15 Years on: Brilliant Bordeaux 2009

The sense of excitement around the release of Bordeaux 2009 was palpable back in 2010. The sunny season had produced wines that were never less than joyful, and often, profound. Little has changed in the past fifteen years: the 2009s remain supple, rich, generous wines of great dimension and sweeping charm, defying any drinker to dislike them.

Today they just get better and better, as the glossy, dark fruits transmute into more savoury, earthy notes with bottle age. Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Langoa Barton are two Left Bank stalwarts of fair pricing and exemplary Cabernet authority; while Duhart-Milon and Malescot showcase the more aromatic, high-toned face of the vintage.

Among the First Growths, the crown in this vintage arguably goes to Latour, although the competition is fierce. Consider the rare half bottles of Mouton Rothschild, or, drinking beautifully now, Margaux’s Pavillon Rouge.