2009 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac

I loved the 2009, and like most 2009s, it has a ripe, sexy, yet still classic style that's evolving gracefully, with ample darker currant and black cherry fruits as well as tobacco leaf, cedar pencil, truffly earth, and spice box-like nuances. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, with plenty of mid-palate depth and tannins, it's going to continue drinking brilliantly for another two decades. It needs an hour in a decanter if drinking any time soon.

This blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc is brooding, backward Pauillac for the long haul. The nose is extraordinary; lead pencil, black currant and high class gravelly earth are all in harmony. On the palate the wine is tense, packed and unyielding. The finish is powerfully tannic but also powerfully complex, hinting at the bright future that this wine has. This wine is from the old school, and is not a 2009 to open early, but the patient will be rewarded, as this Grand-Puy-Lacoste has the structure to unfold like the 1982 has. I am happy to see that wines like this are still being made in Bordeaux.