Bordeaux Futures 2009: Results (Part 5)

Pomerol 2009 (Part one)Fifth Report (April 7th, 2010) The 2009 vintage is inconsistent in Pomerol and less successful than in other areas of the Bordeaux wine growing region. Wines from the East of the Pomerol plateau, opposite Cheval Blanc, did better than those from the West. The vintage is distinguished by a superb L’Eglise Clinet, a magnificent Vieux.Chateau Certan and an unusual Chateau Petrus, that more than ever expresses its distinctive identity and clearly stands out from the other growths belonging to the Jean-Pierre Moueix stable. After producing a delightful 2008 vintage, Vray Croix de Gay has now established itself as the new rising star in the limited perimeter of the appellation. And since 2007, Feytit Clinet has never failed to catch my attention during tasting sessions and definitely appears as the new outsider we need to keep an eye on. ______________________________________________________ CLOS DU CLOCHER Pomerol 15,5 // 87 - 88My 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. CLOS L'ÉGLISE Pomerol 17,5 // 94This wine is made from 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. The alcohol level is 14.5%. It shows an intense black color with a very intense and fruity nose that evokes black fruit liquor. Lovely on entry, the wine develops fat and melting, with plenty of taste and aromatic vibrancy. It finishes powerful and long after a precise texture and a flavorful expression. This is a dense wine, and to me, it seems more extracted than usual. Domaine de L'ÉGLISE Pomerol 15,25 // 87 Showing a dark color of medium intensity with a fresh, fruity and slightly discreet nose, this wine offers an enjoyable and tasty expression on the palate. Of medium body, it enjoys soft tannins and a good persistence. DUO DE LA CONSEILLANTE Pomerol 15,75 - 16 // 88This is the third vintage of the second label of La Conseillante. The quality is consistently on the rise. In the 2009 vintage, this wine behaves more as a small scale model of the Grand Vin rather than as a second label-and the fact that the cabernet sauvignon grapes from the Grand Vin were added to give more body to the young merlot vines used to produce this Duo de la Conseillante just goes to prove it. The selection of Duo represents 6% of the total production. It is made from a blend of 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. Showing a lovely color along with a fine, pure, fruity, fresh and noble nose, this wine is distinguished for its mellow and juicy character. It performs caressing, melting with body presence, taste and a flawless structure. This Duo de la Conseillante finishes over a good length and shows particularly difficult not to swallow. It is a charming wine with good lift. FEYTIT CLINET Pomerol 16,25 // 89 This is an estate on the rise in Pomerol. The wine offers a lovely intense color with a very fruity, pure and ripe nose that offers nuances of flowers and ink. On entry it is pulpy on the palate, then it develops aromatic over a melting and velvety body. This wine delivers a lovely tannic evolution on finish, both sappy and with fine tannins. FRANC MAILLET Cuvée J-Baptiste Pomerol 14,75 - 15 // 85 - 86 Here again, the nose led me to believe that its grapes had been harvested too late. Soft on the palate, the wine offers more of a tactile than aromatic character. I was expecting more taste. L'EGLISE CLINET Pomerol 19 // 97 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. LA CLÉMENCE Pomerol 16,25 - 16,5 // 89 - 90 Showing an intense, dark color with a fruity, creamy, truffled nose of moderate aromatic intensity, this wine performs pulpy on entry, and then develops a nice mid-palate, with good volume, tenderness and flavor. It ends on a powerful tasty and long finish and a touch of austerity. LA CONSEILLANTE Pomerol 17,75 // 94 - 95 Showing a lovely, intense, dark color, La Conseillante offers a fruity, fresh and slightly discreet nose, yet already truffled, subtle and floral. It delivers a very lovely, juicy expression on the palate, then develops particularly charming, always with plenty of taste (that is its incredible signature). It starts melting and picks up some subtle characteristics of fresh fruit. Both tasty and complex in flavors as it moves forward, this 2009 La Conseillante finishes powerful and long over finely grained tannins. This is a great wine that is already impossible not to swallow (also typical of its signature). A blend of 80% merlot and 19 % cabernet franc, which is more Cabernet than usual. Alcohol content: 14.2%; pH 3.75.LA CROIX Pomerol 15 - 15,25 // 86 - 87 Showing an intense, dark color with a fruity, toasted and rather fresh nose, this wine performs soft, fruity, and aromatic on the palate and enjoys a melting body. Its tannins are covered by the taste of fruit. Good length on finish. LA FLEUR DE GAY Pomerol 15 // 86 Showing a dark color of medium intensity, with a creamy, fruity, pure and slightly toasted nose, this wine performs tender and fruity on the palate. Its overall profile is slightly too discreet and evokes merlot and new wood. It finishes of medium length. LA PETITE EGLISE Pomerol 15,25 // 87This wine is made from 100% merlot. Alcohol content: 14%. Showing a lovely purple color, this wine offers a fine, fresh, fruity and ripe nose. Very fruity, juicy and enjoyable on the palate, it is very well structured and finishes tasty. This is a sappy wine quite difficult not to swallow. LA VIOLETTE Pomerol 16,25 // 89 Showing a dark purple color, this wine offers a fine, fruity, creamy and floral nose of vanilla. I was expecting more flesh. From entry, this wine develops caressing, aromatic and melting. It delivers taste and a nice tannin coating, yet a length of medium power. LE BON PASTEUR Pomerol 15,5 - 15,75 // 87 - 88 Showing a dark color of moderate intensity, this wine offers a fruity nose of aromatic and very ripe character. It melts on the palate with some precise tannic supports. Slightly discreet on the mid-palate, Le Bon Pasteur delivers an aromatic and long presence. It finishes tasty, over fine tannins. LE CLOS DU BEAU-PERE Pomerol 15,5 // 87 - 88 Showing a lovely, intense and dark color, this wine offers a slightly truffled, fruity and ripe nose. Juicy and distinguished on the palate, it performs over a body which is more elongated than wide. This wine finishes over tasty tannins that are well coated with fruit. Fine aromatic length. Lovely wine. LE MOULIN Pomerol 16,25 // 89 Showing an intense dark color, with a fine, fruity and pure nose, this wine offers a caressing expression on entry. It then develops aromatic on the palate, over a tender and tasty body. It boasts coated and savory tannins and a delicate texture. It finishes over a very aromatic and fine length. MAZEYRES Pomerol 14,75 // 85 - 86 This wine offers a ripe fruity nose, with a soft palate and more flavor than body presence. MONTVIEL Pomerol 14,75 - 15 // 85 - 86 Showing a rather intense, dark color with hints of purple, this wine offers an aromatic, fruity and ripe nose. Fruity and dense on the palate, it delivers enjoyable flavors over a medium body and soft tannins. PENSÉES DE LAFLEUR (LES) Pomerol 15 - 15,25 // 86 - 87 Showing a lovely, intense, dark color with a fruity, subtle, creamy and slightly cold nose, this wine offers a wide expression on entry, then develops sweet. Yet, as often Les Pensées de Lafleur stiffens towards the end, despite a sweet character. It finishes tasty and somewhat austere. This is a wine built for long term aging. Alcohol content 14%; pH 3.7. A blend of 50% merlot and 50% cabernet franc.PETRUS Pomerol 19 // 97 Showing a lovely, intense, dark color with an intense, fine, pure and extremely floral nose, this wine is among the fruitiest I have ever tasted from the estate. Upon swirling, a clay character along with a very special depth of aromas reminded me of the 1947 Petrus. It also provides some very light hint of animal scent that evokes merlot. Above all, what makes it charming is a very fruity character, close to fruit juice, with no wooden presence whatsoever, yet performing creamy with a fine touch of cherry. On the palate, I would say that this is the new Petrus. It is more sensual than any other vintage and more Pomerol than ever. The 2009 Petrus is very, very hedonistic, silky and caressing, juicy yet wide and very full, melting and very lively. After the mid-palate, it becomes more tightly woven (back to classicism after the hedonism) and finishes long, complex, woven and fine, with plenty of taste. I find it interesting that among a vast array of samples taken from wooden barrels, Olivier Berrouet chose to present his wine as it will be in the end, i.e aged for 50% in new wooden barrels. Of course, this marks a change from other wines which are judged as futures. The wine is slightly less mellow- a new barrel adding a sweeter note to the wine- and it is somewhat less woven on finish. Personally I believe the wine will be even better after barrel-aging. Blend:100% merlot- from a selection of 65% of the yield. Alcohol: 14.2°. pH: 3.8. - Yield: 40hl/ha. The new precision that I have given in this comment is not only due to the vintage but also to the fact that, after taking-over from the technical team in charge of the Jean-Pierre Moueix stable, Olivier Berrouet is now in command of all the decision-making regarding wine-growing for Petrus. For instance, the grapes were picked from 17th-18th September until 1st October. The majority of the plots on the plateau whose grapes were used for the blend were harvested on 1st October.ROUGET Pomerol 15 // 86 Showing an intense dark color, this wine offers a fruity, fresh and slightly smoky nose. Soft and sweet on the palate, it reveals a tender and fruity body that opens onto a long and tasty finish. Quite enjoyable. TAILLEFER Pomerol 15 // 86 This wine offers a sappy, very fruity and aromatic expression on the palate, developing sweet on finish over fine tannins and taste. VIEUX CHÂTEAU CERTAN Pomerol 18,5 // 96My 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.VIEUX MAILLET Pomerol 14,75 - 15 // 85 - 86 This wine is much better than it used to be. We are won over by the charming pulpy character of its body as well as its coated tannins. Our next report will be available on line on Friday 9th April.Jean-Marc Quarin. ___________________________________________________________________________ © Copyright 2010. This publication is the original work of Jean-Marc Quarin Sarl, 10 allée de Ginouilhac, BP 40, Le Taillan-Médoc. France. - E-mail : jmquarin@wanadoo.fr. The news media and subscribing wine distributors, importers and retailers may use portions of this material (such as tasting notes, ratings or quotes) provided that it is not distorted, the proper wine and vintage are stated, www.quarin.com is given credit for the material utilized, and Jean-Marc Quarin (JMQ) is shown as the Copyright holder.

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Bordeaux Futures 2009: Results (Part 5)

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