Saint Pierre 2009

The all-time greatest wine I have ever tasted from Saint-Pierre, this estate, the smallest of the grand cru classes of St.-Julien, has an opaque purple color and a spectacular nose of subtle charcoal, creme de cassis, blackberry, and incense. Full-bodied, with striking intensity and flamboyantly rich, exuberant flavors bursting with extract, the St. Pierre has no hard edges, but rather massive, incredibly well-endowed blockbuster style, which should prove to be monumental. Give it 6-8 years to take on more definition and calm down, but this is a 30- to 40-year wine. Bravo!

Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2009 Saint-Pierre displays maturing notes of crème de cassis, blackberry pie and prunes with hints of cardamom, fennel and star anise. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with black fruit preserves and fantastic freshness to balance, it has a firm, grainy texture and very long, exotic spice finish.

The 2009 Saint-Pierre knocks the ball out of the park. It is a stunning Saint-Julien that has blossomed in recent years. I must confess that none of the previous bottles intimated the potential shown here. It is more compact, tighter on the nose than its peers, opening seductively with gorgeous graphite and bayleaf infused black fruit, real mineralité and great tension. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, juicy to the point where it belies the backbone, very nicely poised with a precise and long graphite finish. Ducru-Beacaillou and Léoville Las-Cases - here is your challenger to the crown. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.

Even in such a ripe vintage as 2009, you'll find appellation typicity, and this is a perfectly-drawn St Julien. Plum and blackberry fruits, cocoa bean, espresso, crayon, incense and crushed mint leaf, balanced and juicy. Still on the young side - you can begin drinking now, or give it a few more years before cracking it open - then invite some of your favourite people around and get ready to make them smile. 55% new oak.

Beautiful aromas of mole, raspberries and flowers, follow through to a full body, with firm tannins and a juicy finish. Minerals and flowers. Already delicious and attractive. Best after 2019.

Bright medium ruby. Lovely violet lift to the aromas of cassis, blackberry, cedar, minerals and licorice. Supple and sweet on entry, then tight and vibrant in the middle, with strong acidity currently keeping the wine's redcurrant and mineral flavors under wraps. Most impressive today on the gripping, mineral-driven finish, which features substantial fine-grained tannins and terrific rising length. Hold this for 6 years, then enjoy it over the following 15.

(an 81/19 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot; pH 3.72; 72 IPT; 55% new oak) Deep ruby. Pure, complex, perfumed aromas of blackcurrant and spicy oak lifted by lead pencil and cedar. Rich and pliant, with very dense but vibrant flavors of cassis, cherry, minerals and licorice. This boasts wonderful texture and depth of flavor, and finishes with substantial fine-grained, assertive tannins. Perhaps just a touch warm today on the extremely long finish, which lingers with violet and black pepper. A very serious and rather brooding wine of considerable depth and complexity, this promises to be a very long-lived Saint-Pierre.