| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Southern France |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2009 Alpilles Rouge is a powerful, brooding wine. It is also the most reticent of the five wines in this report. I don’t see the aromatic nuance, textural richness or finesse of the best years. Instead, the 2009 comes across as brooding and a bit monolithic. Of course, it is possible the 2009 is in that transition from a young to an older wine. We shall see. Today, it is pretty bombastic, with plenty of dark fruit, leather, smoke, game and scorched earth notes that add to its virile character. This bottle was released from the domaine in 2020.
The 2009 Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Alpilles is drinking beautifully today and shows the ripe, sexy, voluptuous style of this vintage in the Southern Rhône Valley. Gorgeous kirsch, herbes de Provence, lavender, tobacco and exotic spice characteristics all flow to a full-bodied, opulent 2009 that has sweet tannin, plenty of mid-palate oomph, and a great finish. It’s drinking at point, yet I suspect will keep for another 7-10 years in cool cellars.
Bright ruby. Well-melded nose with perhaps just a hint of brett? Some balsamic notes. Lots of Cabernet tannin - really very youthful and almost severe on the finish but with lots of ripe fruit in the middle. A tough baby for now. But it really opened out after 45 minutes in the glass.
