Chateau Laforge 2009

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "From proprietor Jonathan Maltus, this blend of three terroirs, two on sand and one on gravel, is a blend of 92% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. About 2,000 cases are produced, and the prodigious 2009 is the finest vintage to date. Inky blue/purple, with notes of licorice, camphor, black truffle, blackberry and blueberry, this full-bodied wine has massive concentration yet at the same time displays elegance and harmony. The equilibrium and 60+-second length make for a huge, massive, but incredibly well-balanced wine, like a shadow of the proprietor himself. Drink it over the next 15 or more years."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Blueberries and sandalwood on the nose. Full body, with super fine and silky tannins. They are fine and compressed. Try in 2017."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "2009 Laforge, which takes its name from the trade of a former owner who was a blacksmith, is deeply colored. With licorice, blackberry, and coffee notes, this full bodied, richly textured wine finishes with fennel and dark berry flavors."