Corkr Fine Wines

Bordeaux 2009 Vintage Report & Scores

En Primeur 2009:

The best vintage in 60 years ?

Reports from various sources before we travelled to Bordeaux were that this vintage was as good, if not better, than the celebrated 2005 vintage, better than the 2000 and on par with the 1982. Well, our thoughts having tasted over 300 wines are that there are some exceptional wines which could go down as legendary. There are
however a few that just did not have the balance that was expected from such a 'shouted from the roof tops' vintage. There are also
some excellent value wines, such as Duhart Milon 2009, that could quite easily have been mistaken for a first growth in a blind tasting.

Is this a vintage for Investment or Drinking ? The answer is both.

This is a vintage that will be approachable at an early age, around 6 years for the lesser growth wines but with the high but balanced tannins, high acidity and alcohol in some wines, especially the first growths, will also have good ageing potential.

We can see that the majority of wines will be scored by the wine
critics between 89 to 93 points and considerably more than usual will be scored 94 to 97 points and a few we expect to reach the heights
of 99 points or maybe 100 points. Clients looking for wines to sell on
in the near future will have more choice. This is a vintage where we
would expect to see many of the lower Growths producing their best vintage ever.

We have also been notified by one of our Negociants that instead of the usual 3 Tranches (Offers), we can expect possibly 8 Tranches, especially from the First Growths and that allocations will be 'like a
tap hardly being turned on, drip, drip, drip'.

It is also expected that the Chateaux will hold stock, anticipating price rises, releasing their wines in a graduated time frame.

Of all the regions we felt that Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux on the
left bank and Pessac Leognan produced the wines of the vintage.
The wines from the right bank of St Emilion and Pomerol did not
quite have the balance we were expecting.



Our recommendations with our scores:

This is a classic vintage of finesse, with beautifully balanced wines and velvety tannins. It is a vintage that to us stands out from any other, even better than the 2005, the 2000 or the 1982, because the
vintage is nothing like we have tasted before. We are expecting to
hear that this is, especially the left bank, the greatest vintage ever.


Should you purchase the vintage ? A definite 'Yes', but be aware that release prices are expected to be higher than the 2008 vintage and more on par with the 2005.


If you had bought Lafite Rothschild 2008 in May last year from Corkr Fine Wines Ltd at £1,600 you would be sitting on a case now worth over £6,000 and if the 2009 vintage is compared with the 1982,
you may find in 20 years time that you are sitting on a case worth around £35,000, today's value of Lafite Rothschild 1982.

The wine of the century, the best wine in 60 years !! What will Robert Parker say ?

To fill out a Wine Wish List click here - Bordeaux 2009 En Primeur Wine Wish List
or for further information on buying En Primeur, please call us.

Tel:  +44 (0)1728 648916
Fax: +44 (0)1728 648916
Email: enquiries@corkr.com