The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Not a lot of wines leave me speechless from start to finish. But this wine did! Still deep, dark, almost inky in color, the wine offers off the hook aromas of smoked truffle, cigar box, tobacco, black and dark red fruit with spice box, tobacco leaf and smoke filled nuances. Deep, rich, full-bodied and with this incredible blend of elegance, power and sensuality, this wine is going to age for decades. The wine was made from blending this 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc.

Wine Enthusiast (94)

Richly smooth wine, with great polished fruits and solid tannins. Power and juicy extract.

James Suckling (98)

Stunning aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate, hazelnut and black olive skin. Full- bodied, with ultra-fine tannins that feel fine silky on my palate. Long finish of coffee bean, chocolate and dark fruits. Best Hosanna ever. Try in 2020.

James Suckling (94)

This is a wine that seduces you, with its crushed blackberries and hints of dark chocolate that follow through to a full body and ultra-fine tannins with a tangy, fresh finish. Solid as a rock. Best ever from here. Try in 2019.

James Suckling (94)

This is a wine that seduces you, with its crushed blackberries and hints of dark chocolate that follow through to a full body and ultra-fine tannins with a tangy, fresh finish. Solid as a rock. Best ever from here. Try in 2019.

James Suckling (94)

This is a wine that seduces you, with its crushed blackberries and hints of dark chocolate that follow through to a full body and ultra-fine tannins with a tangy, fresh finish. Solid as a rock. Best ever from here. Try in 2019.

James Suckling (92)

Intense aromas of sliced meat, with tobacco and flowers as well as ripe fruit. Full body, with soft and silky tannins and a juicy finish. A little short hollow in mid-palate. But outstanding all the same. Try in 2018.

Wine Advocate (99+)

Proprietor Denis Durantou has produced a blockbuster Pomerol from a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, tipping the scales at just over 14.5% natural alcohol. A riveting wine, pure, elegant, but at the same time, extremely powerful and concentrated, with stunning texture, opulence and density, the tannins are abundant, and the wine certainly in need of a decade of cellaring. Fabulous creme de cassis and cherry liqueur notes are intertwined with hints of licorice, truffle, and graphite. Full and rich, but still in an infantile state of development, this wine needs to be cellared for 10 years but should keep for five decades or more. This 2009 is absolutely profound.

Wine Spectator (88-91)

Pretty plum and blueberry aromas follow through to a full body, with a mineral and fruity character. Some mint and spearmint, too. Friendly L¿Enclos. Score range: 88-91 -JS

Wine Advocate (100)

An astonishing effort from the Rothschild family, the 2009 l’Evangile may be the reference point offering from this estate for decades to come. A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak, with 15% natural alcohol, it exhibits a sumptuous bouquet of caramels, black raspberry liqueur, blackberries, violets, graphite and truffles. Thick, viscous flavors are reminiscent of such super-ripe vintages as 1982, 1959, 1949 and 1947. The striking aromatics, massive, full-bodied mouthfeel and multilayered palate that resembles a skyscraper in the mouth offer an abject lesson in great winemaking, extraordinary terroir, and the ability to combine power with precision, elegance and freshness. This is unquestionably a huge wine, but it also possesses mindboggling complexity and finesse. Because of its sheer extract and velvety personality, it will be drinkable in 4-5 years, and will keep for four decades or more where well-stored. The most profound L’Evangile ever made?

Wine Advocate (92)

A blend of 84% Semillon and 16% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine displays oodles of figs, melon, crushed rock, white flowers and grapefruit. Its excellent texture, medium to full body make for a beautiful example of dry white Graves. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.

Wine Advocate (93)

Another brilliant wine from the talented Jean-Philippe Janoueix, this blend of 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet France produced a wine that came in just under 15% natural alcohol. Of course, the vineyard is near Clos Fourtet, and it seems as though a lot of properties in that band of terroir did incredible jobs in 2009. A big, black/purple-colored wine with notes of blackberries, licorice, graphite, truffle and some subtle, toasty oak, the wine is full-bodied and unctuously textured, with loads of glycerin, fruit, and a massive, velvety textured finish. This superb wine should drink well for 15 or more years.

Nestled in the fertile valleys of Bordeaux, discover the opulent and full-bodied gem, La Connivence 2009. Esteemed winemakers Pierre Chariol and Claudine Vigneau carefully craft this prestigious French wine in limited quantities, paying homage to Pomerol's illustrious wine heritage.

Vintage after a perfect growing season, La Connivence 2009 is an exquisite blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Fruit ripened to perfection, hand-harvested, then meticulously sorted to uphold the wine's eminent quality. Stellar terroir influence melds with traditional vinification techniques; cold maceration and temperature-controlled fermentation, followed by 18 months maturation in French oak barrels, and finally, unfiltered bottling.

La Connivence 2009 defines elegant decadence with its deep ruby hue, potent black fruit and truffle nose, and seamlessly integrated tannins. The opulent palate reveals an evolving complexity; a crescendo of dark berries, ripe plums, and hints of mocha with a lingering, velvety finish. Truly, a magnificent expression of Pomerol's quintessential elegance.

James Suckling (97)

At once deep and rich, yet cool and delicate with a minty freshness, this is a really concentrated and super-elegant Pomerol that's now very seductive, but has the structure and vitality to live for a long time. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

James Suckling (97)

At once deep and rich, yet cool and delicate with a minty freshness, this is a really concentrated and super-elegant Pomerol that's now very seductive, but has the structure and vitality to live for a long time. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

James Suckling (93)

Aromas of blackberry and blueberries, with Chinese spices, follow through to a full body, with firm tannins and a mineral, floral and chewy finish. Beautiful already, but needs at least three or four years to soften and open.

James Suckling (94)

Deep aromas of blueberries, spices, fresh chanterelles, and grapes ,follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a spicy finish. Intense and structured. Second wine of Montrose. Try after 2018.

Wine Spectator (95)

Supersilky and round, with lovely berry, licorice and black chocolate character. Full and gorgeous. Like it. Score range: 92-95

The Wine Cellar Insider (98)

This just keeps getting better and better. Splash decanted, this was a rockstar from the start. But 30 minutes later and it was really off to the races. The decadent texture is a show stopper. The fruit is polished velvet. There is a purity and symmetry to the wine that is impossible to miss. As it developed, notes of lilac, violets and chocolate emerged. And as hard as it is to believe, the wine gained in opulence. If you are a fan of Pomerol at its most decadent, and if you have the coin to spare, this is a future legend waiting in the wings.

Wine Advocate (95+)

An absolutely spectacular effort, the 2009 is one of the all-time great La Gaffelieres produced. One would have to go back to the 2005, 1947 or 1961 to find this level of quality from this ancient, historic vineyard planted adjacent to the walls of St.-Emilion, on the Cote Pavie. Dating back to the 1400s, this estate has been owned for over three centuries by the Malet-Roquefort family. Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc (in the past it was two-thirds Merlot and the rest split between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc), the 2009 reveals compelling elegance, tremendous intensity and opulence and more viscosity than one normally sees. Lots of kirsch, licorice, incense, truffle, asphalt, blackberry and cassis notes dominate the aromatics and flavors of this full-bodied, viscous, fabulously pure, flamboyant St.-Emilion. Drinking it now may be considered infanticide by some consumers, but it is already attractive, and should last for 3-4 decades.

Wine Advocate (100)

The deep garnet colored 2009 La Mission Haut-Brion absolutely sings of warm red and black currants, chocolate-covered cherries, liquid licorice, sassafras and espresso with hint of lilacs, pencil shavings and truffles. Full-bodied, rich, bold and oh-so-decadent in the mouth, the palate is completely packed with black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by wonderfully velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing epically long. Wow!