2009 unclassified Bordeaux

Seeing several 2009 Bordeaux in stores that I know nothing about and was wondering if anyone has tried any. All of these are from the same importer, Monsieur Touton Selection Ltd. Only one has a review quoted (from WS), haven't been able to find anything about any of the others, no tasting notes on CT, no mention in Parker's Bordeaux book, etc.

I haven't tried any 2009s yet but if you believe all the hype it is the second coming.

Here are two more

The 09 futures I ordered are not supposed to arrive until spring of 2012. The above wines may be good, but it kinda worries me when I see them on the shelves this early.

The 17.49 and 17.99 are right bank or merlot based while the others are all left band or cabernet sauvignon based. I'm not familiar with the chateau but I was pleased when I tried random "value" Bordeaux when the 2005s came out.

I had the 04 Haut Beyzac two nights ago. It was also $15 so nice to see the price has not gone up. Not too bad, but nothing special.

That's good to know, thanks eChairman! 2009 was better than 2004 by leaps and bounds, so for $15 I'm probably going to give it a try.

Just opened the 2009 Chateau Haut Beyzac.

It's not often I dislike a wine so much that I dump it or determine it undrinkable. It smells cheap, it tastes cheap and artificial. The next time I go in a store and see the display stacked up, I'm gonna tackle it James Harrsion style.

Yikes, and I was just about to pick up a bottle...will rethink it now. Thanks.

Opened my second bottle of Haut Beyzac as I enter the world of Haut Medoc, maybe I don't know how good these can be, but for $15 this is a pretty good bottle of wine. Looking forward to other 2009 Haut Medocs

FYI Just received the following info from Ron Dreshman at store # 247...

CHATEAU TAYAC "CUVEE LABORY", MARGAUX 2009
http://www.chateautayac-margaux.com/
http://www.chateautayac.fr/video

Owners: Portet Family
Manager: Guy Portet
Cellar master: Nicolas Portet
Oenologist: Michel Bernard Couasnon
The PORTET FAMILY held estate benefits of the knowledge and the experience of four generations
Guy Portet, technical Director, applies the "Cousinie" method which permits at the same time a generous flow of nutrients to the vines and a strict limitation of treatments.
Soil: Gravel and Clay located in the village of Soussans
Surface: 80 Acres
Production: 15,000 cases
AVERAGE AGE OF VINES: 30 years
2009 BLEND OF Cabernet Sauvignon 60 % + Merlot noir 40 %
HARVEST DONE by hand and by machine
AGEING IN new barrels 35 % for 12 months

OTHER WINES MADE AT CHATEAU TAYAC:
Second wine : - Ch. Grand Soussans (Margaux)
OTHER CUVEES:
Ch. Tayac cuvée Larauza (Margaux)
Ch. Tayac cuvée Labory de Tayac (Margaux)
Ch. Tayac cuvée les Gravières (Margaux)

Clos Laborie is the sister property of Château Tayac, a family-owned operation for over four generations. In the 19th century, Clos Laborie was part of Château Desmirail, a highly respected third-growth property. Today, it is a stand-alone site with a 60/40 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot mix.
This vintage (2009) is spectacular and the quality translates through all price ranges.
This Clos release features aromas of caramel, blueberry and vanilla. Dry, lush and ripe on the palate, it is ably balanced by firm tannins. It has classic notes of cassis, blackberry and black plum.
Full-bodied and a bit tannic so decant for 1-2 hours if you're going to drink it now.
Food matches: rare roast beef, lamb dishes, game (venison, partridge, ostrich, pheasant), cheddar. beef bourguignonne, beef with stout.

I would love to hear more from jagangjee on the Haut Beyzac. The descriptive difference between J2K and jagangjee, I feel, warrants some additional explanation.

Agree with jonradus on the disparity. I was standing in McIntyre staring these down & just couldn't pull the trigger. J2k has a pretty tolerant spectrum & that makes me cautious.

This whole bordeaux thing is vexing. I had the '05 Haut Margaux at the '08 wine festival & it was bloody terrible. so young there was nothing but tannins. Yet lower growths seem to be drinkable just a few years after the vintage. Plus how do you trust a ranking system that hasn't been updated since the 1500's? The cuvee labory sounds interesting, even if it's not $15. If it's good now I'd rather lay down a $27 wine for 10 yrs than go $300 for some 3rd growth that I may not live to drink.

Ah, the age vs. aged wine conundrum. We're getting old, jlburd...

We are hopefully going to try all of the 2009 wines listed abouve next week. I will let you guys know what I think.

Regarding the Haut Beyzac and my review---I'ts possible I may have had a bad bottle. But if not, you don't have to be expert on Haut-Medoc to determine the quality of this wine. I've had many Haut-Medoc including the 2003 Chateau Haut Beyzac which was excellent for @ $20.

Anyone remember the 2003 Chateau Coufran that was a Chairmans Selection? It was also a Haut -Medoc and got favorable reviews.
http://www.pawinetalk.com/detail/?id=1000144

Well, the 2009 Chateau Haut Beyzac tastes nothing like it.

The Chateau Coufran was/is my reference point for value Bordeaux. Maybe this will be like the '05 Cal Cabs where there was so much production (apparently a characteristic of the '09 Bordeaux as well) that many wineries rushed something to market to exploit the ratings of the vintage w/o giving the wine the full Monty so to speak. Anyone remember the Whitehall Lane glut?

If nothing else this sure has my curiosity piqued about any '09 Bordeaux.

I tasted all of the 2009 wines that Mark posted above. I enjoyed them all, looking at them for what they are. They are young pleasant wines that are not going to be that awesome wine that you want to open up after 25 or 30 years with your kids... I thought the Chateau Tayac was the strongest of the bunch with the most potential of going another 3-4 years.

Thanks Loren. Were they all pretty much "drink now?"

All are "drink now".

The unclassed '03 Haut Beyzac, Le Grand Vin was a high for them that they've never been able to repeat, not even in '05. I loved the '03 and must have bought 30 bottles of it. Have a few left and they're still drinking well.

Since the '09 is out and price-wise almost free, I'll give it a whirl but it's only 2 years old and J2K's review sure doesn't give me much hope.

Like J2K, I also thought the '03 Coufran was an excellent deal on a good and inexpensive Bordeaux and did my best to deplete the state's inventory.

Re/the 1855 classification system, it's held up surprisingly well. There are a few underproducing properties, but overall, it's pretty much spot-on.