Jean-Marc Quarin's "Best Rating Ever" During En Primeur
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| Saint Emilion |
| 16 - 16,25 // 88 - 89 |
Corbin |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
This is the best Corbin made in a very long time. A rare fact is that it is better than the 2005. This result is obtainted thanks to the careful work and passion of Annabelle Bardinet for what is beautiful and appreciable. I had anticipated this result by visiting multiple times the estate during the harvest (see more information on my website). I have tasted separate samples before blending and then tasted the final blend three times. I highly recommend you this wine. Corbin is becoming an outsider of Saint-Emilion. Alcohol level is between 13.5 and 15%; pH. 3,85, Total Acidity 3 and IPT 85. Yields of 45 hl/ha. It is a blend of 80 % merlot and 20 % cabernet franc. Production will be of about 50 000 bottles.
Showing a lovely intense purple color with a very fruity, fresh and ripe nose, this wine enters superbly on the palate, both ample and fat, with a fine touch. It evolves ample over a taste of ripe fruits and licorice. Powerful, melting and very slightly woody for now, yet, with plenty of taste. This wine finishes over a very nice length and the best quality of tannins ever tasted at this estate. |
| 17,5 // 94 |
La Clotte |
A heart’s delight
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
This estate just got this distinction two years in a row. It has further improved in quality since last vintage: The 2009 vintage adds up a breathtaking density to the delight of the 2008 vintage!
Last vintage, Mrs Nelly Moulierac was telling me that for the first time she had waited until the full ripeness of the grapes. In 2009, she explains that she has further fine tuned the dates of harvest. The wine from this tiny estate of 4ha was made in ten different vats, from grapes picked at ten different dates. All of the harvest was performed over twenty-one days. “I did not imagine getting such fragrance at La Clotte” says Mrs Moulierac, while this property has been in her family for several generations.
Showing a lovely, intense, dark red color with a great, deep and complex nose of subtle, pure, precise and noble character, this wine has the tremendous benefit of offering a lot of charm. Tasted from another sample, I also found some truffle characteristics. Superb on entry, this wine offers an unctuous, melting, tasty and subtle aromatic expression. It develops while offering a sensation of fruit juice, of joy and happiness given how delightful it is and how tannins are well coated. With no limping character despite being made from 80% merlot, this 2009 La Clotte evolves towards a great, sophisticated and long finish where the aromatic accents of a Bordeaux climate (ie. some vibrant fruit) intermix with more Mediterranean characteristics (ie. some solar nuances) from a great terroir of Saint-Emilion where merlot grown on limestone soils does wonders. This is impossible not to swallow despite an incredible density. My friends, don’t forget to fetch some in Magnum for you and the future generations.
A blend of 80% merlot, 20% cabernet franc. Alcohol 14% ; pH 3.61, IPT 95, Total Acidity 3.25. Natural yield of 34hl/ha. Vineyard unaffected by hail. |
| 16,75 // 91 |
Bellevue |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Tasted quite a number of times. I have been seduced by its lovely color, its fine, fruity and elegant nose, evoking fresh plum. Superb on entry, it performs caressing and velvety then develops particularly aromatic over fine and tasty tannins. Bellevue finishes with plenty of taste and power as well as hints of spice and fruit in a long and delicious persistence. |
| 15,5 - 15,75 // 87 - 88 |
Clos des Jacobins |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Showing an intense dark color with a fruity, fresh and slightly smoky nose, this wine performs fat and mellow on entry, with a sweet character, a rounded body and good presence on the mid-palate. A well-defined long and tasty finish. I have never tasted such a precise vintage from this estate. Good length. |
| 15,25 // 87 |
Faurie de Souchard |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Since 2007 the estate has gained weight year after year. For a long time, it was lean. It was impacted by hail in this vintage, yet the result is the best ever achieved. Showing a dark color and a discreet nose of ripe fruit. This wine performs fatter than it seems, with as tender a style as usual and a character a little more mellow in this vintage. It finishes over a tasty length, with a nice quality of tannins. A renewal. |
| 16 - 16,25 // 88 – 89 |
Fonroque |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
What progress since Alain Moueix took over the estate! Thanks to organic methods and careful work, it is now a well-accomplished wine.
Showing an intense and very dark color, with a fruity, tasty and very ripe nose. This wine enters mellow on the palate. It then develops with plenty of taste and a lovely caressing touch. The wine offers some licorice flavors along with nuances of rose on finish as well as a long, sappy, spicy and powerful character built over the best tannins that I have ever tasted. Alain Moueix has really transformed this growth. |
| 15,75 // 88 |
Trianon |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Showing a lovely, intense color with an aromatic, pure and fruity nose that is finely intermixed with a wooden component. This wine performs pulpy on entry. It even is one of the most velvety expressions on the palate that I have ever tasted from this estate. The wine develops aromatic, with fatness, ripe tannins and above all, taste in its persistence. Quite powerful and coated on finish. A success |
| 16,5 // 90 |
Grand Pontet |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
This is the best vintage I have ever tasted from this estate. It is characterized by a great and intense color, along with a fine, subtle, fruity and ripe nose. It has a refined touch on the palate and also performs very fruity, tasty, and with vibrant character. It boasts a nice body and fine tannins. Finely creamy on finish, this wine ends with no heaviness and no rustic expression whatsoever. It even finishes on a refreshing note. This is really exceedingly good- delicious even. I really recommend it. |
| 16,75 - 17 // 91 - 92 |
Le Petit Cheval |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
How wonderful! 14.2% alcohol, pH of 3.87, a blend of 65 % cabernet franc and 35 % merlot. It is absolutely marvelous!
Showing a lovely, intense, dark color with a superb, fine, fruity, noble and aromatic nose, this is a skillful mix of freshness and exotic character. Offering a lovely entry on the palate, both mellow and fat, this wine boasts a beautiful touch. It melts on the palate and develops aromatic and sappy, with a lot of taste. Petit Cheval finishes great, with richness and freshness. This is not a second label anymore, this is a Grand Vin. No doubt the best that I have ever tasted here. |
| Pomerol |
| 15,5 // 87 - 88 |
Clos du Clocher |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
This wine is a success. It boasts a dark purple color with a fine, fruity and ripe nose. Very fruity on entry, this wine develops aromatic with a medium body. On finish, it becomes woven, juicy and much more interesting. The length is very good and full of flavors, leaving a very nice taste in the persistence. |
| 19 // 97 |
L'Eglise Clinet |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
For the 2009 vintage, Denis Durantou has presented a particularly moving wine from L'Eglise Clinet. Indeed, the vines that he planted himself more than twenty years ago are now making it into the blend of the Grand Vin. The result is dazzling. It is the accomplishment of a personal investment and vision of what good taste can and must be.
Showing an intense dark red color, the 2009 L'Eglise Clinet offers a fine, fruity, ripe and powerful nose that is particularly fresh. Superb on entry, both mellow and aromatic, it delivers a noble and melting texture of complex taste. Rich and creamy on the mid-palate, this wine keeps on melting while revealing the layers of complex and long qualities. Truly impossible not to swallow. This is a 2009 wine of refined tannins. Plenty of emotions.
Alcohol level: 14.7%, pH 3.65, IPT 79. A blend of 85% merlot and 15 % cabernet franc. |
| 18,5 // 96 |
Vieux Chateau Certan |
Coup de Coeur
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
The 2009 vintage is a great success for the estate. Showing a lovely color and a particularly fruity and deep nose, this wine simply delivers the sweetest structure ever tasted at Vieux Chateau Certan. This is also the wine that provides the finest and largest presence on the mid-palate. Finally, it evolves very aromatic on finish, becoming woven, finishing long, sweet and exceptionally typical of the appellation, with a truly lovely and great tannic definition. It is a small gem of class and balance. Really impossible not to swallow. Its great persistence is both long and subtle. Bravissimo!!
A blend of 84% merlot, 8 % cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Alcohol content: 13,7%; pH 3.70 |
| 16,5 - 16,75 // 90 - 91 |
Vray Croix de Gray |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Last year, I singled out its 2008 vintage as a true "Coup de Coeur". And I am absolutely delighted to say that it does even better this year!
Showing a lovely, intense, dark red color, this wine offers a truly lovely, fine, fruity, ripe, aromatic and finely toasted nose. It delivers some fine hints of ink and licorice. Velvety on entry, the wine develops wide, juicy and melting yet full and with a great taste. It is superb! It finishes long and very tasty over fine tannins, with such class that it is impossible not to swallow. Vray Croix de Gay performs with a fantastic balance. Bravo! |
| Pessac-Leognan and Graves |
| 15,5 - 15,75 // 87 - 88 |
Bouscaut |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
It shows a lovely, intense dark color with a fruity, smoky, ripe and pure nose. This wine performs mellow and juicy-with a rather wide body for the estate -before finishing over a good length of soft and very aromatic tannins. |
| 15,5 - 15,75 // 87 - 88 |
Clos Floridene |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Showing a dark and purple color with a floral and fresh nose, this wine offers a mellow expression on the palate - with unprecedented fat for this estate. It performs aromatic and tasty with a fine licorice character before finishing long and subtle over a firm expression brought by the limestone soils, which the warm touch from new wooden barrels compensate. A nice success. |
| 15,5 - 15,75 // 87 - 88 |
Haura |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Given that this wine is made from vines that were planted in 2001, the result is remarkable. It boasts a beautiful color and the nose of a great wine- fine, fresh, smoky, with fruit liquor flavors. The 2009 Haura offers a juicy, subtle and fat expression on the palate. It is the densest vintage that I know from this estate. This wine develops mellow and tensed at the same time before finishing over a sappy and long length.
A blend of 60 % cabernet sauvignon and 40 % merlot – Alcohol content: 13% - pH : 3,8 – IPT : 68 |
| 19,5 // 98 |
Haut Brion |
My highest rate ever given to this wine en primeur
Just for pleasure, here are the tasting notes I wrote when tasting at Haut Brion. I tasted it twice: the first time the wine was served at too high a temperature - and yet it did not display any excessive alcohol character; the second time, it had been decanted the day before and performed fresher.
Showing a beautiful intense deep color, this wine offers an exquisite, very floral, fresh, young and complex nose that is not at all marked by a solar expression and yet that behaves creamy. Such combination of cream-freshness is absolutely amazing! On entry, the wine is among the widest and fattest ever tasted from the estate. At the same time, the wine develops subtle and offers a fabulous taste of fruit. It boasts body, volume, a fine touch as well as complex tannins. It finishes over a superb and sophisticated length without losing its mellow and creamy touch, which is totally unprecedented from this estate. Absolutely wonderful! It reminds me of the 1989 texture, with a more vibrant flavor. Better than the 2005 vintage! Rated 98 or even higher. |
| 17 // 92 |
Malartic Lagraviere |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
It shows an deep black color and an intense, fruity and deep nose reminiscent of an elixir. This wine is also fresh and its smoky character is very much in the Pessac-Léognan style. On the palate, the density of this 2009 Malartic is surprising and very new since the ownership of Mr. and Mrs Bonnie. With such body presence, this vintage is positioned in the breed of the black colored and deep Malartic wines of an old time that a lot of people have forgotten. Performing very fruity and rich on the mid-palate, therefore much larger than usual; this wine develops full, woven and with a superb, complex taste where the freshness of the fruit intermix with a creamy character. I love the 2005 vintage, but this one has even more potential. Bravo!
A blend of 68 % cabernet sauvignon, 38 % merlot, and 4 % petit verdot. Alcohol content 13.6% ; pH 3.7 ; IPT 75. |
| Pauillac |
| 16,5 // 90 |
Armailhac |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Showing a beautifully intense dark purple color, with a fruity, pure and fine nose of moderate aromatic intensity, this wine offers a juicy expression on entry, then develops caressing and fleshy, with taste and presence on the mid-palate. It finishes flavorful. Both the consistently mellow character and the lack of austerity are new for this wine. It has definitely improved the quality of its performance between its mid-palate and its finish. A fine piece of work. Select it in magnum size.
Alcohol content : 13.2% - pH 3.78. |
| 16 // 88 - 89 |
Grand Puy Ducasse |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Showing a lovely, dark, intense color, this wine offers a fruity, precise, pure and slightly cold nose. Gorgeous on entry, it performs finely pulpy, and then develops aromatic, with taste, body presence and a creamy character that provides quite an enjoyable touch on the palate. The 2009 Grand Puy Ducasse finishes melting and long over fine tannins and with no shortage of power. It is very good indeed. |
| 16 // 88 - 89 |
Pibran |
A real "coup de coeur"!
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
This wine is remarkable for multiple reasons. First, the blend is unique, with a majority of 60% of merlot and 40% cabernet sauvignon. Secondly, merlot vines grown on limestone soils provide a different touch and bring some complexity in both flavors and texture. Finally, this beautiful merlot gives this wine an unprecedented sweet character.
Showing an intense deep purple black hue, this wine is rather distinguished for its color shades. It offers a great, fine and creamy nose that evokes black fruits. The freshness and vibrancy of this wine are superb. On the palate, it provides a wonderful balance, performing juicy, velvety and evolving over an exquisite flesh, with taste, body and coated tannins. Very hedonist, it finishes over ripe, aromatic and elegant tannins. Sap and aesthetic come together in the skillful elaboration of this beautiful wine, quite impossible not to swallow! Congratulations to Jean-René Matignon!
Alcohol 13.6% - IPT 81; pH 3.78; yield 43 hl/ha. |
| Saint Julien |
| 16 // 88 - 89 |
Beychevelle |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
This is the most constructed vintage that I have tasted on this estate. The color is lovely, intense and the nose is distinguished by a deeper character than usual. Fine, fruity, creamy, it smells of good black fruit. Smooth, creamy mouth, aromatic and fat, good composition with depth. Good length. The hidden tannin is still fragrant. It is good! |
| 14,75 - 15 // 85 - 86 |
Les Ormes |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
I have never seen this wine as well structured, as fleshy with as much taste in the mouth. It evolves full and juicy, toward a finish of normal length. |
| Margaux |
| 16,25 - 16,5 // 89 - 90 |
Alter Ego de Palmer |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
This note puts Alter Ego among the best I have tasted, namely 2002, 2005 and the 2009.
Dark red, intense and beautiful color. Fruity nose, fresh, ripe, pure, lovely, with lots of black fruit. Immediately juicy upon entry into mouth, the wine has a refined feel and a very nice taste. Flawless tannin, very good length, smooth and distinguished. Very lovely finish. A wine impossible to spit.
Alcohol 13 5, pH 3.68; IPT 80. And in addition, it will keep well. |
| 16,75 - 17 // 91 - 92 |
Cantenac Brown |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Lovely, dark, intense color. Nose fine, fruity, precise. One of the most subtle ever seen here. Superb entry into the mouth, lively, fruity. The wine develops fleshy and very aromatic. It is one of the most aromatic wines that I know from this estate. Tannic finish, with the most covered tannin, also the most precise. It is a great wine, with fruit and fragrance. It is this fragrance that characterizes this Margaux wine. Magnificent work by José Sanfins. For two years, without sacrificing fullness, he as found the terms to give this estate an aromatic definition specific to what wine lovers should expect of these wines.
Blend 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot. 13.3 Alcohol ; IPT 76. |
| 16,5 // 90 |
Clos du Jaugueyron |
Personal favorite
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Dark, intense, purple color. Lovely fine nose, fruity, pure, ripe, subtle and aromatic. Superb mouth where the wine melts, glides. caresses and offers a quality of fruit with a vividness superior to numerous competitors. Ethereal structure, subtle, smooth, finishing on body and tannins completely margalien. This wine is strictly unspittable. Lots of personality. |
| 16,25 // 89 |
Ferriere |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Deep, dark color. Fruity nose but with a rather “cold” character, as is often the case. On the other hand, this is one of the loveliest mouths that I know from this estate: full, flavorful, smooth, with body in the midst of the energy. Tannins present but flavorful. As often at this age, the finish is a little firm, but aging will achieve this. |
| 16,75 - 17 // 91 - 92 |
Kirwan |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Lovely, dark, intense color. Nose fine, fruity, floral, subtle, aromatic. One of purest and most precise ever seen here. Very lovely entry into the mouth, aromatic, mellow, fat, and the wine develops strong, juicy, textured and complex at the finish, with the most lovely quality of texture ever seen. After all, it is Margaux! Long, aromatic finish with taste. It is dense, precise, long, and above all, very good. Which shows that it is possible ... Thank you Philippe Delfaut. |
| 18,25 - 18,5 // 95 - 96 |
Palmer |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Showing a lovely, intense, dark and black color, this wine offers a great and complex nose that evokes black cherry, coffee and cream. From that perspective, it is similar to a Pomerol. Really surprising and delightful! Fantastic on entry, this 2009 Palmer delivers a wide-open, cheerful and powerful profile, yet of laser-like precision. Opulent on the mid-palate, this wine develops particularly flavorful over an overall tender character. The newest sensation comes from the finish where the 2009 Palmer provides an unprecedented tannic weaving which closely resembles to the power of cabernet sauvignon. Yet, the portion of cabernet sauvignon is no higher than usual. This is probably a magnificent terroir effect. Superb!
Palmer is a blend of 52% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon, and 7% petit verdot. The yields are 34 hl/ha. Alcohol content is 13.9% ; pH 3.75 ; IPT 88. My opinion is that this 2009 will turn into a more classic profile than 2005, less marked by alcohol along with an unprecedented weaving. This is a wine that will be pleasant to drink young yet that will provide a very long aging potential. It is therefore highly recommended in magnum. |
| 16,75 - 17 // 91 - 92 |
Pavillon Rouge |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Dark, lovely color. Superb nose of rose, so fresh, so fine, subtle. Yes! We are here in Margaux. And what class in the mouth! What brilliance! it is not like wine, it is quite another thing and it is especially unspittable.
Alcohol 13 5, pH 3.8; IPT 77. Blend 67 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Selection, 41% of the harvest. This is the greatest Pavillon Rouge that I know. |
| Saint Estephe |
| 16,5 // 90 |
Le Crock |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
This is the best Le Crock that I have ever tasted. It is a revelation from Saint-Estephe for the vintage. This success is the result of the work from Isabelle Davin and Didier Cuverlier who have been increasing their efforts since 2001.
Showing a lovely dark intense red color with a very fruity nose, both fresh and ripe at the same time as well as creamy; this wine offers a fat, wide and very fruity, fresh and aromatic expression on the palate. This fat expression places the 2009 Le Crock above the 2003 and the superb 2005 vintages form the estate. It delivers a very good and tasty length with coated tannins. It is delightful. A blend of 58 % cabernet sauvignon, 30 % merlot, 6 % cabernet franc, and 6 % petit verdot. |
| 16 // 88 - 89 |
Tronquoy Lalande |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Very colorful wine, with a particularly fruity, ripe and spicy nose, which is above all, predominantly pure. On the palate, it is surprising as much by this taste as by the quality of the flesh. The wine is tannic but it is followed by an especially pleasant aromatic length. It is truly very good and a nice success. |
| Medoc and Haut Medoc |
| 15,5 // 87 - 88 |
Belle-Vue |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Lovely, dark, intense color. Aromatic nose, fine, fruity, smelling of blackberry. Delicate entry into the mouth, fruity and ethereal. I have never seen this wine so supple on the palate. Very aromatic mid-mouth, it finishes on fine tannins with much taste. The pleasure note is already very strong. Lovely length, finely textured. This wine is better than the 2005, which sometimes has harsh wood. Note that since 2007, the barrel suppliers have changed, which favors the finish of this wine. 2009 is the greatest vintage for this estate.
It is a blend of 50 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot and 20 % Petit Verdot. The part of Cabernet Sauvignon in this wine has increased since 2008. Degree of alcohol: 14.16% - pH : 3.55 - IPT : 93 |
| 15,5 // 87 - 88 |
Bernadotte |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Philippe Moreau, the manager of Chateau de Pez in Saint-Estephe, is now in charge of monitoring this Haut-Medoc belonging to the Roederer group. 2009 is the most successful year that I know about from this property. The harvest was relatively late (October 13), and the wine is made from 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot.
Very colorful wine, with a lovely fruity nose, of ripe style. Juicy on entry, this wine develops with great charm over a juicy body, with taste and hints of plum on finish. It is vivid, tasty, long and very good. A major success of the vintage. Bravo. 2009 is the greatest vintage for this estate. |
| 15,25 - 15,5 // 87 |
Camensac |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Dark, intense, purple color. Fruity nose, fresh and quite precise, which it was not in the past. Nice mouth, full of smoothness and fruit, where the wine develops aromatic and above all, very well built, with a happy hedonistic feeling. The wine is long in the mouth and good. This is the most accomplished wine that I have tasted here. |
| 15,25 // 87 |
Gironville |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Showing a lovely, dark red and intense color, this wine offers a moderately aromatic nose, both fruity and smoky. The wine is creamy and supple on the palate, with taste. I have never seen it so textured, ripe and pleasant, while being well-structured. It is likely that this new texture sensation is induced by the vines, which are now getting older. 2009 is the greatest vintage for this estate. |
| 16,5 // 90 |
La Lagune |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Showing a lovely intense dark red color with a pure and very fruity nose this is a pulpy wine on entry, developing delicate, then fat on the mid-palate with vigor. Very flavorful, it reveals itself slowly and finishes strongly on flavorful, coated and very aromatic tannins. Very good length. Little by little, this estate has been gaining flesh over the vintages. It gains in both distinction and depth, while keeping its discreet expression. Clearly, I feel that the attention of the management is focused on the long term. For information, the harvests took place early, starting September 17 for the Merlot, and October 2 for the Cabernet. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot. Alcohol content: 13.9%, pH 3,8, IPT 74, whereas, in a normal year, this estate has a tannic concentration (IPT) around 50-55! 2009 is the greatest vintage for this estate. |
| 16 - 16,25 // 88 - 89 |
La Tour Carnet |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Lovely, dark, intense color. Fruity, creamy nose. Mellow mouth, flavorful, developing rather aromatic and supple without the tannic harshness present in the past. Long finish, with strong, but fine, tannins. This wine has changed a lot. The parcels located on graves soil, relatively distant from the property, are said to be used to complete the blend. This is rather a happy choice. 2009 is the greatest vintage for this estate. |
| 15 - 15,25 // 86 - 87 |
Lamarque |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Lovely, dark, intense color. Nice, aromatic nose, smelling of good black fruit. In the mouth, it is a revival. This vintage is the least austere that I have tasted on this estate. On the contrary, the mouth is delicate, smooth and flavorful without tannic harshness at the finish. To follow with aging. 2009 is the greatest vintage for this estate. |
| 15,25 // 87 |
Peyrabon |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Dark, intense, purple color. Fruity nose, fresh and ripe, moderately aromatic. Nice entry into the mouth, pulpy. The wine develops aromatic with taste, body, rather fine tannin. Good length, well accompanied by wood and aromas. Nice quality. 2009 is the greatest vintage for this estate. |
| 16,5 - 16,75 // 90 - 91 |
Clos Manou |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
This is a magnificent wine that I place beyond the 2005 vintage. Showing a great deep color and a profound nose that is very fruity, ripe and subtle, this wine is superb on entry, both dense and mellow. It not only develops tasty, with fat and power, but also displays a noble and complex tactile presence. Great length. It is hard to believe that this growth is elaborated in the location of Saint Christoly du Médoc. And yet it is the Number 1 outsider on the left bank.
A blend of 56 % cabernet sauvignon, 38 % merlot, 4 % cabernet franc and 2 % petit verdot. The production is of 20 000 bottles for the Grand Vin, thus representing one third of the 9.5 hectares production of the estate. Alcohol level: 14,25° - Total acidity : 3,50 - pH : 3,59 - IPT (potential tannin level): 90 (which is high). Reading the analytical sheet, no one would believe that this wine is impossible not to swallow. As a reminder, this wine is made from handpicked and manually destemmed grapes, aged in 100% new oak barrel. A serious craftwork process delivered at a soft price. This is a must have of the vintage. 2009 is the greatest vintage for this estate. |
| 14,75 - 15 // 85 - 86 |
Fontaine de l'Aubier |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns.
Dark, intense, lovely color. Fruity nose, fresh black fruit type. Smooth mouth, suave with a tender feel, creamy finish. On finish, the wine melts on the best-hidden tannins ever seen on this estate and displays a good persistance. |
| Sauternes and Barsac |
| 15,5 // 87 - 88 |
Broustet |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
This wine is the most precise and rich that I have ever seen from the estate. It offers a lovely nose of pear and botrytis while also performing fresh and pure. Subtle and delicious on the palate, it delivers a medium body and is distinguished from other vintages by a melting and vivid character, impossible not to swallow. |
| 15,25 // 87 |
Caillou |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Showing a pale yellow green color, this wine offers a very fruity and pure nose. On the palate, it performs with a lovely taste of ripe white fruits, a melting and ethereal body as well as a flavorful finish. It is good! |
| 19 // 97 |
Clos Haut Peyraguey |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Showing a yellow green color with a great, complex and smoky nose of botrytis, this wine is very pure. It evokes nutmeg and oakmoss characteristics. I have never seen that before. Fantastic on entry, it offers a virgin fruit character, along with a wooly and silky touch as well as an incredible aromatic precision. After the mid-palate, the 2009 Clos Haut Peyraguey provides good acidity before finishing powerful and taking another dimension in the persistence. This wine delivers a great, complex and noble finish that makes it impossible not to swallow. Madly sappy.
A blend of 95 % semillon, 5 % sauvignon - Alcohol : 13.8% - Residual sugar: 135 gms - pH : 3,9 – Total acidity: 3.8 |
| 16 // 88 - 89 |
D'Arche |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Showing a yellow green color, this wine offers an aromatic and fruity nose of botrytis and peach. Melting and ethereal on the palate. |
| 16 // 88 - 89 |
Cantegril |
My best rating ever given to this wine during a futures campaign.
Showing a yellow green color with a fine, fruity and subtle nose, this wine performs remarkably soft on entry. The aromatic development and the touch on the palate are the most subtle I have ever seen from this estate. While rich yet ethereal, the wine finishes sappy and long, with taste and a noble character.
Alcohol level: 14° – residual sugar : 137 gram per liter – pH: 3,85 – Total acidity 3,8 – A blend of 88% de sémillon, 12% de sauvignon |
| 20 // 100 |
Yquem |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
The 2009 Yquem shows a yellow green color with a great, complex nose of pear, botrytis and grape, smelling of a pure, fresh and spicy fragrance, with nuances, as well as noble and beautiful expressions. On entry, it performs subtle and extremely complex in nuances. The wine then picks up a taste of pear and peach before melting over an insane level of class. It delivers very complex scents and develops particularly tasty over some characteristics of marron glacé, botrytis and white fruits, of great purity. It reveals very, very long and impossible not to swallow on finish. My wonder comes from an amazing concentration of fragrances while this wine is rich of 155 grams of residual sugar. I have never encountered this wine with so much taste at this stage of youth.
It is a blend of 80% sémillon and 20% sauvignon – Alcohol content: 13.8 – total acidity: 3.8. |
| 18 // 95 |
Doisy Daene |
My best rating ever given to this wine during a futures campaign.
This is a tremendous wine that I have tasted even better during this week than last Saturday. Showing a yellow green color with a very intense, noble, ethereal and sophisticated nose, it is both very fresh and powerful. Aromas are dominated by candied lemon. Superb on entry, the wine develops extremely aromatic with an insane level of concentration. This is an elixir of Doisy Daene! It performs very melting; finishing noble and very fresh over a great and complex finish. Totally impossible not to swallow. Bravo.
Alcohol level: 14° – residual sugar : 145 gram per liter – A blend of 90% de sémillon, 10% de sauvignon. |
| 20 // 100 |
L'Extravagant de Doisy Daene |
My best rating ever given to this wine during a futures campaign.
Showing a yellow green color along with an extravagant nose, this wine offers a complex and subtle scent of smoke and orange peel characteristics. On the palate, it is marvelous and melts gracefully with nuances before finishing ethereal. I have never known this growth so subtle and full both at the same time. It is a great, great wine!
Production of 7 barrels. Alcohol level: 12.5° – residual sugar: 245 gram per liter – pH: 3,8 – Total acidity 4. A blend of 50% de sémillon, 50% de sauvignon. |
| 18,5 // 96 |
Giraud |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
Showing a pale yellow color, the 2009 Guiraud offers a very fine nose, both subtle, aromatic and of botrytis. It smells of the expression of the semillon varietal on graves soils. It performs very fresh with great precision on the palate, melting, full of taste and with a concentration that is not heavy. This wine is deep, rich and subtle at the same time, finishing long and very, very tasty, with a wonderful balance. This is a great wine which 35% of sauvignon will maintain fresh and distinguished, with no heaviness throughout the years.
A blend of 65 % sémillon and 35 % sauvignon – Alcohol content: 13.9% - Residual sugar: 139 grams – Total acidity: 4,2.
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| 17,5 // 94 |
Rabaud Promis |
My best rating ever given to this wine during futures campaigns
This is another estate which regularly expresses the subtle character of the sweet wines made from botrytis. Showing a yellow green color with a pure and fine nose of botrytis character, this wine performs superb on entry, both dense and ethereal at the same time, developing all in softness, with vibrancy as well as a melting and ethereal texture. It also intermixes with saliva and proves impossible not to swallow. In opposition to what is generally believed about sweet white wines, this 2009 Rabaud Promis offers a fresh finish, along with a subtle lemon character. It is the best wine that I have ever tasted from that estate. Bravo!
A blend of 80 % sémillon and 20 % sauvignon – Alcohol content: 13.65% – residual sugar: 138 gr – Total acidity: 3,7.
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