2009 and 2010 St Emilion and Margaux tasting notes

[Claudius2]

Folks
I hosted a tasting of my own wines with a local importer and retailer.
All the wines were from my own collection and frankly, I have too many as it is so I didn't mind serving a few. the attendees (other than a few friends) paid to recover the cost of the wine only.

All the wines were in air cond storage since arrival here in balmy Singapore and were in perfect condition.
The bottles were opened 3-4 hours before tasting and all were aerated.

Style of the wines

2009
The 09's showed very well, and on this night, the consensus view was that they were more ready to drink and offered deeper, darker fruit characters. I kept thinking of a more modern 1989, and later 2010 tasted something akin to a modern 1990.
The 2009 vintage was characterised by more dense, sweeter and powerful fruit but seriously, it was never over-powering and they were quite delicious. Don't think they were lacking in tannins or acid. The tannins were quite firm, and the acid was well balanced, and that applied to all the wines tasted.

I think this Bordeaux vintage is in some ways similar to the same vintage in Burgundy, with deep, dark fruit.

2010
2010 was a different animal entirely, and the differences were more striking than I expected.
The structure showed through more though there was still good depth of fruit, yet it was a bit shy and reticent to strut its stuff. The fruit was less dark and concentrated, and there were more savory characters of tobacco, undergrowth and some herbs.
The fruit showed a mixture of red and black flavours, whilst 09 was more black fruits.

Clos de L'Oratoire

The 2009 showed very well, with a dark red hue, black-red core and slightly fluid rim.
90% Merlot.
The nose showed oak (vanilla, cedar, sweet spices) plus a mix of dark fruits and plums, followed by some old fashioned slightly funky characters (think Cordier Gruaud larose) of anise, old leather, iodine and pencil lead.
The palate was rich and quite ripe, with dark fruit, medium acid, good length and firm tannins.
I initially rated it very good+ but on later sips, I re-rated it was excellent.

2010 was very dark red, nice ruby rim. mayb a touch darker than the 09.
The nose showed smoky, spicy oak, a range of red and dark fruits, plums and savory notes.
the palate was also very nice - good red and dark fruits, firm tannins (more evident than 09) and the after taste was more red fruits, finishing long and cool.
it showed better with time, and maybe a few hours later, it was really starting to sing.
rated Excellent.

This wine seems to be on song now though will certainly last with the tannins clearly manifest.

L'Arrosee
The 2009 was quite open and ready to drink, with a dark ruby red colour, slightly translucent, and a nose of smoky, savoury red and black fruits.
The palate was quite ripe and sweet, with moderate tannins and length.
With more time, it showed softer, brighter red and dark fruits and moderate acidity.
Nice wine to drink in the next 3-5 years but not as structured and some others.
Very good+

The 2010 was slightly darker, with a black-red core.
Looked considerably younger than the 09.
Nice fruity nose with a few hebs and spices, mix of red and black fruits.
The palate was more herbal than the 09, reminding me of tomato leaves and rosemary.
Good legnth and structure, with soft red and black fruits.
More spicy, drier and more tannic than the 09.
Maybe the 2010 is better. Rated Excellent-

La Confession
The 2009 was a good dark ruby, garnet at the rim and red/black core.
Nose showed a saline, mineral character which wasn't evident on any other wine.
It has 32% Cab Franc and maybe the character of this wine shows it.
Dark fruit, soft cedary, spicy oak and decent length on the palate.
With time, more red fruits were evident, and the slightly musty character I noticed initially blew off.
The acid was quite firm and there is medium length, intensity and balance.
Rated Very Good-
Not sure if the musty notes are bottle variation.

The 2010 was a bit darker with a brighter red rim.
Again, the nose shows a slight musty, earthy character and I now think its not bottle variation but simply the wine itself.
More red fruit, more spice/pepper characters and some vegetative or undergrowth characters.
medium body and more red than black fruit, a touch of oak and anise.
More structure than 09 though less fruitiness.
Rated the same (VG-)

La Dominique
The 2009 was a nice dark ruby to the rim, and the nose showed a more floral character than the other St Emilions.
I noticed plum, musk, red berry fruit and roses.
The palate is deep and firm, quite fruit driven, with a touch of acid and tannins.
With time, it showed very well, long, cool, complex fruit and soft acidity.
Nicely balanced and drinks well now. Will hold.
Rated Excellent.

The 2010 was a similar colour with a more nutty, oaky nose. Dark and red fruits, some vanilla and spice.
The palate was more savoury than the 09, with some herbs and firmer acid. Good length and firm tannins.
It developed with time yet I preferred the complex fruit of the 09.
Rated Very Good.

Prieure Lichine
The 2009 was dark in coour, slightly purple.
Nose was powerful with cassis, woodsmoke, vanilla and anise.
Palate was rich, ripe and fruit sweet but with firm tannins and medium acid below.
The palate was typically Margaux with that complex fruit compote character - purple, blue and dark fruits.
Acid was moderate and tannins firm but balanced. the fruit fills the mouth and finishes long and cool.
I rated it Excellent+ and maybe it will be outstanding with a bit more time.
It was voted the best wine of the night and by quite a margin.

The 2010was again a dark black/red colour, with a deep, dark fruit nose. Some vanilla and cedar.
The palate was more plummy than the 09 and had firmer tannins and more acid.
it got better with time and I started noticing violets and anise.

Again, an Excellent+ rating but I slightly preferred the 2009.
This estate does not get the accolades it deserves.

Giscours
The 2009 was a bright, dark red, and showed black and purple fruits on the nose and a touch of rustic, earthy notes.
The palate showed some vanilla, woodsmoke, lilac, musk and dark fruits.
it is quite complex though still a bit closed. It opened with time to show more tobacco leaf and savoury characters.
I liked the wine but it was (on this day) a little less interesting than the Prieure Lichine.
Rated Excellent.

The 2010 was a similar colour and had a nice spicy, floral and mixed fruit nose.
The palate was quite closed.
It took some coaxing (even after 3-4 hrs) to show its stuff.
Softer fruit than the 2009, some smoky, meaty notes.
I initially rated it VG+ though on return, I moved it up to Excellent-

The 09 is for shorter term drinking and both are very similar qualitatively.
This wine was a little rustic compared to the PL, and the view around the table was that it is a bit earthier and less overtly fruity.

In summary, the tasting was quite a success, despite the fact that only middle ranking wines were tried.
I may try this again soon with some more famous estates, but all the wines were pretty good.

I liked all the St Emilions, though maybe La Confession is less interesting to me.
Both vintages are good - just hold 2010 for longer.
For now, 09 is arguably better.
I thought I would prefer 2010 but the opposite was the case for now.

cheers
Mark

[stefan]

Excellent comparison report, Mark!

Most notable for me is how Prieure Lichine has improved over the years.

[Claudius2]

Stefan
I think Prieure Lichine was also the lowest priced wine of the group and on that basis, gets marks for value as well as quality.

[AlexR]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your detailed notes.

I'm a big fan of the 2009s. Received wisdom is that 2010 is "better" in that it was a cooler vintage with greater acidity and, therefore, greater potential.

Maybe.

But the 2009s were goregeous from the get-go.

I have a marked preference for the Left Bank, and have a wonderful memory of tasting the Saint Juliens and Pauillacs in barrel during en primeur week.
I was less enthralled with the Right Bank wines, which seemed, at the time, too high in alcohol.
Perhaps theses have toned down and integrated over time.
I need to become reacquainted...

Best regards,
Alex

[JimHow]

I had a 2010 La Confession last year that was a disappointment. 2009 Giscours was closed for business. 2009 d’Armailhac was spectacular.

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks for the notes Claudius, a useful update.

I have a lot of money invested in both vintages, and am optimistic too.

Wasn’t the 2009 Giscours one of the BWE wines of the year?

Jim I had a thought for the 25th anniversary - a dinner somewhere - on the East Coast presumably - where we source as many as possible of the BWE wines of the year and we have them all at that dinner. Perhaps each person sources at least one of them.

Just a thought for March 2025

[JimHow]

Sounds good to me, Mr. Flaneur.
I'll be dining with a few BWEers in the nation's capital this weekend.

[Claudius2]

Alex
Seriously 2009 is a hedonistic vintage and I’m glad I have plenty of them.
At the moment I’m drinking a 2009 Gevry Chambertin Cazetiers from Berthault and it is also delicious with lots of deep, dark fruit.

On paper 2010 is a more classic vintage in Bordeaux but I’m now thinking that 2009 is better. Same for Burgundy - 2009 is a top vintage.

I’m going to host a few other left bank tastings from 09 and 10 and am looking forward to trying them.

Jim
I was underwhelmed by La Confession and it wasn’t a disaster it just seems to be an unusual style. Not sure why others rate it so well. Oh well.

Jim and Ian
The Giscours seemed to need more time and was a bit rustic. Again not sure why others rated it so highly but I’ve tried some really good wines from this estate in recent years - 2005, 19 and 20. Not sure however what will come of it but I’ll leave the rest for a few more years. The 10 will also benefit from more time.

Cheers
Mark

[Claudius2]

Alex
Seriously 2009 is a hedonistic vintage and I’m glad I have plenty of them.
At the moment I’m drinking a 2009 Gevry Chambertin Cazetiers from Berthault and it is also delicious with lots of deep, dark fruit.

On paper 2010 is a more classic vintage in Bordeaux but I’m now thinking that 2009 is better. Same for Burgundy - 2009 is a top vintage.

I’m going to host a few other left bank tastings from 09 and 10 and am looking forward to trying them.

Jim
I was underwhelmed by La Confession and it wasn’t a disaster it just seems to be an unusual style. Not sure why others rate it so well. Oh well.

Jim and Ian
The Giscours seemed to need more time and was a bit rustic. Again not sure why others rated it so highly but I’ve tried some really good wines from this estate in recent years - 2005, 19 and 20. Not sure however what will come of it but I’ll leave the rest for a few more years. The 10 will also benefit from more time.

Cheers
Mark

[JimHow]

The 2009 Giscours was a BWE wine of the year, Mark, I think we liked it in its youth but I agree with you, it was tight as a witch’s ass when I had it last year. I recall Musigny151 saying, if you like the 2009 Giscours wait til you try the 2010.

[Claudius2]

Jim
I have both 2019 and 2020 Giscours and hope they will develop well.
The 2005 is quite a fruit bomb and somehow I expected the 09 to be similar. It was however a nice wine but a bit shy.
Time will tell.

[JimHow]

I really liked the 2019 Giscours. I really, realky liked the 2019 d’Issan.

[Comte Flaneur]

The best Giscours I ever tried was the 2020, better even than those Giscours legends from the 1970s.

[Ingaux]

Thank you, that says a lot as you are one of the most reliable and experienced tasters I know.

[Comte Flaneur]

Who Jim or Mark?

[JimHow]

Ha ha I am certain he is referencing you Ian, he who picked out that 1988 Pichon Baron blind back in 2015. That may be one of the most impressive fears I’ve seen in all the years of BWE.

[Ingaux]

Sorry, I was too inaccurate. Comte Flaneur is on my mind.

[Comte Flaneur]

Ha ha I am certain he is referencing you Ian, he who picked out that 1988 Pichon Baron blind back in 2015. That may be one of the most impressive fears I’ve seen in all the years of BWE.

Maybe ‘she’ (rather than he) that would make my day

[DavidG]

Excellent report Mark. I’m a big fan of 2009, and of Prieure and Giscours. Nice to hear they are drinking well.