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Bordeaux 2009: Pomerol
Bordeaux 2009
En primeur
Pomerol
Much of what I have already written in my account of the wines of St Emilion in this vintage also applies here. This is hardly surprising; after all, the two appellations abut one another, as can easily be appreciated from the front steps of Cheval-Blanc, the vista before you featuring both L'Évangile and Vieux Chateau Certan, with the spire of Pomerol's famous church just behind. Perhaps more significantly - in this vintage especially - they major in the same varieties of Vitis vinifera, particularly Merlot but also Cabernet Franc.
And so just as was the case with St Emilion, here we have a broad range of wines which take us from ethereal high to over-alcoholic low, with everything in-between. It seems only right to focus on those that have achieved of course, and the most obvious candidate for study is Vieux Chateau Certan. Tasted in the chai this wine was a model of classical restraint, linear and defined, and it is not difficult to imagine that this ethereal character might reflect a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc than is usual. In fact that is not the case; although the vineyard here is 60% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the blend for the 2009 vintage is 84% Merlot and 8% each of the two Cabernets. So once again we have a Merlot-heavy cuvée - as was the case at Cheval Blanc - when the vineyard would suggest a much larger role for Cabernet Franc was possible. As was discussed at Cheval Blanc, not all the right-bank Cabernet Franc was of the same high standard that was found with the left-bank Cabernet Sauvignons.
Looking back at previous vintages there is little precedent for such a blend, the closest match being 1998 which was 85% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The norm here is much more focused on Cabernet Franc, which accounted for 20% of the delicious 2008, 2005, 2001 and 2000 vintages, the remaining 80% either being entirely Merlot, or Merlot topped up with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Moving from 75/80% to 85% Merlot is not such a large shift, either in absolute or relative terms, but coming down from 20% to 8% Cabernet Franc is a significant change; only a 12% absolute reduction perhaps, but it is 60% in relative terms. Such a shift should have a significant impact on the style of the wine; having said that this is just as elegant and as linear a wine as you could ask for. Further evidence, were it needed, of the importance of picking at the right time and of skilful handling of the fruit in the cellars. The harvest started here on September 21st, a date worth comparing with a few other right bank wines in the vintage, such as those in the elegant style - Cheval Blanc (September 15th) and Église-Clinet (September 14th) - as well as the sweeter and denser wines - Pavie (October 5th) and Pavie-Decesse (October 12th). The decision when to harvest (and this applies on the left bank as well) is, as is often the case, a strong determinant on the style of the wine. The end result is a Vieux Chateau Certan that will perhaps not please everybody, and those that will miss the Cabernet perfume are most likely to be disappointed, but to my palate this is still an excellent wine. Indeed, Alexandre Thienpont saw fit to liken it to the 1950, a great Pomerol vintage.
Moving onto another of the darlings of this small appellation, it was not
long after my visit to Vieux Chateau Certan that I rolled up at
Petrus. Although I have been to Petrus
before I have never visited during the primeurs, simply because there was
never a need. Petrus is owned by one branch of the Moueix family (it was
bequeathed by Jean-Pierre Moueix to a son, Jean-François) but marketed by
another (another son, Christian, and grandson Edouard) and the wine has until
now always stood proud at the end of the line-up in the Moueix tasting room on
the quayside. Not this year; that tasting ended with
Trotanoy and anyone wishing to taste
Petrus had to turn up - proffering their hand-written invitation - at the estate itself. I did wonder
at first whether this decision was prompted by the style of
the wine this year, which joins Vieux Chateau Certan and Ausone in group of
ethereal and understated wines, a style that perhaps would not show so well after the
majesty of Trotanoy, but on reflection I do not think this is the case. Instead,
I think
the move reflects a desire to involve the new winemaker, Olivier
Berrouet (above left), the son of the previous incumbent, Jean-Claude Berrouet, in the
presentation of the wine. Secondly, it also puts Petrus in line with all the
other first growth and equivalent estates, all of which are tasted at the
domaine.
And how did Petrus taste? Fabulous, in my opinion. Berrouet regarded 2009 - the first vintage where he has sole responsibility for the winemaking - as an outstanding vintage. He threw out one interesting statistic that reflected the difficulty of the vintage, however, that being the time interval between veraison (the change in colour of the fruit from green to the red-purple-black colour of ripeness) and the harvest. Normally 45 days, this year it was 60, as he held on waiting for the technically ripe fruit (ripeness of sugar) to achieve full physiological ripeness (ripeness of pips, skins and stalks). Nevertheless the wine was magnificent, ethereal rather than overly majestic like Latour, and yet certainly also regal, revealing itself one unhurried layer at a time. A taster in too much of a rush may well have wondered what the fuss was about, but an exploration of the wine as it lay on the palate would reveal why Petrus rules in this appellation. There is silkiness here, a polished smoothness, and underneath that a seam of tannins which unfold and caress, gently awakening you to the wine's great potential. And then there is balance, lift and most of all persistence and linearity. Were it not for Latour, it could well be my wine of the vintage. And how fitting, that in this most topsy-turvy of 'great' vintages, a year touted by some as vintage of the century, a year marked by hot and alcoholic Merlots bearing too much sweetness and alcohol, that one of my top wines of the primeur tastings should be....100% Merlot. It illustrates just how much the eventual quality of the wines in this vintage depends not on the grace of mother nature, as in 2005, but in the skill, commitment and attention to detail of the winemaker.
The wines written up here are collated from a number of tastings, starting off at the Moueix offices on he quayside (where overall quality was very high) and them following on later in the day with the UGC Pomerol tasting at Gazin (where quality was much more variable, with many wines showing their heat and alcohol very plainly). In-between, visits to Église-Clinet to taste the wines of Denis Durantou, Petrus and Vieux Chateau Certan offered more tasting opportunities, and of course there is always Nenin which appears at Léoville Las-Cases. Sadly I missed out Le Pin this year, simply for lack of time, and also L'Évangile which nearly made it into our tasting schedule - but not quite. Maybe next year! None were tasted blind. I have included (where I remembered to ask) comments on assemblage, very useful information considering the style of the vintage, as well as alcohol strength. It was remarkable that several at the UGC Pomerol tasting found themselves suddenly very hazy on the issue of alcohol, professing "oh, about 13%" asked, even though the wine displayed overt heat on the finish. Whatever the true figure might be, it is of course whether alcohol is perceptible on the palate that counts. (16/4/09)
Pomerol 2009: Tasting Notes
Tasted in Bordeaux in March 2010. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Beauregard 2009:
Merlot 80%, Cabernet Franc 20%. Alcohol "about 13.6%". Lovely vibrant
fruit on the nose here, bright plum skin character, rich but well defined. The
palate has a very bold style, firm, and showing some alcoholic heat. Certainly
quite tannic, with a very chewy extraction. Rather under-fruited for the level of
extraction and alcohol though. This doesn't appeal. 14-15+/20
Chateau Bourgneuf-Vayron 2009: A very dark hue to this wine. Unusually
there us still a trace of sulphur on the nose, and in fact little else to be
found here. Good texture on the palate though, a supple presence, with fine tannins and good acidity.
The structure is promising, although the sulphur makes it difficult to comment
on the aromatics. 17-18+?/20
Chateau La Cabanne 2009: Merlot 92%, Cabernet Franc 8%. This wine has
an attractive vibrancy on the nose, fresh fruits too, although they have a dark
and substantial character. The palate though has a much warmer feel to it, very
ripe in style, with rather obvious alcohol. There is a wall of tannin behind,
rich and velvety in style but also very powerful. Rather stolid style. Lacks the
freshness I look for. 14-15/20
Chateau Certan de May 2009: A Mouiex wine. A crimson hue, with a bluish rim. Beautifully crushed
fruits on the nose. These follow through onto the palate, where they unfold to
reveal a ripe and precise core of tannins which have quite a firm feel to them,
along with vibrant and precise acidity. Lots of chewy substance here, but lots
of pretty and well presented fruit character too. Impressively good. 17-18+/20
Chateau Certan Marzelle 2009: A Mouiex wine. A dark and glossy cherry red here. This wine has bags of
fruit on the nose, with a lovely plum skin and fresh cherry depth. Very creamy
entry, supported by very soft and supple tannins which roll gently along the
palate. Lovely acidity in the middle, stylish and fleshy. Overall a very nicely managed
wine, with lots of potential for the cellar. 17-18+/20
Chateau
Clinet 2009: Merlot 85%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%.
Alcohol "about 14%". An elegant and refined nose here, with plum skin and
damson notes, with a sense of purity. A supple and more elegant style of fruit
on this wine, although there is certainly some substance here too. Gentle fruit,
firm tannin, quite bright in character. This has a good composition and should
do very well. 17-18+/20
Chateau
La Conseillante 2009: Tasted twice. This is 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol 14.2%. Lovely
fruit quality on the nose, pure damson character, very sweet and evocative, seems a
touch jammy at first although a second taste later in the day did not suggest
this so much. Certainly a very plush style though. The palate confirms this,
sweet fruits, damson and plums, violets, fresh and bright with a good layer of
grippy tannin underneath. Quite a polished style, balanced, the tannins deliciously
ripe and velvety. Just a hint of warmth belying that firm alcoholic seam. But otherwise extremely good, with delicious
and complex potential. 17.5-18.5+/20
Duo de Conseillante 2009: The second wine of
Conseillante, this is 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Just 300 cases,
amounting to 6% of total production. Slightly gamey fruit on the nose. Soft texture on the palate, with
a well-rounded feel, but the texture seems a touch diffuse. Slightly detached
substance and structure. Really appealing and slightly savoury finish though.
Soft, and there is such a polish to the tannins that it is quite easy to taste now, although
it will really benefit from a few years in the cellar. Very gentle and appealing. 15.5-16.5+/20
Chateau La Croix de Gay 2009: Merlot 95%, Cabernet Franc 5%. Good plum
and damson fruit on the nose, although rather a firm shell of fruit on the
palate. An appealing chalky edge to it, although the flavour profile
concerns ripe, black fruits. Ripe tannins too, but overall a rather juicy feel to it, and
a hint of grassiness, and peppercorn. Its freshness gives it some appeal. 15-16+/20
Chateau La Croix du Casse 2009: A wine from the Borie-Manoux
portfolio. Merlot 93%, Cabernet Franc 7%. Yield 42 hl/ha. A clean
style of fruit on the nose, with a plum character. A substantial palate as you
might expect, nicely textured, with good grip underneath. A supple but definite
tannic form, nice acids, and a tannin-infused finish. An attractive wine here,
with good potential to show well with time. 15.5-16.5/20
Chateau L'Église-Clinet 2009: Merlot 90%, Cabernet Franc 10%, picked
September 14th to 28th. A very dark layer of spice here, well honed, direct,
compact, ripe but well polished. Gently honeyed oak. So elegant on the palate,
a beautifully directed seam of fruit, framed by a straight and savoury application
of tannins. Great harmony and structure here. Wonderful honeyed substance. Fine
plum skin and damson elements to it too. There is a depth and spice to the fruit,
but most of all a beautifully composed palate. Great quality here, wonderful,
such a fine expression of the vintage. Fresh and balanced, this is an excellent demonstration of what the
appellation is capable of even in this hot and alcoholic year. 18-19+/20
La Petite Église 2009: This is the second wine of Église-Clinet, and
is 100% Merlot. Picked September 28th. A lovely nose, very classic in style. Honeyed and rather complex
fruit, roasted plum skins, overall it seems quite delicious. Lots of peppery
substance on the palate, fresh and bright, although there is quite a deep style
of fruit, slightly plump, with ripe and appropriate - if a touch chewy -
tannins. Should make good drinking, and may well offer good value too looking at
previous vintages. 17-18+/20
Domaine de l'Église 2009: Another wine from the Borie-Manoux
portfolio, this is 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Yield 37 hl/ha. Some rather gamey raspberry fruit on the
nose here, with a rather firm shell of fruit on the palate. A good tannic
substance, fresh acids, with good vigour underneath the substance of the wine.
It just lacks some freshness for me. 15.5-16.5/20
Chateau La Fleur-Pétrus 2009:
A Mouiex wine. A slightly darker hue than some other
Moueix wines here. On the nose a
tight core of black fruits, blackcurrants and dark cherries. Beautifully textured
on the palate, sweet and quite fleshy, supple and flattering. Lots of ripe tannins but
they are very well hidden by this layer of fruit, with a lovely sense of grip coming in. Great acidity at the core. Wonderful
structure and balance here, and an elegant substance to the finish. Delicious potential. 17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau Gazin
2009: Merlot 90%, Cabernet Sauvignon 7%, Cabernet Franc 3%. Alcohol here
14.3%. The nose here has the suggestion of substance, with some evocative dark
fruit. Quite fresh, pure fruit, quite creamy, with a good backbone of measured
tannin beneath. The acidity is nice, the overall composition is well balanced,
and the substance hides that alcohol well. A very ripe character. Massive in
style, but everything sits quite well together, and overall I think this is
really good. 17-18+/20
Chateau La Grave à Pomerol 2009:
A Mouiex wine.
A dark and glossy wine. Crunchy fruit, forest, berries. Plums too.
A good creamy substance on the palate, very nicely composed, fleshy. Soft and supple tannins, very forward.
Not the structure of the greater wines, but very accessible with it. There are
some nice gritty elements to the fruit and it does have some good grip. Freshness here, and good
drinking too I suspect. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Hosanna 2009: A Mouiex
wine. A dark
and glossy cherry red. Deeply fruited on the nose, plum
skins and damsons, with darker notes too, a meaty richness, an element of tar.
Beautifully creamed stance on the palate, with plenty of fine grip. The fruit
and fresh acidity combine to give this wine a particularly succulent presence on
the palate. Supple, ripe, approachable, but with a quick round of tannins showing
at the end, this wine has much promise for the future. I really like this. 17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau Lafleur-Gazin 2009: A Mouiex wine. The nose here carries notes of rather fresh, high-toned fruit,
with a lovely bright character. There is just a hint of meatiness to it as well. A good presence on
the palate, a rather fruit-forward style, fleshy with supple tannins. Very accessible,
attractive, with a gentle character. Lovely flavour. Should make for some very
appealing drinking, without needing decades in the cellar. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Latour à Pomerol 2009:
A Mouiex wine. This very dark wine has a great nose of cherry
fruit, although it does have a hint of that macerated cherry-skin character
too. Bold and creamy on entry, there is a little hint of alcohol at first
although it disappears as quickly as it appeared, leaving a very fruit-forward
and fleshy wine, underneath which there is ripe tannin and good acidity. Very
attractive although it does not have the precision of the greater wines. Still
very fine potential though. 17-18+/20
Chateau Nenin 2009: Merlot 80%,
Cabernet Franc 20%, and including 11% press wine. IPT 73, alcohol 13.9%. Dark but well defined plum fruit. Good flesh and substance
on the palate, polished character, ripe tannins, damson and raspberry fruit.
Good freshness, nice acids in the middle, supple fruit too. Appealing and grippy
with its velvet coat of ripe tannins. Very good. 16.5-17.5/20
Fugue de Nenin 2009: The second wine of
Nenin, Merlot
81%, Cabernet Franc 19%, 16% press wine, IPT 70, alcohol 13.9%. Confit fruit, black cherry and damson jam,
bright with raspberry notes. Very forward, open and aromatic. Light but nicely
presented fruit, a jammy feel but also paradoxically spicy and savoury, with not
a hint of jamminess in the texture. Rather it is fresh, creamy but fairly lively.
Fascinating fruit complexity, all raspberry and cream. Just a touch of alcohol
peeking in. Firm, structure finish. Nice acidity. This certainly has interest
and appeal. 15-16+/20
Chateau
Petit Village 2009: Merlot 75%, Cabernet Franc 17%, Cabernet Franc 8%. A
rather reserved style of fruit nose here, not very expressive, but dark and
spicy when it shows. Rather hot in character on the palate, bold with lots of
substance, but also some heat and spice. A palate very influenced by alcohol
here. This doesn't appeal to me. 13-14+/20
Petrus 2009: Merlot 100% of
course, alcohol 14%, pH 3.8. Very well defined and elegant
fruit profile here, with a haunting Pomerol spice. A lovely and supple palate, very well defined,
fresh and lively fruit profile, with a beautifully pure definition. Red plums
and cherry, also slightly floral, with notes of violets, vibrant and lightly crystalline
fruit, and light nuances of damson too. Elegant, elegant, elegant. Underneath, however, there is a layer of tannins which is
well-controlled, giving backbone and enveloping the wine, but never dominating
it. The fruit comes out on top, the harmonious texture too. There is fine acidity at the core, and there is a suppleness of fruit over the top that makes it seem very
approachable. But underneath it is a wine of structure and power. It has a fine
balance, but when you come to appreciate the structure it is clearly a vin de
garde. Great length. 18.5-19.5+/20
Chateau Plince 2009: A Mouiex wine. Very dark, high-toned nose here. A bright and very direct
character to the fruit. The palate shows plenty of fruit character too, dark in
style, certainly fresh, with soft and supple but ripe and appealing tannins
beneath. Good acidity, attractive freshness too. This has a very accessible style on
the palate; although it has a good structure and will benefit from cellaring I
suspect that this will drink earlier than many of the Moueix cuvées. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau La Pointe 2009:
Merlot 85%, Cabernet Franc 15%. Pretty fruit on the nose, cream-tinged, fresh,
and full of plum and damson fruit. An attractive palate, quite supple and
fleshy, with a good substance. Ripe and grippy tannins, showing especially
towards the end, and overall a lovely fruit character. The tannins are a little
domineering at the end. It is a good effort for La Pointe, and they seem to have
kept it together despite the heat of the vintage and the Merlot-dominated
assemblage. Well done! 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Providence 2009: A very dark crimson, glossy, quite dense
appearance. Very vibrant fruit
here, bordering on high-toned, with a lovely mix of cherries and forest fruits
swirled with cream. The palate starts off with that creamy stance but quickly
moves into structure, although it does not dominate. There is a fine frame of
ripe grainy tannins, lovely acidity, lovely balance too. Fresh but substantial.
An excellent wine. 17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau Trotanoy 2009: A
Mouiex wine. A
richly coloured, glossy wine, with a crimson-blue rim. Great concentration in
the glass. A very pure and reserved style of fruit on the nose, creamy but with
good breadth. The palate has a very polished start, before immediately
flattening out, but then broadening in the palate to reveal a spread of well
polished fruits. Very ripe tannins, running like a thread through the entire
wine, building a succulent texture towards the finish. Bright acidity. This is
very cleanly structured with a precise balance. An exceptional style, a real
vin de garde. Bravo! 17.5-18.5+/20
Vieux Chateau Certan 2009:
This vintage the grand vin accounts for 70% of the harvest, with an
assemblage of 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 8%
Cabernet Sauvignon. Yield 40 hl/ha. Alcohol 13.7%. Not a deeply coloured wine, cherry red with a pink rim.
The nose has a beautiful creamed-fruit character, bright and with wonderful
clarity. Served quite cool in Thienpont's cellars. Lovely elegant spice though. The palate begins very
subtly, slowly building and opening out especially as the wine warms, but it
maintains a fine elegance throughout. There is cream here, but also precision
and definition. Ripe tannins, unobtrusive, harmonious, very much in keeping with
the wine, and a fine core of acidity too. Such a lovely composition, with fine
cottony tannins. This has a style very typical of Vieux Chateau Certan, the
combination of succulence but also elegance. And with time will come complexity.
Delicious. 18-19+/20
La Chenade (Lalande de Pomerol) 2009: From the Église-Clinet stable,
this is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Picked September 23rd - 28th. A smoky, rather gamey fruit nose.
Stark peppery fruit on palate, although with a nice texture following on. Fresh,
but with plenty of grip, just a touch too much coming in at the end. Overall
rather heavily extracted and unbalanced, and I don't find the flavours that
appealing. 14-15+/20
Chateau Les Cruzelles (Lalande de Pomerol) 2009: From the Église-Clinet stable,
this is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Picked September 15th - 28th. A very dark, backward style of fruit here,
with a very polished entry, supple and harmonious. The tannins come through but they are
gentle in the context of the vintage and there is an elegant, well rounded feel
to it. Good substance too though, gentle but appealing. Freshness here.
Savoury and no shortage of appeal, this could be very good value? 16.5-17.5+/20
