2009 Cos, Angelus, Yquem

24/06/10

The first growths tranche warfare continues, but today's seen the final - and most eagerly awaited - releases of super-seconds and their equivalents. While we wait for final numbers on Vieux Certan and Las Cases, we can now offer limited stocks of today's other hottest releases.

There's no doubt about it: this is the best 2009 Cos d'Estournel. In the world.

'The 2009 Cos d'Estournel is one of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted... in the world! An extraordinary effort I tasted on two separate occasions, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot with a dollop of Cabernet Franc has a whopping 14.5% alcohol, but a remarkably normal pH of 3.69. Kudos to Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier for this amazing wine made from yields of 33 hectoliters per hectare. It will be a legendary claret that should last for 50-60 years. A black/purple color is accompanied by aromas of graphite, ink, creme de cassis, blackberries, cedar, and incense. Full-bodied and unctuously textured, with an ethereal personality, tons of nuances, and a burgeoning complexity, it is an enormously well-endowed, fresh, perfectly balanced tour de force in winemaking. As mentioned above, it should drink well for 50-60 years. This wine possesses this vintage's classic characteristics of enormous power, massive fruit, and extraordinary freshness and precision - largely unprecedented, particularly for Cabernet-based wines in the Medoc. (Tasted two times.) 98-100 points*.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com

Angelus: 'I tasted this three separate times, and on two occasions I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine. The home estate of Hubert de Bouard, this 62+ acre vineyard produced a 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc blend in 2009, with yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare, and a whopping alcohol degree of 14.5%. Of course, the latter component is not even noticeable, as that is one of the erroneous myths about high alcohol in some 2009 Bordeaux. It just doesn't show, thanks to the wine’s extraordinary concentration. This is a fabulous wine, with that tell-tale, dense, inky blue color that Angelus always seems to achieve. It displays an extraordinary nose of acacia flowers (or is it violets?) intermixed with blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, cassis, licorice, incense, and graphite. Full-bodied, viscous, with great intensity , vibrancy, and transparency, this is one of the all-time great wines from Angelus and a 21st century version of their 1989 and 1990. It should drink well for 20+ years – at the very minimum. 96-100 points.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com

Also, Valandraud, the original garage wine, from Jean-Luc Thunevin, La Mondotte, the flagship property in Stephan von Neipperg's portfolio, and - oh - Yquem, which general manager Pierre Lurton says is the best ever, but which we liken to the '07 and '90. (This seems a good moment to point out that we still have Climens - which does rival the best ever - at a mere £820.)

View all 2009 Bordeaux en primeur