96

2009 Méo-Camuzet, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy

( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )

An impressive wine from one of the star names in Vosne, very much on the up at the moment. Mid garnet with some purple notes. Big, rich, bold and oaky, but backed up witt lots of dense fruit, ostensibly from low-yielding vines. Spice, plum and balckberry on the palate, some stems and a long, silky, harmonious finish. Lovely wine. 

BuyDrinking window: 2015-25Similar Wines: Under £5, 96-100, France, Red, Pinot Noir
99

2009 Laurent Roumier, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy

( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )

Pale garnet/red. Aromatic, leafy, wild strawberry nose, with just a hint of oak. Fine and nuanced. Lovely, sweet, textured fruit, with acidity underpinning the flavours. The oak and extraction are perfectly judged here. The wine is very long: Pinot wizardry showing real mastery of the vintage and the cru

BuyDrinking window: 2015-25Similar Wines: Under £5, 96-100, France, Red, Pinot Noir
93

2009 Armelle et Bernard Rion, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy

( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )

If you like your red Burgundies pale (and I’ve seen deeper coloured rosés than this), purchase a case of this wine. Very delicate on the nose with wild strawberry and a hint of spice. Sweet cherry fruit on the palate, with a touch of meaty reduction. Light and ethereal, this is a very drinkable Pinot, although arguably closer to Premier than Grand Cru quality. 

BuyDrinking window: 2013-20Similar Wines: Under £5, 91-95, France, Red, Pinot Noir
87

2009 Pierre André, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy

( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )

Dense, almost opaque colour that could be a Syrah or a Cabernet in appearance. Big, oaky, concentrated, yet a little ponderous with too much extraction for the level of fruit. This is a decent dry red, but it doesn’t really stack up as a Grand Cru Burgundy, even from Clos de Vougeot. May soften with age, but I have my doubts. 

BuyDrinking window: 2012-13Similar Wines: Under £5, 86-90, France, Red, Pinot Noir
94

2009 Domaine Denis Mortet, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy

( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )

There’s no denying the quaility or ambition of the wines from this revitalised domaine. This is a very powerful Pinot, closer to a top Gevrey than a Clos de Vougeot. There’s a lot of oak on the wine at the moment, but this is a wine that is built for bottle age. The underlying fruit is excellent, just waiting to strut its stuff in five years or more. 

BuyDrinking window: 2017-25Similar Wines: Under £5, 91-95, France, Red, Pinot Noir
91

2009 Château de la Tour, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy

( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )

Intense mid rubyintense colour. Ripe, aromatic, heady (almost hedonistic?) nose, showing some forest floor and fresh leather notes. Big, ripe and bold, this is something of a statement wine. It’s arguably a little simple, reflecting the vintage as much as the terroir. The wine is ripe, with plenty of extraction and a slightly hot, dry finish. 

BuyDrinking window: 2013-20Similar Wines: Under £5, 91-95, France, Red, Pinot Noir
93

2009 Domaine de l'Espigouette for Harvey Nichols, Plan de Dieu, Côtes du Rhône Villages

( £12.50, 14.5, Harvey Nichols )

A really first class Rhône blend specially blended for Harvey Nichols by Domaine de l’Espigouette. It’s a spicy, full-throated number from a warm vintage, based on Grenache but with 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre for support and complexity. It’s still youthful (though very drinkable) with dense black fruits, lovely balance and the sort of perfume that really reminds you of the south of France. Heady stuff. 

BuyDrinking window: 2012-17Similar Wines: £10-£20, 91-95, France, Red, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah/Shiraz