2009
Vintage Quality: Legendary
Current Status: Ready to drink, suitable for further aging
The 2009 vintage in Bordeaux is widely considered legendary. The year brought exceptional wines, including sweet ones from Sauternes and Barsac. Although the growing season began with a warm spring, rain and hail followed, hitting Pessac-Léognan and reducing yields in Saint-Émilion. Nonetheless, warm, sunny days ensured successful budding and flowering.
Sunny hot summer with a few rain showers provided a great season, but drought was a concern. September and October were idyllic, with warm days and cool nights, allowing for a relaxed harvest. White wines were harvested at the end of August, and although they were generally stunning, some had issues with a lack of acidity caused by the intense summer heat. Although most whites were best for early consumption, they were still very pleasant. The best whites were undoubtedly the sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac.
The red wines are rich, magnificent, and considered legendary. The wines tend to be big, bold, luxurious, and rich, yet still sophisticated, with many surprisingly approachable in their youth.
The Right Bank was spectacular, especially Pomerol, where all estates, from the best to lesser-known ones, produced intense, alcoholic, floral wines full of fruit. Saint-Émilion was less consistent, with some excellent wines produced, but others were overripe and clumsy, lacking precision.
The Left Bank was excellent and perhaps more consistent than the Right. All major appellations of the Left Bank performed exceptionally well. Haut-Médoc shone across the board, as did estates in Listrac-Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc. Médoc produced fantastically rich wines, with voluminous Merlot bolstering the restrained Cabernet Sauvignon, and the result was refreshingly accessible wines. Margaux was also excellent, as were the wines from Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, and Saint-Julien, whose wines were phenomenally balanced with immense aging potential. Despite some issues with hail at the start of the growing season, the Left Bank's red wines rarely missed the mark.
The 2009 vintage is one of the best ever for Bordeaux, and most reds will now drink exceptionally well with the potential for further decades.

Les Carmes de Rieussec 2009 is an excellent sweet white wine from the Sauternes appellation in Bordeaux, the second...

Château Rieussec 2009 has a deep golden colour and rich aromas of honey, dried fruits, flowers and...