For my final report on the 2009 red wines of Bordeaux we come to Pauillac. For me, this commune is the heart of Bordeaux and, of course, it contains three First Growths and many other world famous properties.
As we had over 20 wines to taste, we divided them into two flights with the more expensive wines tasted in the second flight.
Pauillac and the First Growths
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In the first flight we tasted wines that sell at around £30 per bottle. The winner here, as voted by the group, was Haut Batailley. This property is under the same management as Grand Puy Lacoste and this wine exhibited all the classic characteristics of top Pauillac without quite the intensity of the big hitters. For me personally it was just pipped to the post by Les Tourelles de Longueville and Armailhac which I both rated 16.5 points. Les Tourelles has consistently impressed me in recent tastings (the 2007 is drinking beautifully) and this 2009 had great complexity, spice and "cigar box" notes. The Armailhac is a serious wine and has closed down a bit since it's exotic showings en primeur.
2009 Pauillacs
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In the battle of the giants, the group's highest rated wines were:
Leaving aside the First Growths for a moment, here are some brief notes from me on my favourite Pauillacs of the tasting:
Grand Puy Lacoste - Chewy dark fruit here. This is serious but reserved. Good density but not showing off, quite reserved and discreet. Very fine. 16.5 points
Les Forts de Latour - Deep colour. Huge richness here with cassis fruit. Long finish. A fine and classic Pauillac . 17 points.
Pichon Baron - Thick, strong and muscular. Powerful, dense cassis fruit with a touch of mint. Serious an impressive. Dense but finely polished. What a beauty. 17.5 points
Pontet Canet - An incredible jet black colour. Massive and super-concentrated. Amazing inky depth here. A wine of stunning intensity. A wine for the long term. 18 points
Duhart Milon - Dark colour. Lots of cassis fruit and some lovely exotic spice and cigar box. Magnificent fruit throughout with layers and layers of depth. Some sexy vanilla notes from the new oak. Impressive but seductive. 18 points
Lynch Bages - Black colour. This is huge. An almost brutal wine with amazing power and density. This is an incredible mouthful of black creme de cassis fruit. Truly great Pauillac of First Growth quality. 18.5 points
We took the opportunity to re-taste the First Growths against each other (as well as in their geographical flights).
La Mission Haut Brion - incredible spice here. Very seductive and opulent. Coconut cream with vanilla pods. Cashmere texture, smooth and silky. A seductive charmer. 17.5 points
Haut Brion - A wonderfully smoky, exotic nose. Creamy-textured, voluptuous, charming and sexy with Asian spices. Not the power and density of the Pauillacs but a lovely wine. 17.5 points
Lafite - A very dark colour. A pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, strong and structured but very ripe and decadent. Very sexy. 19 points
Margaux - Deep colour. What a nose! Soaring notes of spice, vanilla and cinnamon. An amazingly sexy wine with a myriad of flavours. Christmas cake and spice. Intense yet refined and delicate too. Beautiful. 19 points
Mouton Rothschild - A dark colour. This wine has a fabulous nose of cassis, cedar and spice. Massive legs that coat the sides of the glass. Tarry, spicy and intense yet a cashmere and silk texture. Sumptuous. Really outstanding. 19.5 points
Latour - A totally black colour. Raisiny ripeness here. This is an absolute monster. Huge, chunky and profound. The essence of black cassis fruit. Enormous wine with impressive tannins to match. A 50 year life ahead at least. 19.5 points
3 Superstars of 2009
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There's no doubt that the First Growths are all magnificent wines in 2009. However the whole of Bordeaux has upped it's game in this great vintage and there are other Chateaux at lower prices that are seriously challenging them. If you want the ultimate then these are my top ten of the vintage:
If you don't want to spend massive amounts, then my "best value" recommendations from this tasting would be the following wines which are close to First Growth quality but a fraction of the price:
