Affordable Bordeaux from the Outstanding 2009 Vintage

After three consecutive years of chilly summers and white-knuckle harvests, the weather cooperated in 2009 and delivered Bordeaux its best vintage since 2005. Comparisons between '09 and '05 are inevitable yet unnecessary, for the 2009 vintage stands on its own even if it may not be the ubiquitous "vintage of the century," as the Bordelais are prone to boast.

Great vintages are across the board and visit the less coveted chateaux with their poorer terroir, as well as the high and mighty with the most desirable vineyards and superior technical skills to shine no matter the conditions. The 2000 and 2005 vintages were of that ilk; 2009 came close, but seems to me to be more in line with the vastly underrated 2001 vintage.

No matter. The best of 2009 are as good as any ever produced in Bordeaux, and a few — the great Margaux Chateau Palmer, the superb Pauillac Chateau Pichon-Lalande and the underrated Pessac-Leognan Domaine de Chevalier — are the finest I have tasted from those estates over the nearly 40 years I have followed Bordeaux.

It should be noted that in the case of Domaine de Chevalier, I am talking about the Chevalier Rouge — for its Chevalier Blanc is the more famous, and more expensive, of the two wines from the estate.

As is the custom at Bordeaux Primeurs, the international wine press (more than 200 strong this year, along with nearly 6,000 representatives from the wine merchant trade) roamed each day for five days to a different zone of Bordeaux.

It is safe to say that the vintage was uniformly good throughout the region, but it does seem the wines of the Left Bank (of the river Gironde) are more classically structured and successful. Pauillac, Margaux and Saint-Julien were stunningly suave, with beautifully integrated tannins, despite the fact that tannins levels were at an all-time high, particularly in Margaux.

Graves and Pessac-Leognan were on a par, albeit in the more muted style of those two appellations. And the Right Bank communes of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol give every indication they will turn out as well, though the Right Bank took more rain and saw the harvest dragged out by nearly two weeks due to storms in late September and early October.

Saint-Emilion is likely to be somewhat controversial because of the heaviness of the wines, which tended to be highly extracted and tannic. They are less classical and more New World than the traditionalists would like, but should certainly play well in New World markets.

Sauternes and Barsac yielded wines of great concentration and flavor, though some seem to be slightly deficient in acidity. And the dry whites of Pessac-Leognan and Graves also exhibited the ripeness of the vintage, with bold flavors that will drink well when young.

During the week of Primeurs, my focus was to identify wines that would be collectible but affordable. By collectible, I mean wines that will improve in the cellar over a minimum of 10 years. By affordable, I mean wines that I expect to retail for $50 or less en primeurs, or on the futures market that will open soon. Of course, you could pay much, much more for many (if not most) of the outstanding '09s. The point here is that in an excellent vintage you can still stock the collection without taking out a second mortgage.

Futures are a way of purchasing Bordeaux in advance of delivery at close to the opening price, rather than waiting two or more years until the wines are delivered for retail sales in the United States — after they've appreciated in value.

This week's tasting notes reflect my thoughts on such wines from the 2009 vintage, along with the price of the wine I've found from the most recent vintage. When able, I list the 2005 price, for I expect the 2009 vintage to be priced closer to the '05 than either '06, '07 or '08. Prices for the 2009 futures should be announced soon. Ratings are made within a four-point range because the samples presented were youthful and volatile — far from finished wines at this stage.

I will be posting the entirety of my tasting notes and ratings from the 2009 Bordeaux Primeurs shortly at www.whitleyonwine.com.

TASTING NOTES

Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value.

— Haut-Medoc

Chateau Lamarque (91-94). Found the 2005 for $33.69 on the Internet. Pretty nose, with notes of floral and chocolate. Spicy. Lovely mouthfeel. Ripe fruit. Aromas of cassis and blackberry. Rich through mid-palate. Nice finish.

Chateau Belgrave (91-94). Internet price for the 2005 was $40. Floral, black currant nose. Good palate weight and density. Excellent length. Fine, integrated tannins.

Charteau Latour-Carnet (92-95). Internet price for 2005 was $49.99. Nose of violets and black fruits. Spicy. Sweet fruit aromas. A crowd-pleaser. Good density and weight on the palate. Packed with fruit. Fine, well-integrated tannins. Should age superbly.

Chateau Camensac (92-95). Internet price for 2007 was $23. Could be one of the great value wines of the vintage. Full and rich on the palate with ripe black-fruit aromas. Well-balanced. Good length. Find tannins. Complete in every way.

— Pauillac

Chateau Croizet-Bages (93-96). Internet price for 2005 was $42. Violets on the nose. Intensely floral. Wonderful mouthfeel. Good complexity. Black fruit aromas. Blackberry, cassis. Rich and full-bodied, but elegant and fine tannins. Strikes a beautiful balance between power and elegance.

Chateau Lynch Moussas (92-95). Internet price was $45 for 2005. Ripe black fruits, sweet fruit core, blackberry and blueberry fruit with fine, elegant tannins. Very classy.

Chateau Clerc Milon (91-94). Internet price was $41 for 2008. This is the highest rating I have ever given this chateau. Nose of ripe cassis. Fat and juicy. Fine tannins. Huge but in balance. Sweet core, with layers and textures that give it tremendous complexity. Very nice in the bigger, riper style.

— Saint-Estephe

Chateau Phelan Segur (90-93). Internet price was $29 for 2008. Floral and grapey on the nose. Hard tannins, but with plenty of flesh. Fresh tasting. Middle palate is weak, but likely to flesh out with age, and the finish is nice.

Chateau Lafon-Rochet (94-97). Internet price was $45 for 2005. A stunning wine with fine, firm tannins. Dense dark fruited aromas. Layered complexity. Well-balanced. A wine that will need time, but very classy and elegant. Very ripe without being jammy. Beautifully done.

— Margaux

Chateau Siran (91-94). Internet price was $35 for 2005. This is a cru Bourgeois (formerly classified Cru Exceptionnel) Margaux that is vastly undervalued. Very pretty fruit, with notes of black plum. Fine, supple tannins, plenty of flesh, but still elegant. Very nice. Good minerality.

— Graves

Chateau Chantegrive (91-94. Internet price was $20 for 2005. Nose of violets, plums. Good palate weight and density. Wine is packed with fruit. Raspberry, blackberry and currants. Well-integrated, fine tannins. Complex and sophisticated, very suave.

— Pessac-Leognan

Chateau Ferrande (92-95). Internet price was $24 for 2005. Sweet fruit at the core. Spicy and floral, with good density and palate weight. Well-integrated tannins. Should cellar very well.

Domaine de Chevalier (95-98). Internet price was $43 for 2008. Fresh fruit nose, slightly spicy and floral. Exceptional mouthfeel and showing layered complexity. Texture in the mouth is elegant and refined. Good acid/sugar/alcohol balance. Simply outstanding wine. Excellent length.

Chateau de France (91-94). Internet price was $23 for 2005. Rich and ripe on the palate, though not jammy. Layers of red and black fruits. Fine but firm tannins. Outstanding aging potential.

Chateau Haur-Bergey (93-96). Internet price was $40 for 2005. Lovely nose of blueberry and plum, with hints of spice and floral. Good concentration. Bright, focused fruit on the palate, with a dominant blueberry note. Fine, well-integrated tannins. Exceptional potential.

Chateau Olivier (92-95). Internet price was $35 for 2005. Showing bright red and black fruits. Sweet fruit core. Plenty of flesh. Juicy, with firm tannins and good acid. Potential to age is outstanding.

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