As the 2009 Bordeaux get ready for release, the UGC did their annual tour around the US so that we could taste the wines once more.  While they are not as classic in style as the 2010s, they are amazingly good wines and as far as approachability, the left bank wines really exciting.  Overall, the 2009s are forward, massive, lucious wines.  I would order a left bank wine in a restaurant without hesitation with a nice piece of red meat.  By no means am I taking anything away from the right bank.  Quite the contrary in fact.  The wines of Pomeral, St. Emilion and Graves just need more time to age.  They are monsters in the making and deserve time to lay down.  As always, I will now give my top wines.  Please keep in mind that several Chateaux do not do the UGC such as first growths, Cos, Ducru, Angelus and a few notable others so while I do not notate them here, it is simply because I did not re-taste them last week.  So my winners are (in no particular order): Lascombes, Pichon Baron, Grand Puy Lacoste, Lynch Bages, Clerc Milon (value), Gloria (value), St. Pierre, Gruaud Larose, Beau-Sejour Becot, Canon, Canon La Gaffeliere, Clos Fortet, Troplong Mondot, Clinet, La Conseillante, Brane Cantenac, Cantenac Brown, Smith Haut Lafite (rouge), Latour-Martillac (super value), Larrivet Haut Brion (super value), and Haut-Bergey (super value).


Nicholas A. Silvers

I had a quick stop in Bordeaux and did two noteworthy Chateaux visits: Leoville Poyferre and Latour. 
 
Our stop at Latour which is always a treat let me check in on the 2010s as well as the 2004 Latour and 2006 Les Forts de Latour.  The 2004 Latour was very good.  As far as young Latour goes, it is ready to begin drinking now but will be around for some time without question.  The 2006 Les Forts de Latour was delicious.  This is a structured, balanced wine (as many of the 2006s are) and showed really well but could still benefit from a bit more bottle age.  Now the 2010s....Wow!  I have been a huge advocate of the 2010 Bordeaux from the first En Primeur tastings and these are no exception.  The Paulliac de Latour is a great wine for those that want to have Latour's wine at the table while the others age.  The Les Forts 2010 is stunning and like many of the second wines in 2010, I think it is there best ever.  And as for the 2010 Latour?  I am not sure how to verbalize just how amazing this wine is and more importantly will be in the future.  It is Latour in every way and is a must for anyone that buys En Primeur and ages their wines properly.
 
Leoville Poyferre is a Chateau that since the 2000 vintage has become top tier.  They are living up to the amazing terroir they own and the 2009 and 2010 are great examples of this.  The 2009 is what I consider typical for the vintage: luscious, forward, exciting and highly enjoyable.  It merits the huge barrel score Parker gave (97-100*) and will be a great wine and certainly a great value compared to its neighbor Leoville Las Cases and for a significantly lower price.  The 2010 amazed me.  I hate to be so repetitive about the 2010s but I have yet to find a reason to stand down on them.  This is in the same classic style that all the great 2010s possess and is a cellar must.  I would consider it a value as well and at the same time, age will definitely benefit this wine.

I have always been a fan of Jadot's wines.  They have always managed in the great vintages to be good across the board and great on some specific wines.  The 2010 vintage is no exception.  Let me back up to note that I consider 2010 to be great in that it is a more classic style vintage and will provide beautiful pinots and chards that will age well.  The low level wines I admitidly did not spend a great deal of time tasting but on the top end, my favorites included: Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres, Corton Charlemagne, Batard Montrachet, Chevalier Montrachet "Les Demoiselles," Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots, Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques, Corton Greves, Echezeaux, Clos St Denis, and Griottte Chambertin.  The Folatieres, Corton Charlemagne, and especially the Chevalier Demoiselles are the absolute stars of the white while the Corton Greves and Griotte stood out as the "don't miss" of the reds.  I don't want to short hand the others but they cannot all be favorites.  Additionally, I have to wonder based on tasting history, if many of the wines were shut down do to the age they are at any that they had moved to London from Burgundy for this tasting and experienced a little bottle shock.  If this is in fact the case, it means that many of these wines are worth a shot and Jadot still represents a great value in Burgundy!