I have been drinking a number of top-rated 2009 Bordeaux in the last month and I am amazed how drinkable the wines are even though they are structured for long-term aging.
Just last night I went to a Justerini & Brooks tasting in Hong Kong, and I tasted a handful of 2009s such Leoville Las Cases, La Conseillante, Lynch Bages, Malescot St. Exupery, and Clerc Milon. All the wines were so balanced with a creamy tannic texture, fresh acidity, and vivid ripe fruit. Of course, they were not ready to drink but the pleasure was already there. It was very enjoyable tasting the young reds and contemplating what they would be like in 20 years or more.
I went with some friends after the tasting and we took some of the samples to a Chinese dinner at Tim’s Kitchen in Sheung Wan, and the young Bordeaux went extremely well with the Cantonese dishes, from garlic prawns to sweet and sour pork.
I had the same experience a few weeks ago in Montreal and Quebec City when I hosted tastings of the second wines of a couple dozen top chateaux. The close to 700 people who went to both events seemed so happy to be not only tasting the wines but drinking them.
I explained during the events that the late great winemaker Emile Peynaud told me in the mid-1980s that great wines are always great. They are wonderful from barrel as well as from bottle and onwards in their evolution, the legendary winemaker said. He also said that the 1959s were like that as well as the 1982s when they were young. And I think if he were alive today, he would say the same about 2009.
I hope you enjoy the free video my videographer edited for the French Canadian events. There are plenty of great interviews on why 2009 is a great vintage.
If you missed my tasting reports on 2009 Bordeaux, please click here.
After your "surprising" 95 P for the 07 PC in Hong-Kong, you praised rightly so what Alfred T has done on the estate since he took over in the 94 vintage, which I totally agreed with and asked if it wouldn't be great to do a full vertical of all of Alfred's wines from 1994-2011, maybe even as a video series. I seem to remember that you said it's a great idea and you would do so in the summer. Cheers
What do you think is the best wine for 50$ or less that was made in 2009?
thx
Any update on the Pontet Canet vintages comparison we discussed a while back which you wanted to do in the summer?
Thx