Upon opening, this wine has an intoxicating aroma. On the nose, I get a slight vanilla, pencil shavings, some dark fruits (cassis, dark cherries, and plum), and some anise (maybe like licorice) and menthol. The nose is very nice.
This wine is a bit thin for me. The color is very dark and hinges on purple with a very fine watery rim. Tannins are medium. It has good acidity and has a medium to long finish. On the palate, I get a lot of plum (or dark fruit similar to what I got on the nose), some earthiness, and a slight greenness. The fruit really comes through as I have come to expect from the 2009 vintage. As the wine becomes exposed to more air, I noticed that some of the fruit gave way to more of the greenness. The greenness gives way to more fruit after a couple of hours of air and then fully opens up after about three hours. I would definitely give this wine a couple of hours of air before drinking in the near future. This wine has some characteristics that I would normally associate with Saint-Julien. Overall, I would argue that this is a very well balanced wine. I would not hesitate to purchase again. If you are looking for a score, I would give it 89-90. I am sure that it will get better with time but can certainly be enjoyed right now (Price paid: 20$).
This wine is a bit thin for me. The color is very dark and hinges on purple with a very fine watery rim. Tannins are medium. It has good acidity and has a medium to long finish. On the palate, I get a lot of plum (or dark fruit similar to what I got on the nose), some earthiness, and a slight greenness. The fruit really comes through as I have come to expect from the 2009 vintage. As the wine becomes exposed to more air, I noticed that some of the fruit gave way to more of the greenness. The greenness gives way to more fruit after a couple of hours of air and then fully opens up after about three hours. I would definitely give this wine a couple of hours of air before drinking in the near future. This wine has some characteristics that I would normally associate with Saint-Julien. Overall, I would argue that this is a very well balanced wine. I would not hesitate to purchase again. If you are looking for a score, I would give it 89-90. I am sure that it will get better with time but can certainly be enjoyed right now (Price paid: 20$).