2009 Bordeaux Blend WINE BATTLE: Bordeaux, Napa & Super Tuscans

[@ronmcmartin4513]

My tastings. Mo/Yr tasted. Notes. Score-Begin/End (I prefer wine in the 1st half of their drinking window. Might last longer, but not better). Drink window(for me). 30-60 minutes, best. Haut Carles 4/23 Dark fruit, Medium balance. Slight tannic, but went away. 91, up to 92+ points. 2025 Clos de L'Oratoire 2/22 Mostly primary flavors, needs more time. 92, up to 93 points. 2026 Haut Bergey 5/22 Graves, but Margaux-like(?) Med. body & flavor. 91, up to 93 points. 24-26 La Dominique 12/22 Big, thick, dark fruit, lots of sediment. balanced. 93, up to 95 points. 24-26 Malescot St Ex 9/24 Closed, then dark profile, gained weight. Mgx nose/flv. 91 up to 96 points. 26-29 Cantenac Brown 2/24 Med-Hvy Bal, but still Mgx perfume & feminine. 93, up to 95+ points. 26-29 Smt. Ht. Lafitte 7/24 Big, Complex Graves smell & flvr. Kept growing. Wanted it to be 100 pts; it just couldn't make it. 93, up to("disappointing") 98 points. 2026-29

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks for sharing your insights! Very useful.

[@rmelgar9]

@@AttorneySomm thank you for your consistency and informative videos ! Your style is quite unique, you will tend to attract a more insightful audience than superficial.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@rmelgar9 Glad you enjoy the videos! Thank you! Appreciate the kind feedback! Cheers!

[@kristianbjrnstad3364]

Absolutely love your videos! I’ve watched every single one now regarding french wines, and I especially enjoy the group tasting sessions and hearing the verdicts you guys come up with. I’ve been on a bit of a Bordeaux binge the last couple of months, reading up and scouring the internet, trying to figure out the best way to start my cellar. Since I am just starting out on my Bordeaux journey, I am looking for wines I can enjoy relatively soon, but also age (buy a couple, drink one and store the rest) - so I can find my favourite producers. This past summer, I added my first “cellar” wines with some Ch. Talbot 2016 , but now I’m hunting for some top-notch Bordeaux from recent vintages. I cant easily find and buy older vintages thanks to our regulations. Ideally, these are wines I can start sipping on in the next 3-8 years while I build up my Bordeaux knowledge and cellar. Here’s what I’ve got my eye on at my local shop: Ch. Pichon Lalande 2019 - $169.20 Ch. Pichon Lalande 2018 - $178,25 Ch. Pichon Baron 2018 - $152,30 Ch. Pichon Baron 2020 - $167,62 Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou 2018 - $180.12 Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou 2020 - $244,58 Ch. Lynch Bages 2018 - $127,97 Ch. Cos d'Estournel 2019 - $156,78 Would love to know your or some other viewers thoughts on these or if there are other must-tries I should look for. Cheers!

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much! That is a terrific list! Can’t go wrong with any of them - particularly Pichon Lalande in my view.

[@lukemilton8510]

Well done. I can’t get enough of your content. Thank you! 🙏

[@AttorneySomm]

@@lukemilton8510 Truly appreciate it! Thank you!

[@baggrabb]

Great video! I loved the point when you were discussing Pichon Lalande and said you just stopped analyzing (overwhelmed) and just enjoyed it. I’ve had that moment several times and I do try to analyze each wine as efficiently as I can, and just enjoy it after that without all the intense thinking. Anyway great that you have a good tasting group! Cheers!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@baggrabb Thank you! Very glad you enjoyed it! Yes I try to strike a balance between what I analyze/publish and just having fun! The group is terrific! Very fortunate. Cheers!

[@jamesnordbeck382]

Great video John! I am looking forward to next falls 2010 video.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@jamesnordbeck382 Thank you James! Another fantastic vintage!

[@jimhowaniec]

Well done, John, well done indeed. I had a 2009 d'Armailhac in the past year that was absolutely firing on all cylinders.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! And thank you for your thoughts re the d’Armailhac!

[@cid39rk]

I just tasted Sassicaia 2009 today and I must say that it is a truly extraordinary wine from an excellent vintage. An incredibly full, complex wine, full of finesse and elegance with a very long finish that is roughly in the middle of the drinking window. I do not expect it to improve further, but its shelf life will be until 2040. Rating 99/100. Fantastic!👌👍

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much! Very glad you enjoyed it too! A tremendous wine! Appreciate you sharing your assessment. Cheers!

[@dougronald561]

I’d love to see a vlog of you and your buddies doing one of these tastings.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@dougronald561 Thank you! I’ll have to see if they will indulge me and let me do more recording one of these times! 😅

[@stevenholt4936]

Excellent video, John. 2009 is one of my favourite vintages in Bordeaux, although my collection is slightly more modest than your stellar assembly. My buying strategy has now changed from buying 6 or 3s en primeur (except for some whites) to buying the odd bottle of bucket list wines each year, two of which you tasted here: Ridge and Lalande. Mind you, I would be seriously cheesed off if I had a single bottle of, say, Ridge, only to find it corked on opening.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@stevenholt4936 Thank you Steven! Glad you enjoyed it. I’m a big 09 fan too. To be sure we were quite disappointed with the flawed bottles. But we still enjoyed the tasting very much. We’ve been fortunate to have zero flawed bottles in earlier tastings - even with 12 bottles of Ducru - so I guess it evens out eventually. Hope you enjoy your weekend!

[@mattstaj3632]

What a line up! I did a tasting at kapcsándy a few years ago and was thoroughly impressed! 🍷🍷

[@AttorneySomm]

@@mattstaj3632 Thank you! Yes they do a tremendous job! 👍🍷

[@dangareau3143]

Very cool video and a great line up you got there. Very envious here. Thankfully i have had ornellaia from 2009 at it was awesome so I agree with your view that something had to be off with the bottle. Looking forward still to trying my 2009 spottswoode even if it wasn’t up to your standards. Great video once again!!

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! Glad your Ornellaia was on point! The Spottswoode was an excellent wine! I’d probably give it a 94. On its own my assessment may very well have been higher. Just some tough comps.

[@dangareau3143]

Makes perfect sense.

[@doublewides]

An alternate title for this video would be “Nothing but bangers”

[@AttorneySomm]

We get together only a few times a year, so typically go all out!

[@JackAgainski]

I, like you am fortunate enough to have a full case of the 2009 Pichon Lalande. I bought it as futures from Bassins in DC. I paid $189 a bottle ($2,268). I also have 4 bottles of the Pichon Baro and only paid $139 each for those. Thrilled that it did so well since it was somewhat panned early on by the "experts". Steven Spurrier gave the barrel samples an 18.5 (on the 20 scale) as he did the Baron & Ponte-Canet. These 3 were right behind the 3 First Growth Pauillac's and he gave them all 5*. I order a case of the PC too as well as the 2010 PC which was $16 more a bottle than the 2009.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@JackAgainski Thanks for weighing in! Yes I definitely think the Pichon Lalande was underrated relative to where it is today. Sounds like you are well stocked on the excellent 09s!

[@JackAgainski]

@@AttorneySomm Yeah, I have a case of the Montrose too and several other bottles.

[@mgbbdk]

Hi John. Great video once again. Can’t wait to taste Pichon Comtesse 2009 on the big Mouton vs Superseconds on November 21st. I was lucky to find the Comtesse 2009 recently for only 190$. Maybe it will rival or even be better as Mouton 1995. Best from Martin

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much! That is a great price! About what I paid on release. Hope you enjoy it too!

[@joeljensen5421]

Ridge Wines in 2009 were in a period where as a consumer I experienced Brett contamination and corked wine from Ridge. I returned quite a few of their red wines to wine merchants during the early and mid 2010s. I am not surprised a corked bottle was found from 2009. That being said their Cabernet based wines from that period were spectacular.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you for that information. Not sure where my buddy got it. Definitely outstanding when they are on!

[@pdxwino]

Excellent video. I really like the format of this one.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@pdxwino Thank you! 👍🍷

[@nairbil]

Amazing!

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you kindly! Cheers!

[@alexanderflesche4797]

fantastic video

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks! Very glad you enjoyed it. 👍🍷

[@SergeBeaudry-ls3xr]

Great video. Thanks.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@SergeBeaudry-ls3xr Thank you kindly! Cheers!

[@peterzachar7597]

Terrific video, John! 👏👏😃 All wines sound great. Of the six wines you tasted, the only wine I own is the 2009 Pichon Lalande. It sure sounds delicious. Glad you were wise enough to buy a full case. Cheers! 🍷

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much, Peter! Glad you enjoyed it! That is definitely the best of the bunch to have in your collection, so you chose wisely! Hope you enjoy your weekend.

[@joeljensen5421]

@@peterzachar7597 All these wines are truly wonderful. This is a fantasy tasting. Just assembling them at this point in time would be insanely difficult and costly. Enjoy the P-L. Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we will die

[@margauxml]

Fantastic lineup and excellent impressions! My WOTN guess in my IG comment was the elegant Pichon Lalande, yay! Very happy about the results! Also appreciate how you assessed these amazing wines, how you presented your insights and background info, and how you edited this video. Excellente vidéo, comme toujours! Je suis sûr qu’il sera bien accueilli et apprécié par le public du monde entier. Santé, John! Bon weekend!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@margauxml Thanks very much Margaux! Yes an excellent guess! Appreciate the support and thoughtful comment! Hope you enjoy your weekend! Cheers!

[@margauxml]

@@AttorneySommMy pleasure, John! Happy weekend and happy travels!

[@jakopete1]

Great video as usual! No wonder Pichon Lalande came out first, it has been great for so many years, even in weaker vintages, it has so much it's own style and personality, and in my experience, In this sort of comparisons, Bordeaux always wins, it's kind of comparing the original with the copy's. So much more the older the wines get. The longlivity of Bordeaux is just in a league of it's own.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it! Pichon Lalande is definitely hard to beat! 👍🍷

[@runkemartinsen8481]

You enjoy Valdicava Brunello too i see;-)

[@AttorneySomm]

@@runkemartinsen8481 Thank you! Yes I’m a big fan!

[@marciobukowski9836]

You could have put an almaviva in the tasting as well. Just to add another new world icon. And I'm curious to know how it would do

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! We discussed it but weren’t able to source one in time.

[@david2a]

I have enjoyed all of the wines in the lineup except the Pichon. I will have to try. As they say, there are no great wines only great bottles played out here!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@david2a Thank you! Agreed! Especially with this much age there can be some highs and lows.

[@mickeylee2624]

First time seeing your video in this format, and I love it because it provides nice comparative context for top-level wines!👏👏 I'm still making my way through the 2nd wines of great Bordeaux Blend wineries to figure out my favorite style, but so far, the 2019 Mondavi The Estates and 2020 Pichon Comtesse Reserve have been stellar with 2019 Pagodes de Cos, 2019 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte, and 2019 Le Petit Clos Apalta in the wine fridge. I've been contemplating the 2019 Ridge Estate CS and 2021 Schrader Double Diamond Oakville CS... speaking of which, would love to know your thoughts on the Schrader if you tried it.🙏🙏

[@AttorneySomm]

@@mickeylee2624 Thank you! Did one on our Ducru tasting as well. You might enjoy that one. I did try the Schrader DD. But they had RBS and others there so I wasn’t too focused on it. But I do recall it was very solid. And 21 is a good vintage too.

[@mickeylee2624]

@@AttorneySomm, La Croix is definitely on my radar as well! I'll definitely have to consider the Schrader. Much appreciated!👍👍

[@AttorneySomm]

@@mickeylee2624 Any time! Have a great weekend!

[@mickeylee2624]

Likewise,@@AttorneySomm! Always look forward to your videos!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@mickeylee2624 Very glad to hear it! Thank you!

[@scottcrosby9827]

Didn’t see any spittoons. That’s not a tasting, that’s a party! Ha

[@AttorneySomm]

@@scottcrosby9827 Ha! It was a Friday night. We definitely were not spitting at least the top 5. 😂

[@dandiebes791]

Great videos! I've learned so much from you. I'm taking the lead on a tasting group for super seconds in a few weeks. Would you go 2009 or 2005 in terms of being ready to drink? Looking for balance and depth more so than big fruit. Thanks!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@dandiebes791 Thanks very much! Most of the 2000s are starting to come around. I’d probably go 2000. Ducru and Margaux have been stunning lately!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@dandiebes791 Margaux is a first obviously but I think still a good barometer for super seconds.

[@dandiebes791]

​@@AttorneySomm How about 2000s - Ducru, Palmer, Lalande, Figeac (or Pavie)? Was looking for a diversity of appellations.

[@AttorneySomm]

@ Yes! That should definitely work. I’ve had all but the Figeac and that one should be ready also. Should be a fantastic tasting! 👍🍷

[@seank997]

Montebello 👏 👏 👏

[@AttorneySomm]

@@seank997 Always such a treat! 👍🍷

[@rmelgar9]

All are beautiful to be honest but as per personal experience i would prefer them in the following order ; 1. 🇮🇹 2. 🇫🇷 3. 🇺🇸

[@AttorneySomm]

@@rmelgar9 Thanks for weighing in! Have you ever tasted them blind to confirm? That is a great exercise. 👍🍷

[@rmelgar9]

@@AttorneySomm sadly no, but i certainly would love to ! Still a lot of miles left in my wine journey .

[@AttorneySomm]

@@rmelgar9 I should also mention my rating may be entirely different with a different batch of wines, such as if ornellaia was on point!

[@injashiran]

The Great French and the Great Italian...(2020...)

[@AttorneySomm]

@@injashiran 2020 is definitely another strong vintage!