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.
Fine and Rare Clos de Vougeot tasting
29 August 20122009 Henri Rebourseau, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Bright pale garnet-ruby. Closed with some reduction and very little fruit on the nose. Hint of rhubarb on the palate, tannic with high acid. Rather scrawny, with almost Italianate levels of acidity and very little flesh or sweet fruit. More like a 2008 than a 2009.
2009 Domaine du Clos Frantin, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Youthful, pale ruby-garnet colour, scented red fruits, elegant with a touch oak. Still very young, with marked tannins (for Pinot and this vintage) on the palate and succulent, sweet fruit. Good acidity, very fine, good ageing potential.
2009 Louis Max, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Very light in colour, although there’s nothing wrong with that in Burgundy. Leafy, balanced and aromatic with summer pudding and wild strawberry fruit. The palate is very different, showing more oak, slightly firm extracted tannins, medium acidity and not quite enough fruit to balance the dryness. This may oopen up over the next two or three years.
2009 Château de la Tour Vieilles Vignes, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )A mid ruby wine showing a slight cloudiness when I tasted it. This old vine cuvée is marked by smoky, vanilla oak on the nose, with meaty aromas that owe as much to Syrah as they do to Pinot Noir. Very woody on the palate too, with a chunky extracted finish. This may soften over time, but I think the oak will continue to dominate the fruit.
2009 Bertagna, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Mid ruby/red with a pinkish rim. There’s some evidence of whole bunch fermetnation on the nose and palate here – a slight greenness that adds some texture and structure. The wine is quite extracted, but is clearly built for the longer haul, with notes of vanilla, fresh earth and raspberry and summer pudding fruit.
2009 La Reine Pédauque, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Mid ruby with a pinkish rim. Youthfaul and bright on the nose, albeit witn an overlay of oak. On the palate the wine is quite extracted with marked acidity and not enough fruit to compensate. A wine that is closer to a 2008 than 2009 in style, with firm, dry tannins and rather thin fruit flavours.
2009 Chantal Lescure, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Deep ruby, youthful, garnet coloured at the rim. Dense, compact, with some minty reduction. A little bitter with high acidity, perhaps suffering from bottle shock? High acid and tannin, not very complex. Lacks what should be the redeeming feature of the vintage: namely, fruit.
2009 Capitain-Gagnerot, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Very pale garnet and hints of brick red. Forward or just a little developed? Strange toffee oak secents on top of the wine. Very fruity, with fresh acidity, but just a little confected, with strawbery coulis fruit. Forward, ripe, very 2009.