2000. Certainly, his 2009 may turn out to be as riveting, but at this stage, I would have to rate all those vintages just a notch or two higher.

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

Unquestionably the finest Balestard-La-Tonnelle since the 1982, it is good to see this property return to form. The vineyard suffered hail damage in mid-May, which reduced the yields for 2009, resulting in superb concentration. A dense plum/purple color is followed by aromas of scorched earth, new saddle leather, blackberry, cassis, licorice, and herbs. Deep, chewy, and full-bodied with an unctuous texture, this superb sleeper of the vintage should drink well for 15-20 years. By the way, the 1982 is still going strong. (Tasted three times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

A tiny crop of 18 hectoliters per hectare (the result of the mid-May hail damage) lead to an opaque purple-colored, richest, most concentrated, biggest Barde-Haut made to date. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 possesses an intense bouquet of mulberries, boysenberries, charcoal, toast, and graphite. Extremely full-bodied, thick, and viscous with good freshness and definition as well as sweet, but high tannins, this beauty can be enjoyed over the next two decades. (Tasted two times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

Unquestionably the greatest Beausejour-Duffau since the 1990, this property has made a strong comeback under the brilliant management of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt. One of St.-Emilion’s greatest terroirs, it has underperformed in most vintages, although it generally produces very interesting wines because of its location and old vines. The 2009 is a whopper. A blend of 77% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 14.8% natural alcohol, there is no hint of its aging in 100% new oak barrels given the extraordinary concentration and texture of the fruit. An inky/purple color is accompanied by a sumptuous bouquet of spring flowers, black truffles, wet rocks, blackberries, and black currants. The wine builds incrementally in the mouth with an ethereal lightness and precision that is unexpected in view of its massive concentration, power, and intensity. One of the vintage’s most compelling efforts, it should evolve for 30-40 years. Bravo! (Tasted three times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

2009 Chateau Bellevue 93-95
Tasted at Chateau Angelus. A blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the Bellevue ’09 has a rounded, silky smooth nose of kirsch, orange liqueur, honey and cedar with fine definition and focus. This is a very classy bouquet. The palate is full-bodied with firm, structure tannins, very fine balance and focus, great purity and expression. Very good grip, a more masculine Bellevue but with greater breeding than in previous vintages, the minerality on the finish quite enthralling. Superb. Tasted March 2010.

Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com

  Wine notes

There is virtually none of this wine to be found, as it is Gerard Perse’s tiniest property, a five-acre parcel on a high limestone plateau at an elevation above that of Pavie Decesse and nearby Pavie Macquin. The vines average 47 years of age, and the blend here is 90% Merlot and the rest split between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields were a meager 22 hectoliters per hectare, and the alcohol is 14.5%. This wine is fermented in oak tanks, malolactic in barrel, aged on its lees, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. A brilliant wine, opaque blue/purple in color, with an extraordinary nose of the essence of wet rocks intermixed with a floral perfume aspect, it displays enormous creme de cassis, mulberry, and boysenberry fruit, full-bodied opulence, viscous texture, tremendous purity, yet a vibrancy and vivacity due to the unusual vintage conditions, which have provided both massive concentration and huge tannins, yet clarity, precision, and elegance. This is a monster wine that should drink well for 30 or more years. (Tasted two times.)

RobertParker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

2009 Chateau Berliquet 91-93
Tasted at the Saint Emilion UGC, this has a ripe, almost exotic nose that flirts with over-extraction (but only flirts.) The palate is well balanced with layers of sappy black fruit, good acidity and a finesse on the finish that counterpoises its power to the right degree. Harmonious and modern in style, this is a very fine 2009 from the estate. Tasted March 2010.

Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com

  Wine notes

This is the best Canon since 1982, and it is possibly capable of eclipsing that legendary vintage. It has taken a while for the proprietors, the Wertheimer brothers (the owners of Chanel and the Margaux estate Rauzan-Segla) to get Canon back to its former glory. Yields in 2009 were 35 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest occurred between September 28 and October 5. The blend is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, with a natural alcohol level of 14%. Dense ruby/purple and full-bodied, with terrific blueberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with spring flower garden scents, with extraordinary density, purity, and a multi-layered texture, this is a prodigious Canon with sweet tannins and lots of viscosity. It should drink well for 30 or more years. Bravo! (Tasted three times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

Proprietor Stephan von Neipperg has made so many terrific wines at this estate since the late 1980s, it’s hard to say that the 2009 is going to turn out to be the finest, but did it show well on the four separate times I tasted it! A final blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and a whopping 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (somewhat unusual for this area of St.-Emilion), the natural alcohol was 14%. Stephane Derenoncourt is the long-time wine consultant at all of Stephan von Neipperg’s estates. Yields were shockingly low here, 28 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine is a beauty of both elegance and power. Dark ruby/purple, with notes of incense, sweet cedar, black cherry jam, cassis, and blackberry as well as licorice and subtle smoke, this wine has superb texture, a full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning concentration, and not a hard edge to be found. It is one of those remarkable 2009s with amazing power and density, but also tremendous finesse, precision, and freshness, an anomaly in itself. This wine should drink well for 15-20 years, based on the fact that the 1990, a vintage far lower in acidity and not nearly as concentrated, is still at the top of its game. Bravo! (Tasted four times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

The second wine, La Chapelle d’Ausone, is remarkable, and in 2009, one of the great second wines of Bordeaux. Dense purple in color, with lots of incense, crushed rock, blueberries, and floral notes, the wine is dense, opulent, medium to full-bodied, and very pure and impressive. It should drink well for 20 or more years. (Tasted once.)

Two more brilliant wines from Alain Vauthier, but you might have to forgive me for not giving a potentially perfect score in 2009. Readers (and I) have been spoiled by my reviews of 2008, 2005, 2003, and 2000. Certainly, his 2009 may turn out to be as riveting, but at this stage, I would have to rate all those vintages just a notch or two higher.

RobertParker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

The second wine, La Chapelle d’Ausone, is remarkable, and in 2009, one of the great second wines of Bordeaux. Dense purple in color, with lots of incense, crushed rock, blueberries, and floral notes, the wine is dense, opulent, medium to full-bodied, and very pure and impressive. It should drink well for 20 or more years. (Tasted once.)

Two more brilliant wines from Alain Vauthier, but you might have to forgive me for not giving a potentially perfect score in 2009. Readers (and I) have been spoiled by my reviews of 2008, 2005, 2003, and 2000. Certainly, his 2009 may turn out to be as riveting, but at this stage, I would have to rate all those vintages just a notch or two higher.

RobertParker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

The 2009 Clos de l’Oratoire, a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, exhibits an inky/ruby/purple color along with a big, sweet nose of incense, blackberries, blueberries, cedar, and spice box. Rich, opulent, and full-bodied, this offering is a complete turn-on that should provide enormous pleasure over the next 10-15 years. (Tasted four times.)

Stefan von Neipperg’s 25-acre St.-Emilion estate (planted in clay and limestone) had slight hail damage, which resulted in somewhat smaller yields (28 hectoliters per hectare). 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

This is a perennial superstar thanks to the efforts of proprietor Philippe Cuvelier and the estate’s manager, Tony Ballu. This beautifully-situated, nearly 48-acre vineyard, high on the clay and deep limestone plateau just adjacent to the town walls of St.-Emilion, was harvested between September 28 and October 13, with yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare. The natural alcohol turned out to be 14%. A magical wine, it may have a hard time eclipsing the 2005, but it is another prodigious effort in its own right. The dense purple color offers up notes of white chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, crushed rock, and white flowers. Textured, full-bodied, enormously pure, and voluptuously textured, it is nearly too easy to drink because of the exquisite balance and seamless integration of all its component parts. This is a killer Clos Fourtet that should drink well young yet evolve for 20+ years. (Tasted five times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

This is the well-run St.-Emilion property of the talented Jean-Philippe Janoueix, who does such a great job with his generic Bordeaux, Croix Mouton, and Pomerol’s La Croix St.-Georges. Yields were cropped at 32 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend is 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc coming in at a whopping 14.8% alcohol. I had it four separate times, three of which were very consistent, and once slightly less evolved, but that was on the first day I was in Bordeaux rather than the 12th day, and wines made like this – aged sur-lie with a “hands off” philosophy – were often coming off their post-malolactic lees. Dense purple in color with a beautifully sweet nose of charcoal, red, blue, and black fruits, licorice, and a hint of toasty oak, this opaque wine has tremendous density, thick, juicy, fruit, and unctuous texture, and a long, long, finish. It should be relatively approachable in its youth, since the tannin, alcohol, and wood are largely concealed by the overwhelming density of the wine, and last for up to 20 or more years. (Tasted four times.) 

 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

This estate sits on a gentle hillside near Alain Moueix’s biodynamically run Chateau Fonroque. A strong effort for the vintage, this blend of 70% Merlot and the rest split between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc possesses a dense ruby/purple color, silky tannins, loads of black cherries, plums, and iron-like notes. Medium to full-bodied and round, with the natural alcohol hitting 14%, this wine should drink well for 10-15 years. (Tasted four times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

La Couspaude is often a modern styled, glaringly oaky wine, but the outstanding 2009 has pulled back from the oak, and the result is a far less aggressively woody effort than usual. Its dense purple color is accompanied by a big, sweet bouquet of kirsch liqueur, raspberries, loamy soil, and subtle oak. Full-bodied with copious glycerin, sweet tannin, and a long, silky finish, it should drink well for 15 years. (Tasted four times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

It’s too bad there are only 300 or so cases of this wine, made from 100% Merlot. I just had a bottle of the 2000, which was an off-the-chart, awesome wine with sumptuous texture. The 2009 strikes me as a worthy competitor to their brilliant 2005. Almost tasting like blackberry or blueberry ice cream with a hint of raspberry syrup on top, this opaque ruby/purple wine is pure and totally seductive. The 2009 offers more glycerin, power, and alcoholic potency, but the sweet tannins, the velvety texture, the beautiful purity are all there to admire and consume. It should drink well for 10-15 years. (Tasted two times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

2009 Chateau Dassault 90-92
Tasted at the Association de Crus Classé tasting at Grand Pontet. Lifted black cherry and blueberry fruit on the nose with good definition and freshness. Well integrated new oak. The palate is well balanced with fine tannins, harmonious, quite suave with lovely black cherry, blueberry and cooked meat flavours on the well defined finish. Very fine. Tasted March 2010.

Neil Martin, eRobertParker.com

  Wine notes

A superb effort from Destieux, which has been on a relatively hot streak over recent vintages, the opaque blue/purple 2009 reveals an exquisite nose of incense, spring flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, charcoal, and background oak. Dense, corpulent, and full-bodied with abundant power as well as a skyscraper-like textural impression as well as lots of silkiness, glycerin, and richness, this big, powerful, quasi-modern-styled St.-Emilion can be drunk over the next 15-20 years. (Tasted three times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

The greatest La Dominique since the 1989 and 1990, the 2009 was fashioned by the brilliant duo of Jean-Philippe Fort (Michel Rolland’s top lieutenant) and Jean-Luc Thunevin (the bad boy of St.-Emilion). Made from 100% Merlot (which must be a “first” for this estate), and with 14.3% alcohol, this will be a thrilling wine to drink over the next 20-25 years. Dense purple-hued with loads of black raspberries, black cherries, truffles, earth, and spice, it is an opulent, viscous effort with extraordinary intensity, purity, and richness, and a superb finish of nearly 45 seconds. It will be drinkable young, yet is capable of lasting a long time. Bravo! P.S. It is good to see this 58-acre vineyard return to form after a somewhat listless period of performances. (Tasted three times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

Two powerful efforts from proprietor Silvio Denz, the 2009 Faugeres may turn out to be one of the two or three finest examples of this cuvee. Fresh, with bright acids, a dense opaque purple color, and notes of graphite, blueberries, black currants, smoke, and charcoal, this full-bodied, intense, textured, rich 2009 is a blend of 85% Merlot and the rest primarily Cabernet Franc with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. Amazingly, it achieved 14.5% natural alcohol, and should drink well for 15+ years. Faugeres’ brain trust of consultants includes Michel Rolland and Stefan von Neipperg. (Tasted three times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

The 2009 La Fleur Morange Mathilde is bottled early in order to emphasize the fruit character of the vineyard. With 14.5% alcohol, it is an exuberant, pure, hedonistic pleasure bomb filled with fruit and glycerin. Medium to full-bodied with no hard edges, it was fashioned from 100% Merlot from 50+-year old vines. (Tasted once.)

The brilliant Narbonne-based oenologist Claude Gros is the force behind these two fascinating offerings from St.-Emilion. 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

From yields of 27 hectoliters per hectare, the fruit for the uber-concentrated 2009 Fombrauge was harvested between October 6 and 22, very late in 2009, thus the super ripeness, concentration, and density. Notes of truffles, graphite, blackberries, and blueberries jump from the glass of this full-bodied, unctuously textured, thick, juicy St.-Emilion. The abundant tannin is largely concealed by the extravagant fruit and richness. The final blend is approximately 3/4 Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It should drink well in 3-4 years, and last for 15-20. (Tasted three times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

Made by Ausone’s proprietor, Alain Vauthier, this attractive, round, pretty wine is soft and generous, with loads of blueberry and raspberry fruit as well as hints of incense and crushed rock. It should drink well for a decade or more. (Tasted once.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

Probably the best effort this estate has produced to date, this very voluptuously textured, soft, silky, full-bodied wine displays oodles of red and black fruits intermixed with licorice, underbrush, and foresty notes. It is dense, hedonistic, and certainly the best I have ever tasted from Franc Mayne. Moreover, an advantage will be its early drinkability, although it is certainly capable of lasting 15 or more years. (Tasted two times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

This estate had hail damage in mid-May, and yields were dramatically lower. One-hundred percent Merlot with 15% natural alcohol, there are more rustic tannins in this wine than normally, as this is usually a silky sexpot of a wine, voluptuous and opulent. This is certainly deep and rich, but it is a bit leaner and more austere than usual. The wine is full-bodied, powerful, but I do have a few lingering reservations about the type of tannins in the wine. (Tasted four times, inconsistent notes.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

It’s a shame so little of this wine is made by sculptor Michel Gracia from his nearly eight acres of relatively old vines (all planted in clay and limestone soils). Yields were a minuscule 19 hectoliters per hectare in 2009, and the final blend was 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. A wine of enormous potential as well as character, this powerhouse (14.5% natural alcohol) offers up striking aromas of crushed rocks (almost to the point of being a liqueur of minerality), spring flowers, and black fruits as well as layer upon layer of fruit and concentration. One of the most prodigious offerings of the vintage, it is very much in character with previous Gracias, which tend to have a kinship with Chateau Ausone (not surprising since Michel Gracia is a dear friend of Alain Vauthier, who lends some informal support in the winemaking). This brilliant 2009 should age effortlessly for 25+ years. (Tasted three times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

Sylvie Pourquet owns this property and has produced a wine of 70% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Michel Rolland’s top assistant, Jean Philippe Fort, is the consultant. Alcohol here hit 14.5%, which seems to be a target for many St.-Emilions in 2009. This wine has a dense purple color, a sweet nose of red and black currants intermixed with incense, subtle background oak, fleshy, open-knit, light, opulent flavors, silky tannins, and a long, exuberant, even flamboyant finish, with terrific purity and overall balance. It should drink well for 15 or more years. (Tasted two times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

This outstanding l’Arrosee is consistent with the Burgundian style that this terroir routinely produces. Never massive, at its best it offers intense flavors of kirsch, raspberry, crushed rock, and spice box. The full-bodied flavors are ethereal in their delicacy. Full, but stylish, precise, intense, and never heavy, this beauty can be drunk early or cellared for two decades or more. (Tasted three times.)

  Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

One of the old, historic vineyards in St.-Emilion, owned by a family that goes back to the 1400s, this wine has gone from strength to strength over the last decade. Cropped at 33 hectoliters per hectare in 2009, during a harvest that took place between September 29 and October 9, the final blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc will never produce a massive wine, but rather one of great elegance. The difference in 2009 is that this wine also has compelling intensity of fruit, and more opulence and viscosity than usual. At 13.5%, the alcohol is relatively modest compared to what many St.-Emilions achieved in this vintage. Dense purple, with terrific purity and a thickness without heaviness, black cherry, black currant, and super-concentrated cranberry and kirsch notes as well as hints of spring flowers and minerals are all present in this medium to full-bodied wine. It also possesses fabulous purity, texture, and transparency. Drink it over the next 30-35 years. (Tasted four times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

This nearly 12-acre parcel on the clay and limestone plateau above Pavie Decesse has produced a killer succession of wines ever since the debut vintage of 1996. The 2000, tasted in preparation for a big article on that vintage, is just out of this world, as is the 1998, and remarkably, a very underrated wine, the 1997. The 2009 looks like another phenomenal effort. Is it better than 2005, 2000, or 1998? It’s too early to tell. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this wine tips the scales at an all-time high of 14.5% alcohol. Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt, who makes this wine for Stephan von Neipperg, said the crop yields were 18 hectoliters per hectare. The wine is painfully rich, but at the same time retains an extraordinary elegance and freshness. A full-bodied wine with plenty of raspberries, red and black currants, and a cool minerality, the wine is full-bodied, powerful, yet at the same time possesses sweet tannins, a very layered mouthfeel, and dazzling purity and length. It will need 5-7 years of cellaring and will drink well for three decades. (Tasted four times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

A tiny production (300 cases of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc) from a site near the limestone/clay soils of Clos Fourtet, this is a single vineyard offering from proprietor Jonathan Malthus. The 2009 offers a liqueur of minerality intermixed with blackberry and black currant fruit, sweet, subtle smoke, and a full-bodied, rich mouthfeel. The natural alcohol hit 14.4% in this blockbuster. It should drink well for 15-20 years. (Tasted once.)

RobertParker, Wine Advocate (188)

The flagship estate of Jonathan Malthus, Le Dome may be the St.-Emilion with the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc (80% in 2009, blended with 20% Merlot). A consistent winner, 2009 may turn out to be the finest wine he has yet produced from this vineyard (although the 2008 will give it a run for its money). A distinctive wine of great length and elegance as well as unmistakable power and authority, the 2009 exhibits beautiful floral, black raspberry, cranberry, cassis, and subtle smoke aromas. Building incrementally in the mouth, the wine reveals medium to full body, an ethereal, nearly sublime style, sweet tannin, and a velvety, opulent finish. This superb St.-Emilion should drink well for two decades or more. (Tasted once.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

The best Le Prieure I have ever tasted, this 2009 is a hedonist’s dream. Huge red and black fruit aromas soar from the glass of this deep ruby/purple-tinged beauty. With velvety tannin, a full-bodied, opulent personality, and a knock-out finish with no hard edges, it is already impossible to resist, so enjoy it over the next decade or more. (Tasted three times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

A tiny, single vineyard wine from Jonathan Malthus, the 2009 Les Asteries is the finest effort I have tasted among the nearly half dozen vintages offered to date. From a vineyard that was once part of Chateau Fonroque, it boasts a dense purple color, a big, sweet perfume of graphite, blueberries, and blackberries, full body, abundant glycerin, beautiful density and succulence, as well as a sumptuous, long (40-45 seconds) finish. Sadly, there are only 300-350 cases of this beauty. It should evolve for 20+ years. (Tasted once.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

This is a solidly made, modern-style St.-Emilion from nearly eight acres of vineyards, with one parcel planted in 1901. Yields were just 25 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine hit 13.8% alcohol. Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt teams up with proprietor Michael Bortolussi to produce this rather showy, flamboyantly styled St.-Emilion with an opaque ruby/purple color, plenty of sweet plum, black currant, and black cherry fruit with some licorice, roasted herbs, and sweet oak. An intense 2009, this wine has good acidity, high but ripe tannin, and should drink well for 15 or more years. (Tasted two times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

This opaque blue/purple-tinged 2009 (100% Merlot from the best parcel of the Fombrauge vineyard) possesses a bouquet of creosote, truffles, graphite, smoke, blueberries, and assorted black fruits. It is an extreme, super-extracted, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated St.-Emilion boasting massive levels of extract, tannin, and glycerin. It needs 8-10 years of cellaring, and should last for 25-30 years. The fruit was harvested between October 5 and 8. While this is clearly the modernist approach to winemaking, the 2000 tasted recently was showing fabulously well, giving all indications of being a 30-year wine. (Tasted two times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

This opaque blue/purple-tinged 2009 (100% Merlot from the best parcel of the Fombrauge vineyard) possesses a bouquet of creosote, truffles, graphite, smoke, blueberries, and assorted black fruits. It is an extreme, super-extracted, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated St.-Emilion boasting massive levels of extract, tannin, and glycerin. It needs 8-10 years of cellaring, and should last for 25-30 years. The fruit was harvested between October 5 and 8. While this is clearly the modernist approach to winemaking, the 2000 tasted recently was showing fabulously well, giving all indications of being a 30-year wine. (Tasted two times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

One of the most satisfying and popular wines among wine consumers in all of Bordeaux is Monbousquet, and even though it is not the best terroir, what Gerard and Chantal Perse have done with this property, which used to make wines that tasted like vegetal, watered-down Beaujolais, is remarkable. Yields in 2009 were 28 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (the traditional blend here) tips the scales at 14.2% alcohol. Absolutely no new oak is showing, which is unusual for this wine, but that tells you how concentrated and textured the fruit is in this vintage. Dense ruby/purple to the rim, with plenty of exotic black fruits, jammy red fruits, some truffle, roasted herbs, and incense, the wine is full-bodied, luscious, exuberant, and opulent. It will be impossible to resist in its youth. This wine should drink well for 10-15 or more years, given the fact that a recently tasted 2000 was still an adolescent. (Tasted five times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

One of the most satisfying and popular wines among wine consumers in all of Bordeaux is Monbousquet, and even though it is not the best terroir, what Gerard and Chantal Perse have done with this property, which used to make wines that tasted like vegetal, watered-down Beaujolais, is remarkable. Yields in 2009 were 28 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (the traditional blend here) tips the scales at 14.2% alcohol. Absolutely no new oak is showing, which is unusual for this wine, but that tells you how concentrated and textured the fruit is in this vintage. Dense ruby/purple to the rim, with plenty of exotic black fruits, jammy red fruits, some truffle, roasted herbs, and incense, the wine is full-bodied, luscious, exuberant, and opulent. It will be impossible to resist in its youth. This wine should drink well for 10-15 or more years, given the fact that a recently tasted 2000 was still an adolescent. (Tasted five times.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes