If the seven wines below are any guide to the way the 2009 vintage is progressing in Pomerol, the vintage looks very exciting indeed. Chateau La Conseillante, Chateau Clinet and Chateau Petit-Village are outstanding wines. La Conseillante was the least impressive of the trio when tasted last April, but it has moved on significantly in terms of weight, depth and complexity. Chateau Clinet is gorgeous, simply dazzling. Just beneath this stratosphere, but only just, Chateau Gazin has produced a terrific wine, certainly the best I’ve had from this estate, though it’s not quite the bargain it once was. Not that you really get bargain Pomerol these days, but Chateau Beauregard and Chateau La Pointe provide real bang for your buck, La Pointe especially which has produced a sumptuous wine.  Chateau La Cabanne feels a bit pedestrian by comparison but it’s a pretty good effort in itself.

Chateau Clinet

2009 Black and saturated in the glass; more lift and delicacy; lots of complexity on the nose; black fruits but some lift; very overt and showy; mocha and espresso notes too; creamy, ripe and full palate; wonderful density; such ripeness and material; real saturation but not chewy; quite delicious; far too much of a good thing!  97+/100

Chateau La Conseillante

2009 Deepish – red at edge; warm and round; almost grand Bolgheri like in this vintage; plums, black fruits, mocha and coffee tones; palate very, very fine and satiny; layered and complex; ripe fruit, chew and nice grip. Showing better than at primeur tasting for me. 96+/100

Chateau Petit-Village

2009 Deep and saturated in colour; dense; lifted plum and blackcurrant nose; very layered and some exotic spicy notes; lovely caressing palate; plums and black fruits; really sexy and so easy; alcohol here but this fabulous stuff. 2010 has tad more freshness but that’s nitpicking. 95+/100

Chateau Gazin

2009 Deep and saturated; lots of toast on the nose; black fruits and liquorice; very deep and pretty extracted [in the nicest sense]; fat and deep palate; loads of gorgeous fruit; big and deep and lots of oak. Incredibly dense and chewy. It’s richness is almost atypical even for Pomerol [though maybe no longer]. Brilliant stuff if a bit Napa/Shafer-esque. The best Gazin I’ve had. 94+/100

Chateau La Pointe

2009 Deep and dense; cream, fresh plums and vibrant fruit notes; wonderfully deep; palate deep too with lots and lots of plummy, blackcurrant notes and oak; this is a lovely wine and easily also the best La Pointe I’ve had. Terrific stuff on this showing. 93+/100

Chateau Beauregard

2009 Mid depth; very dense looking; warm spicy nose with lift; attractive methol, black fruits and plums; fat palate with very good depth; this is nice wine; maybe lacks a bit of complexity but is very full and a joy to drink. [70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc]. Great value and best Beauregard I’ve had. 91+/100

Chateau La Cabanne

2009 Deep red; earthy edge; plums, spices, herbs and menthol tones; oak too; pretty good effort from La Cabanne. Plummy fruit with spicy oak influence; chew and density. Second tier Pomerol obviously but good effort. 89+/100