Bordeaux 2009 – mechanics

Since today is the first day of our three-day publication of tasting notes on the roughly 450 bordeaux 2009s I tasted last week, I thought it might be appropriate to discuss some of the mechanics involved.

As many of you know, I like to taste blind as much as possible. Each of the well-known Bordeaux châteaux has such a strong image that it can be difficult to divorce that from one's perceptions. It is also a joy to taste lesser-known wines blind without the encumbrance of knowing that they don't enjoy a fabulous reputation. Blind tasting can yield some very...