Perfect conditions led to 'gorgeous, powerful' reds in 2009
The much-lauded 2009 Bordeaux vintage has been given yet more praise by one wine writer, who described the year as "the greatest vintage in Bordeaux since 1982".
Writing in the Times, Jane MacQuitty said that a dry, cold winter, a wet spring and a lengthy, hot summer added up to produce small, thick-skinned grapes with spectacular flavour.
"Gorgeous, powerful, polished, fruity, violet-scented reds" have become par for the course in 2009, according to the critic, although the year has also produced some over-oaked and overly-alcoholic wines, including Cos d'Estournel and Troplong-Mondot.
"In my tasting book, chateau La Mission Haut-Brion at 14.7 per cent alcohol was one of the few to carry off this level with panache," Ms MacQuitty went on to say.
Sotheby's' Master of Wine Serena Sutcliffe also had a few choice words to say about the 2009 Cos d'Estournel, describing it as a "disaster", according to decanter.com.