2009 Liber Pater

Chewy yet soft and velvety textured. Full-bodied with loads of fruit and intense tannins. Mouth puckering. Toasted and smoky too. Slight grilled meat character. Opulent and poetic. Try after 2017.

I was blown away by this exclusive of Jeffrey Davies, located in the southern Graves area. Yields were ridiculously low at 15 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine ended up a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot averaging out at 14.3% natural alcohol. Unfortunately, there is not much to go around, but proprietor Loic Pasquet has certainly hit pay dirt with this dark purple wine in one of the most interesting bottles in all of Bordeaux. (It’s a “love it or leave it” sort of packaging, but I’ll leave it at that.) A wine of superb intensity, loads of graphite, unsmoked cigar tobacco, creme de cassis and blackberry as well as toasty oak, the wine is full-bodied, powerful, rich, and certainly meant for considerable aging. Given the vintage, there is also a certain accessibility to it already. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025+.