There are eleven classed growth châteaux in the St Julien commune, and the majority - including some top-flight estates, such as Léoville-Barton and Léoville-Poyferré - participate in UGC events. Only two, Ducru-Beaucaillou and Léoville-Las-Cases demur, but even without these two the commitment from the other classed growth proprietors, together with Gloria, allows for a fairly thorough examination of the commune in any given year. This was certainly the case with the 2009 vintage.

St Julien: The Wines

The commune showed very consistently during the primeur tastings, and this carried through to this most recent assessment now that the wines are in bottle. On the whole, the wines showed more or less as I expected. Nevertheless, there is always the potential for the finished wines to give a little more than their respective barrel samples (or indeed, a little less), and so I am always prepared for surprises, pleasant or otherwise. And while I certainly saw the potential in Léoville-Poyferré when I tasted it at the UGC primeurs tastings, my note from that tasting unashamedly positive and my score ranking it near the top of the commune, alongside Léoville-Las-Case, I have to confess I thought at the time that I might prefer Léoville-Barton. Somewhat prophetically I wrote:

"I prefer its Barton contemporary, but maybe that's
just me. So many prefer Poyferré these days".

And so I was somewhat but not entirely prepared for what I found when I revisited this wine at the UGC tasting in London. At this assessment, in this vintage, you certainly have to count me among the exponents of Poyferré. This was the most stunning showing from this château that I think I have ever experienced. Looking back over my notes I see I was quite effusive regarding the 2005, although I recall that wine as being more fleshy and exotic. But within the 2009 there is a taut concentration, a harmonious composition, sinewy rather than delicate, and yet it is balanced and just oozing class. Unlike many other wines in this vintage that impress with their seductively ripe fruit that smothers the tannins, here these two components seem to interplay more perfectly, the fruit direct and polished, the tannins sitting within and intertwined with the rest of the wine, rather than deeply buried. And yet there is no suggestion they are in any way inappropriate, the overall composition seeming totally correct. This was clearly head-and-shoulders above the other wines of the commune at this tasting (noting the above-mentioned absentee estates, of course). If I were asked to liken it to another wine, and I don't mean to engage in hyperbole, the estate that comes to mind first would be none other than Latour.

Bordeaux 2009

Remarkably Léoville-Poyferré and Pichon-Baron (see my 2009 Pauillac notes for more on this latter château), wines that have both made a distinct impression on me in the context of this tasting, were also stunningly good last year, a class apart in the 2008 Bordeaux tasting at two years of age. These properties would seem to me to be the true left-bank superstars of the moment. And yet, only 10-15 years ago, both would have been regarded - by others as well as myself - as under-performing estates. Investment and hard work clearly pays off, even at such lofty levels.

Elsewhere within the commune, Gruaud-Larose has put forth a super effort, and I have not always been enamoured with the efforts here over the last decade (although older bottles have, in the past, really impressed). Branaire-Ducru also put on a super show, and in fact there are many enticing wines here, from Saint-Pierre and even Gloria. My only real uncertainty concerned Talbot which seemed subtly tainted; I tasted it at two separate times during the day, so probably from two different bottles, both with the same faint seam of cork taint. I should point out, however, that since the UGC tasting in mid-October I have been to Bordeaux and visited Talbot, specifically to retaste the 2009, and it showed much better than the two bottles described here. Rather than slip that latter note in here, I will provide a more complete report on my visit to Talbot at another time.

Margaux: The Wines

Margaux is the perennial under-achiever of Bordeaux, a commune where there are just so many wines, so many possibilities, and yet often so many disappointments. Beyond the now reliable Margaux and Palmer, there are few that reliably convince. Rauzan-Ségla has given much pleasure over the years, and others too, but this commune does not provide us with the level playing field that we might see in St Julien. Having said that, in 2009, this maxim falls apart somewhat. What experience I have had with Margaux in this vintage has been much more positive than is the norm; good estates suddenly became great, and dull estates suddenly took on a more interesting sheen.

Bordeaux 2009

Sadly, however, because of the fading light of the day, I was not able to make as comprehensive assessment of this commune as I would like. I made a beeline for Lascombes and Rauzan-Ségla, but after this pair there was little time left, and I only tasted two other wines. Thankfully Rauzan-Ségla still displays all of its early potential, the dark and intensely-fruited barrel sample I tasted now having been transformed into a well-toned wine of great suppleness, yet also reassuring concentration. The only downside is that the team at this Chanel-owned property have chosen to dress what is one of the greatest efforts from this vineyard I have every tasted with a one-off special label, a child-like representation of the château 'designed' by Karl Lagerfeld. Thankfully, it appears to have had no detrimental effect on the quality of what lies within the bottle.

I finish off my notes below with a solitary representative from the five classed growth Haut-Médoc properties, La Lagune, which is another impressive effort from the team here, led by Caroline Frey of course. (22/11/11)

St Julien, Margaux & Haut-Médoc 2009: Tasting Notes

Tasted in London in October 2011. Click to locate stockists.

St Julien

Château Beychevelle 2009: Some fine-grained oak elements here, bringing a little hint of caramel to the aromatics, over some soft and slightly perfumed red fruits. There are some darker fruit elements too. Quite a convincing substance at first, allowing in some chalky tannins in the midpalate, giving this wine more evident structure than some in the middle. There is good acidity too. Overall, although it has slightly more evident structure and quite a spicy midpalate character, there is a good sense of harmony to it. The finish is lightly bitter and savoury, which I like. This is fresh and convincing. 16.5/20

Château Branaire-Ducru 2009: Highly perfumed black fruits here, full of blackcurrants and rose petals, a nose suggestive of a bright, crystalline intensity of fruit. Aromatically an impressive wine, and quite distinctive within the context of the vintage, at this tasting at least. This comes through on the palate too, which shows a perfumed layer first of all, then a more solid frame, which isn't quite as well filled out by the fruit character as I hoped. On returning to it though it does show an admirable weight of fruit with a defined texture, gritty and tangible, which leads into a more tannic finish. This has delightful appeal, and could well be brilliant. 18/20

Château Gloria 2009: A slightly deeper, richer, more roasted style of fruit than seen with St Pierre, the other Triaud wine, but the toasted oak elements are very similar. No less impressive on the palate though, where the very solid layers of fruit are interwoven with coffee and savoury spice. Supple, structured, with a good solid feel to the substance of the wine, with plenty of midpalate weight and the necessary tannin and acidity to support it. Quite grippy in the finish. An impressive effort for Gloria. 17.5/20

Château Gruaud-Larose 2009: A really perfumed, spicy, earthy intensity here, lifted with notes of sandalwood, no doubt oak-influenced to some extent. Gentle and elegant on the palate, supple, with a savoury and earthy edge to it matching that found on the nose. Overall I find the character of the wine very attractive, especially as it provides a respite from the sweet flesh of the vintage. A really strong wine for Gruaud, I've got a feeling this will settle out into a supple, elegant rather than very weighty wine, with lovely expression and finesse. If that is your style, then go for it. 17.5/20

Château Lagrange 2009: There is something quite enticing about the fruit aromatics here; there is a bright and open perfume to them that is undoubtedly appealing. And unlike many of the wines tasted here this is unhindered by a liberal application of oak. The palate is fresh and perhaps does not have the weight of many other wines. There is a substance and depth hinted at towards the finish, but otherwise it remains very finely polished but perhaps lacking a little in grit and texture. I think it is the flesh of the vintage more than anything else, and it should come good given time. There is certainly a grippy structure in the finish to suggest this, giving it a long and masculine finish. 17.5/20

Château Langoa-Barton 2009: This has a certain fruit density to it, and although it is all there, with forest fruits and black berries, there is a perfume to it as well. It is fresh, violet-tinged, although always with that darker weight behind. A very convincing, polished and lightly creamed style to the texture of the wine at the start, with a gentle flesh over the tannins, which are very well hidden. Supple, integrated, stylish, the tannins so soft and polished they are hard to spot underneath all the weight. A good wine which will build in the cellar I expect. 17.5/20

Château Léoville-Barton 2009: A very expressive nose here, full of fruit and loaded with spicy elements on the edge, this is aromatically a very convincing wine. It is dark, savoury, and suggestive of a meaty depth. The palate is remarkably refined in view of this , with a very gentle start to it, and then a supple midpalate, revealing little, but showing a harmonious layer of supple fruit, which has a surprisingly fresh, lifted and almost crunchy edge. Alongside there are tannins slowly appearing through the middle, dark and fine-grained, barely perceptible such is their ripeness and the overall harmony of the wine. It is a wine full of grip and structure, but this backbone so very well hidden by the harmonious, polished flesh of the vintage. 18.5/20

Château Léoville-Poyferré 2009: A touch darker than the Léoville-Barton in the glass, this has the greater accessibility sometimes seen in Léoville-Poyferré at this stage, with a more seductive and nutty edge from the oak, and the fruit showing a more fleshy, sexy forest fruit and bramble character. It certainly has immediate appeal. The palate is very primary and everything is there in certain measure, with polished forest fruits accompanied by a building wall of tannin which comes through to express itself fully on the midpalate, a rare finding in this vintage where flesh and sweet substance generally rule at this stage it seems. But there is fruit there, and the tannins are ripe, meaty, almost chocolatey, and they do not seem out of kilter with the rest of the wine. In fact, it tasted more how I would expect Bordeaux to taste at this age....but with knobs on. Very impressive, clearly a wine set for decades in the cellar, and the end result may well be stunning. 19/20

Château Saint-Pierre 2009: There is a grainy, toasty element from the oak here, but there is a good depth of fruit behind it as well. Aromatically there is a certain similarity between this wine and its stablemate, Gloria. A similar oak source or regimen? The palate is supple, with a broad and seamless presence of fruit just covering a rather confident central core of tannin, which sits well with some fresh acidity. Savoury and structured, with a firm, bold and attractive finish, this is a very appealing wine. Lovely long, tangible substance to the length. Very good indeed. 18/20

Margaux

Château Ferrière 2009: Toasty, grainy oak here, but underneath some seductive, spicy fruit too, and overall it has appeal. The palate is very firmly composed, bold and spicy, with a solid ball of fruit presented in a shell-like character. There is a fine weight to it though. Overall this is a substantial wine, grippy, with good acidity. This has promise. 16.5/20

Château Lascombes 2009: There is the usual dense application of oak here, bringing that deep, toasty, new-barrel aroma to the nose of the wine. It has a spicy, sandalwood character, with darker, more spicy, soot and charcoal elements too. Underneath that I sense some fruit at least, but it is well hidden for now. The oak tannins also show up very quickly on the palate, coarser and more domineering than many of the tannins found elsewhere in this vintage. There is an attractive red fruit spice running through this wine, but it is hard to pick anything out from among the oak staves at present. The substance of the wine is very appealing though, supple and well filled out, with acidity and some savoury elements alongside the fruit. This will need a long time for the oak to integrate, but I suspect great potential here. 17.5/20

Château Rauzan-Ségla 2009: This is a very appealing wine aromatically, with black fruits lifted up by a perfumed element, floral elements suggestive of acacia and verbena. The palate is beautifully supple and restrained; it has true Margaux elegance but with the substance of the vintage, albeit minus the fleshy weight that some wines show. There follows a very convincing midpalate, well filled out, with supple and ripe tannins which are poke through the middle of the wine, giving it form and substance, before it segues into an elegant and yet substantial finish. It is very long. Overall, a superb wine with great potential. 18.5/20

Château Siran 2009: This wine has a really rather seductive nose, showing fleshy fruit, in a very ripe and attractive style. Aromatically it is very promising. The palate is bold and polished, with good flesh and the structure, as is the case with most left bank wines, well hidden. There is good acidity too though. Overall this has an attractive composition and a long, savoury, nicely structured finish. Very good. 16.5/20

Haut-Médoc

Château La Lagune 2009: This vintage has a seductive nose with a gentle spice laid on top of the fruit. It is fresh, polished, with a lovely weight and balance. This does not have the overt oak it used to possess in vintages of old - has it been scaled back in more recent years? Today it seems fresh, supple and harmonious on the palate, with lifting acidity. It does have a quite definite core of substantial tannins, but they sit very neatly within the body of the wine. This is very good indeed. 17.5/20