There’s so much to sink your teeth into in Pessac-Léognan in 2009. The wines have plenty of structure, weight and tannin, all disguised by the sheer gloss and abundance of sweet fruit in this vintage. There seems to be a bit more chew to the tannin here though than in the left bank appellations further north. Opulent wines have been made at Domaine de Chevalier, Château Malartic-Lagravière and Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Château Haut-Brion is a giant and will require considerable time. Château La Mission Haut-Brion has surprising freshness alongside the weight and alcohol while Chateau Bouscaut, Chateau de Fieuzal and Chateau Carbonnieux have made some of the best reds I’ve yet tasted from these properties.

It is tempting to put the boot into Bordeaux 2009. The expectations were so high at the outset, as were the prices, that after all the perfect Parker points there was really only one way for sentiment to go. For me it remains a case of sentiment. Only the most curmudgeonly of tasters would surely find fault with a generally thrilling set of wines shown at the MW Institute’s 2009 claret tasting last November.

Château Latour has produced a focused set of wines in 2012. They have finesse and precision but felt perhaps a little leaner than 2011 at the same stage. Now that Latour have abandoned selling en primeur the snapshot of these wines in their youth is possibly a bit academic given that it will be a few years, at least, before even the most junior Pauillac will be released, let alone Les Forts and the grand vin itself. Handy, then, that the wine that stole the show on the morning I tasted at Latour was their Pauillac 2009, the current release of the ‘third’ wine. It’s stunning. Immediately it reminds you just how pedestrian much Pauillac is in 2012. Oh 2009, how we miss you!

Chateau Léoville Poyferré – one of a bevy of Parker 100 point wines in 2009

What an extraordinary day yesterday! From what I could see there was phenomenal trade in top Bordeaux 2009 ahead of Robert Parker’s final scores on this vintage now it’s in bottle. It’s the final word, for now, on what is clearly one of the most remarkable vintages of modern claret. James Suckling gave it a huge thumbs up last week and from what I’ve seen reported Robert Parker has awarded no fewer than 18 perfect scores in his latest Wine Advocate published yesterday. I watched prices climb dramatically on Farr Vintner’s website and elsewhere throughout the day, particularly for the dozen or so new ‘first growths’ – the likes of Léoville Poyferré, Pontet Canet and rest that have [now] been duly awarded the Parker perfect one hundred score. What a days work that must have been in fine wine brokers the world over? It’ll be a big day again today as his scores and comments fully dissected and digested.