Score: 93/100
This wine is composed of 63% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 13% Cabernet Franc.
It was harvested in the first half of October, after a perfect growing season with a hot, dry summer with cool nights giving birth to an exceptional 2009 vintage in all of the Bordeaux region.
Aging took place in French oak barrels for 16 months.
Tasting Notes:
The wine is very, very dark. Only the rim betrays a dark red color, the rest looks close to black.
Deep yet fruity nose. Dark cherry notes blend in deep dark notes of roasted nuts and dark coffee in what appears as a mysterious black hole of a smell. Quite restraint overall. Intriguing and tempting!
I was expecting richness and tannic density from such an introvert nose. The palate doesn’t disappoint and confirms my impressions.
The relatively high proportion of Merlot (63%), in a very good vintage for it, has given this wine stature, density and very fine tannins. The solid 1/3 proportion of Cabernets (24% Sauvignon and 13% Franc) adds depth, acidity and sharpness to a blend that a is very well crafted and balanced.
The wine is so structured that the oaky notes and tannins, that were much noticeable on the 2008 Chateau Biac Vintage, are here well integrated already despite the wine’s younger age.
Complex flavors inhabit the palate, delivering oaky tones of vanilla, coffee, and roasted hazelnut, together with loads of sweet spices: cinnamon, clove, and a touch of black pepper. Fruit aromas are represented by the blackberry and dark cherry. The whole is harmonious in a rich ripe fruit style for the Bordeaux region, yet preserving elegance.
When to drink?
Clearly this wine has depth and potential for aging. We’re tasting a 7 years old wine here, and it feels like it was only just taken out of the barrels after a couple years of resting in them.
Too restrained now to be fully appreciated, keep it for another 5 years to see how it evolves. I wouldn’t be surprised if it developed further interesting complexity for another 10 to 20 years.
Admire the color of the 2008 vintage of this wine in the following video:
Please let me know your thoughts