Chateau Cheval Blanc 2009

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cheval Blanc offers up profound notions of baked blueberries, blackberry compote and crème de cassis with suggestions of chocolate mint, new leather and cloves plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in elegance with very classy, super fine-grained tannins, beautiful freshness and layer upon layer of mineral-laced blue and black fruits, finishing long and perfumed."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur-Granat mit lila Schimmer am Rand. Nussiges Bouquet, Feigentöne, Datteln, Schokolade, nobler Darjeeling, Malz, Kräuternoten, warmtönig, aber nicht heiss, wird an der Luft immer süsser. Sublimer Gaumen, alles hier ist weich und geschmeidig und ziemlich opulent, Karamellnoten, berauschende Kräuteraromen sowie ein Hauch von fernöstlichen Gewürzen. Überwältigend!"

DECANTER: "A profoundly generous wine with coffee grounds and patisserie notes revealing grilled oak that's subtle but extremely pleasing. The quality of the tannins is exceptional - they are drawn out, elongated and shrouded in smoke. Layer upon layer of complexity unfurls in the mouth, getting better and better, with tons of juicy black fruit. The liquorice is black and tight on the perfectly balanced finish right now, with sprinkles of star anise and a gentle lift of fresh mint. Give it a good few years before opening."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Utter perfection in wine, the 2009 Cheval Blanc is the complete opposite of the 2010 and has soaring, complex aromatics, an expansive, sexy, full-bodied texture, and building, yet sweet tannin. Kirsch, currants, incense, exotic spices and leather nuances all emerge from this almost over the top, heavenly 2009 that carries its wealth of fruit and extravagant personality perfectly. It’s young, but good lord is it good."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This is pure, unadulterated, sex in the bottle wine. The textural experience is polished velvet, silk and it really lingers. The nose, with its blend of lowers, wet earth, ripe, very ripe, under-ripe and overripe berries is off the hook. The opulent finish hangs with you for at least 60 seconds. It is scary to consider how good this wine is going to be with an additional decade or 2 of aging. If you have the money, this is a good place to spend it."

JAMES SUCKLING: " Super-spicy, this is an extremely elegant 2009 with enormous concentration and finesse. The complex finish lights up the sky and you wonder how this spectacular ripeness could have been more perfectly expressed. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)"

FALSTAFF: "Schwarze Kirschen, dunkles Beerenkonfit, opulente Merlotfrucht vermittelnd, feine Gewürzanklänge, Orangenzesten. Komplex, kraftvoll, dunkle Beerenfrucht, präsente Tannine, mineralisch, frische Säurestruktur, Bitterschokonachhall, voll Finesse."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Dense, brooding and richly coated, with a well of steeped black currant, fig paste and roasted plum fruit to draw on while the layers of charcoal, Kenya AA coffee and loam resolve themselves. This displays both breadth and depth, offering a great undercurrent of acidity to match its heft. Should be among the most long-lived wines of the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2035. 7,330 cases made."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "96-98 Barrel sample. An impressive wine, a true return to form for Cheval Blanc. The fruit is enormous, packed with sweet black berry juice, and with a brilliant freshness. There is a lovely smoky character, topped by ripe figs."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very dark crimson with a healthy rim. Very good quality oak on the nose and some sumptuous fruit too. But it certainly isn’t one of the most concentrated ones. There’s more than a hint of Lafite lift about this. Was this one of P Lurton’s famous ‘cashmere tannins’ vintages? Dry finish. Very attractive and relaxed – and more forward than the Angélus or Canon. It’s not dramatic but it is confident."