It seems that 2009 Bordeaux is the only vintage to buy, no?

[JimHow]

If the 2010 Sociando can indeed be purchased for the $40.97 price listed on the PJs site, then I may break my own boycott. But that reasonable price seems by far to be the exception to the rule for 2010 (and beyond?).

[Blanquito]

I've bought a total of 89 bottles of 2009 Bordeaux futures (31 bottles are 375ml). Most are in quantities of 3-5 bottles, with only full cases of the Cantemerle and Marquis-de-Terme.

In decreasing order of quantity, I will someday take delivery of the following 22 chateau (only 9 are Right Bankers):
Cantemerle
Marquis-de-Terme
Poujeaux
Fombrauge
Gazin
Grand Mayne
Lafon Rochet
Armailhac
Arrosee
Beychevelle
Calon Segur
Lagune
St. Pierre
Barde-Haut
Chasse Spleen
Fonroque
Gloria
Lanessan
Nenin
Pipeau
Fleur Morange Mathilde
Lynch Bages

[DavidG]

I'm on the same wavelength Jim. I figured 2005 would be the last great vintage I'd stock up on, but the early-drinking promise and voluptuous descriptions of many of the lesser (under $50) '09s reeled me back in.

[Jeff Leve]

Parker hosted a tasting in Hong Kong about a week ago of twenty, 2009 Bordeaux wines. Some of his thoughts on the wines and the vintgage can be found here.... www.thewinecellarinsider.com/?p=18828

2009 is really about style. At its best, its a vintage of hedonistic pleasure and purity. For people who consider that a turn on, this is a special vintage. For others that perfer traditional stylings, it's probably not a year for them...

[JimHow]

How would you compare 2009 to 2000 Jeff?

[Jeff Leve]

Jim... 2000 is a better vintage across the board. 2009 is less consistent. But 2009 hits higher peaks. The best Pauillac, St. Estephe and Pomerol are for my palate, better than what we saw with 2000. 2000 is ripe, round, concentrated and elegant. 2009 shares those qualities, but 2009 is more flashy, riper and richer. 2009 is riper and while it's higher in alcohol, because of the wealth of fruit found in the wines, there is no sensation of heat. 2009 is a decadent wine lovers dream vintage. Traditionalists will cry foul. I've always been about pleasure and that's what's found in 2009. 2009 will also drink earlier than 2000.

[chris kissack]

The UGC gang hit London much earlier than they come to the US, and so I've tasted many of the 2009s again now that they are in bottle. The vintage is consistently great on the left bank, but more important than this is the distinctive style of the vintage. It has a really seductive, velvety flesh that hides the tannins really well in the vast majority of cases, so much so they have a 'soft' feel to the midpalate which was unexpected. I've just finished writing up my left bank notes; star of the left bank was Léoville-Poyferré, but Léoville-Barton, Pichon-Baron, Domaine de Chevalier and many, many others were all brilliant....if you can take the style that is. The is the exact converse of the more savoury style of Bordeaux of yesteryear.

On the right bank, I'm not sure commune-based comments are very useful. There is a broad array of styles available both in St Emilion and Pomerol. This was brought home to me during the primeurs tastings in 2010 when Petrus (100% Merlot) was vying for my "wine of the vintage", showing that there was brilliant quality here, and yet there were also some that seemed baked, tannic and extracted. A very diverse spread; the consistency of the left bank wasn't found so readily on the right bank. There were many variables, including (1) use of Cabernet - many wines of the left bank communes north of the city of Bordeaux are hugely successful because they went Cabernet-heavy in their blending and excluded/reduced Merlot use, but this was not open to all on the right bank where Cabernet Franc did not do so well in the drought (despite this - some 100% Merlot wines are still amazing) (2) picking dates, ranging from mid-September giving wines with more freshness, to mid-October in the likes of Pavie and Pavie-Decesse.

Sadly the number of right bank wines at the UGC tasting are nowhere near the number of wines tasted during the primeurs and so don't really allow for a 'proper' re-examination of the vintage. But of the handful of wines I tasted, there was still a very broad range of style and quality.

For my palate, which clearly won't reflect all other opinions, it's a strong vintage overall, but with broader and more consistent success on the left bank than on the right.

Going off on a slight tangent I was in Bordeaux again in October and had the opportunity to retaste some 2010s; this is also a lovely vintage, but in a different style, and tasting better every time I get to it. Rich but not the velvety plushness of 2009. Much closer to something like 1996 left bank or 2000 perhaps than 2009.

Anyway, sorry for going on and on!

(edited for some poor grammar!)

[Bacchus]

Don't apologize, Chris. We're all addicts here, and I for one am glad that you and Jeff have joined the conversation. One of the things I find interesting about our attempts to zero in on 09 and 10 by comparing them to one another and to earlier vintages, is that 05 has been left almost entirely out of the conversation. I noticed that same omission from Parker's recent comments in the link provided by Jeff. When dividing the great vintages into two groups, 05 is not there: "He spoke about two types of great Bordeaux vintages. Years like 1921, 1929, 1947, 1959, 1982, 1990, 2003 and 2009. Those vintages all offered great tasting experiences in their young, exuberant youth. The other style of great Bordeaux wines often take decades to develop, for example, 1928, 1945, 1961, 2000 and 2010." I can't help but wonder which list 05 belongs to? Or could it be that 05 transcends the division, strongly sharing traits of both, thereby allowing it to reclaim the title of vintage of the century.

[Jeff Leve]

One of the things I find interesting about our attempts to zero in on 09 and 10 by comparing them to one another and to earlier vintages, is that 05 has been left almost entirely out of the conversation. I noticed that same omission from Parker's recent comments in the link provided by Jeff. When dividing the great vintages into two groups, 05 is not there: "He spoke about two types of great Bordeaux vintages. Years like 1921, 1929, 1947, 1959, 1982, 1990, 2003 and 2009. Those vintages all offered great tasting experiences in their young, exuberant youth. The other style of great Bordeaux wines often take decades to develop, for example, 1928, 1945, 1961, 2000 and 2010." I can't help but wonder which list 05 belongs to?

2005, due to the ripeness of the tannins should offer pleasure earler much earlier than years like 1961. But my guess is, the wines will take a long time to develop secondary characteristics. Most of the people on this site have been around for a while and probably have some wines in their cellars they can enjoy while letting the 2005's age and develop. I'm laying mine down for at least another decade.

However, I have been drinking my Cotes de Castillons and even a few St. Emilions already. They are delicious....

[DavidG]

Chris and Jeff,

Any thoughts on '09 Pessac, in general or specifically estates that did well? Haut Brion and La Mish are now out of my price range, but I am a fan of the commune. Will the "Graves-y-ness" of the wines be able to shine through the ripe lushness of the vintage?

[chris kissack]

Hi David

If there is one wine which transcends the vintage it is Domaine de Chevalier, it was notable during the primeurs for its pure, red-fruited style, and tasted recently it has retained that elegant character.

Other wines are equally impressive but more within the style of the vintage, so perhaps not what you are looking for. But Haut-Bailly is superb, as is - and I haven't always been a fan - Lascombes. Although this is usually smothered in new oak I think the rich flesh of the vintage stood up to this treatment very well and was more than a match for it.

For value, la Louvière may be worth a punt.

I have just posted my most recent notes on Pessac 2009 here: http://www.thewinedoctor.com/tastingsfo ... gnan.shtml

[Jeff Leve]

Chris and Jeff,

Any thoughts on '09 Pessac, in general or specifically estates that did well? Haut Brion and La Mish are now out of my price range, but I am a fan of the commune. Will the "Graves-y-ness" of the wines be able to shine through the ripe lushness of the vintage?

David... For my money, Haut Bailly is the wine to buy in 2009 from Pessac Leognan. I bought it. IMO, it's the best wine theyt have ever made. I like Domaine de Chevalier in 2009, but it's one of the few Pessac Leognan wines I prefer in 2010, for both red and white. Smith Haut Lafitte is strong in both vintages as well and so Malartic. Pape Clement is strong as well, but perhaps a bit too pricey for me.

[DavidG]

Thanks, guys, I've already got Dom de Chevalier and Haut Bailly on order, as well as Branon and Haut-Bergey from Pessac. Might pick up some Louviere, SHL and Malartic. Think it makes sense to buy now or wait until they show up on retailers' shelves?

Pape Clement is too pricey for me at this stage.

[Jeff Leve]

Branon will probably get a high score and there is not much of it. I loved the wine!

[DavidG]

Jeff, I bought Branon early on based on RP's notes. Sounded right up my alley and your notes confirm it.

I'm getting an itchy trigger finger for the '09 La Lagune ($56 at PJs) and Smith Haut Lafitte ($104 at PJs).

Somebody talk me down... (like that's gonna happen here!)

[JimHow]

I think there are only like 3 bottles left of the 2009 La Lagune at PJs, David, so you better pull the trigger. For me, the obsession is '09 Domaine de Chevalier at $72.

[chris kissack]

Thanks, guys, I've already got Dom de Chevalier and Haut Bailly on order, as well as Branon and Haut-Bergey from Pessac. Might pick up some Louviere, SHL and Malartic. Think it makes sense to buy now or wait until they show up on retailers' shelves?

Pape Clement is too pricey for me at this stage.

With Haut-Bailly and Domaine de Chevalier both coming your way, I think you can relax safe in the knowledge that you have the best already!

I'm not sure about when you should buy. At this point I'm probably inclined to say wait until they hit the shelves, but speaking from a UK perspective that's because that will allow me to pick up odd bottles, 1-2 of each, usually at a reasonable price, at retailers which have a track record of provided small volumes of bottles competitvely priced compared to other retailers. I'm not sure what the market is like in the US.

[Chasse-Spleen]

It sounds to me like 2009 is an idealized version of 2003. Nothing wrong with that. However I'm a little surprised at some of the 'classicists' here who are lusting after it.
-Chasse

[Blanquito]

I love the savory style of the Bordeaux of yesteryear...

David, if it helps, hold off, these wines will be available on release for the same price, maybe even cheaper (see 2005 Bordeaux prices on WineBid). Try them then when they come out, in what 6-8 months? And let us know!

[Houndsong]

It's no wonder the lust. With a boycott of 2010 still decreed here (with cracks showing), all that pent up demand must go somewhere.

[DavidG]

No inconsistency here. I love both styles. I was a bit surprised Jim was so gung-ho since he seems to savor the savory over the sexy. I've seen him happily slurp a few bombshell wines, though, if the setting is right.

I will keep my powder dry. Lord knows I'll need to live to 90 just to drink what I've already got in the cellar or on order.

[JimHow]

A big part of it is my confrontation of my mortality, David. The way things have been going, I am seriously wondering if we will ever see prices for wines like d'Issan, Branaire, Giscours, Talbot, Gruaud, etc., in the $60 range from a "greatest vintage ever...."

[DavidG]

I hear ya Jim. Most of the '09s I bought were touted as early drinkers for just that reason. Priorities have to be adjusted now & then. I stopped buying first growths after '04 due to prices, and vintage Port several years before that due to the fact that I'd be over the hill before the wines were ready.

[Jeff Leve]

It sounds to me like 2009 is an idealized version of 2003.

2003 is the product of a dry, hot year. It was hot morning, noon and night. 2009 was warm and dry, but the nights were cool. I think the 2009's have more glycerine. They have a better, mouth feel.People who do not like 2003 in Pauillac and St. Estephe, will not enjoy 2009 either.

The way things have been going, I am seriously wondering if we will ever see prices for wines like d'Issan, Branaire, Giscours, Talbot, Gruaud, etc., in the $60 range from a "greatest vintage ever...."

More importrantly, some of those wines are great in 09! You're not just looking at good prices. A lot of wines offer good prices coupled with quality and style.

[Bacchus]

Oh oh, you've got me worried, Jeff. I'm afraid there are a number of 03s I don't care for, but I was really hoping to like 09. For me a lot of 03s has either too much caramel/praline/raisin type flavours (Clerc Milon), or are a little to flaccid (Smith Haut Lafitte). This isn't true for all 03s of course (I found the PLL to be quite nice), but it poses enough of a problem that I wouldn't want to buy any particular 03 without first tasting -- hence no futures. I don't mind a lush, velvety mouth feel, as long as there's a decent amount of acid to keep the wine fresh and to work with the tanins to produce a nice grip on the back end. And for me any wine has to be pretty much free of the praline set of flavours. I don't mind the new fruity styles. and I don't mind the older savoury styles. I just don't want the brown sugar set! So, how's 09 from that perspective?

[Jeff Leve]

Due to the constant hot days and nights, you might find some raisin flavors in 2003. That is not the case with 2009 because the nights were cool. There is a lot of flesh to the wines, but for my money, there is enough acidity to give the wines lift. From the wines you mentioned, neither made a good 2003. 2009 Clerc is fabulous! So is Smith. Although Smith is filled with licorice and coffee, so people that think Bordeaux is too modern will not like the wine. For 03, you really need to focus on Pauillac and St. Estephe. Those are the heart and soul of the vintage. There are exceptions, but those are the two most successful appellations.

If you liked either Pichon in 2003, or 03 Pontet Canet, you should love 2009. The same for 03 Cos d'Estournel, Montrose or Calon Segur. If you did not like any of those wines, you might not enjoy 2009.

I have been lucky to have been able to taste 2009 three times so far. I will get two more looks at the wines in 2012 in Bordeaux and in LA. If it helps, this is a link to my notes on more than 200 wines... http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/win ... uying-tips