2009 Black Knight
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2009 has a beautiful fragrant nose. The beginnings of tertiary development add savoury tobacco and earthy complexity. There are layers of charred embers, spice, with rich roasted blackberry and currant fruit. The tannins are fully integrated, with lovely candied red and blackberry fruits, sweet liquorice, aniseed and pepper spice. The acidity is certainly less present in the mix although the wine is beautifully balanced and drinking well now. Riper fruit than 2012 and not as vibrant as either the ’12 or ’16 at 11 years old. The 2016 sits in between this riper fruit profile and the freshness of the 2012.
Critic scores
Average Score
The Wine Advocate
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2009 Minervois Black Knight is a smoking effort. Made from 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 10% Carignan, aged 24 months in barrel, it has superb notes of black raspberry, cassis, toast, creamy licorice and pepper. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, textured and with lots of sweet tannin, it’s a serious, pleasure bent effort that should have over a decade of overall longevity. While I’m not sure on the price here, this is a terrific wine that’s worth seeking out.
A blend of particularly ripe Syrah, Grenache and Carignan blend made only in years deemed suitable. Named in recognition of the owner's knighthood presumably. It's certainly a dark crimson with no hint of brown or orange. Smells of heat. Rich and sweet with less obvious refreshment factor than Le Matelas. I'd drink this towards the end of a meal – with cheese perhaps? It almost tastes as though there is a bit of residual sugar. Big and bold. And there are – still – some quite obvious tannins on the finish. Quite extreme and concentrated for the appellation. (JR)
The 2009 Minervois Black Knight is a smoking effort. Made from 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 10% Carignan, aged 24 months in barrel, it has superb notes of black raspberry, cassis, toast, creamy licorice and pepper. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, textured and with lots of sweet tannin, it’s a serious, pleasure bent effort that should have over a decade of overall longevity. While I’m not sure on the price here, this is a terrific wine that’s worth seeking out.
About the producer
Hegarty Chamans is a winery co-owned by Sir John Hegarty and his wife Philippa, situated on the south facing slopes of the Montagne Noire region of Minervois.