Bordeaux 2009 – Graves/Pessac

See our guide to Bordeaux 2009 coverage.

I tasted quite widely in this appellation, looking for the freshness that defines it – sometimes with success. The same names keep on performing well. Domaine de Chevalier was as distinctive in the blind red wine tasting as in the white counterpart. Smith is reliable, Pape Clément reliably attention-grabbing. Les Carmes charmed me this year. Haut-Bailly slightly less than usual but this may have been my fault. As usual, I tasted all the classed growths blind – apart from the stunning big guns from the Haut-Brion stable where records of ripeness were broken...