The great 2009 vintage continues into Moulis and Listrac. Real consistency here with intensity and concentration. The style is as tight as usual but with additional levels of richness and layers and freshness too. Chateau Poujeaux is quite outstanding. Chateau Chasse-Spleen and Chateau Maucaillou not that far behind. Assuming prices stay reasonable these wines below should offer excellent value for money.

Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Moulis, 2009

Black, inky; very ripe red fruits, little unsettled reductive cellar note, but blackcurrants beneath. Concentrated, layered palate lots of fruit and lots of tannin. Tannic but real length and precision. Quite taut, will need time but potentially very fine. 90+/100 Tasted 30^th March 2010

Chateau Maucaillou, Moulis, 2009

Deep colour, tight to rim; Ripe and pretty nose, really very good, wonderfully attractive nose with depth; palate concentreated and ripe with extract and tannin, blackcurrants and mocha. Very good, very fresh and with length. Terrific effort 88-90+/100 Tasted 30^th March 2010.

Chateau Poujeaux, Moulis, 2009

Deep black, right up to rim; very intense and attractive nose, pent up but classic; cassis and blackcurrants. Excellent. Intense and already layered. Sophisticated attractive palate. Nice and intense and with good mid palate richness. Excellent with grip and acid to balance. Tannic but plenty of flesh and concentration. Really very good. This is astonishingly good! Potentially 92-93+/100 Tasted 30^th March 2010.

Chateau Clarke, Listrac, 2009

Deep colour; quite pretty fruit nose; some blackcurrant; jammy note – very ripe here; raspberry even strawberry; palate full and fruity with the same red fruits on the palate. Softer palate than the Fourcas Dupre. 88/100 Tasted 30^th March 2010.

Chateau Fonréaud, Listrac, 2009

Deep, intense colour; attractive nose; some new oak here, some vegetal notes but also blackcurrants; palate sweet entry, up front fruit and attractive [almost Chateau Charmail style here]. Quite grippy and toughness but lots of fruit here too. Good 86-88/100 Tasted 30^th March 2010.

Chateau Fourcas Dupré, Listrac, 2009

Dark, healthy red at edge’ some chalkiness but with great intensity [less open than the Fourcas Hosten below]; ripe palate tannic but with lots of fruit to back it up. Fruit here – rasbery and blackcurrant, tannin too. 88/100

Chateau Fourcas Hosten, Listrac, 2009

Deep and inky, blackcurrants and minerals, almost Pauillac like; some leaf; would be very happy with this myself; palate sturdy, some pretty oak influence, but with depth; less obviously fleshy than the Haut-Medocs and the wines of Moulis; more tight-fisted but very good. 88-90/100 Tasted 30^th March 2010.