The 2009 Bordeaux vintage has been attracting attention recently with James Suckling‘s updated notes on the top 2009 wines published on his website . . . preceding the expected publishing of Robert Parker‘s in-bottle scores for 2009 in the next issue of The Wine Advocate at the end of the month.
However it’s the 2008s that interest me as this is an under estimated vintage in my opinion – and Neal Martin has started to publish his revised scores for the 08s in The Wine Journal.
Martin tasted the wines blind at the annual Southwold Bordeaux tasting and you can read his insights and scores in full here. Wines that stood out were:
Saint Estephe
Château Calon-Ségur 94 points – “has really upped its game in recent vintages”.
Château Cos d’Estournel 93+ points
Château Montrose 93 points
Château Lafon-Rochet 92 points
Château Phélan-Ségur 91 points – “their best wine since 2005”
Pauillac
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 97 points
Château Pichon Baron 96 points – “won unanimous praise from everyone around the room.
Chateau Latour 95+ points
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 95 points
Le Petit Mouton 94 points – “Raised eyebrows. Sometimes an excellent second label will seduce in blind tastings thanks to it being more approachable and generous…certainly that came into play here.
But that should not detract from Philippe Dhalluin’s great strides in improving what was once a rather humdrum wine.”
Chateau Pichon-Lalande 94 points
Chateau Pontet-Canet 93 points
Chateau Duhart Milon 93 points
Les Forts de Latour 92 points
Chateau Lynch Bages 92 points
Carruades de Lafite 91 points
Chateau Clerc-Milon 91 points
Chateau Batailley 91 points
Saint Julien
Chateau Leoville Las-Cases 94 points
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 93+ points
Chateau Lagrange 93 points – an estate that consistently proves its worth under blind conditions
Chateau Leoville Poyferre 93 points
Chateau Beychevelle 92 points
Chateau La Croix de Beaucaillou 92 points
Chateau Leoville Barton 91+ points
Chateau Gloria 91 points
