2009 Pessac Leognan combines opulent textures, smokey aromatics, ripe fruit and soft tannins. From top to bottom, it’s easy to find quality. In fact, some of the better 2009 Bordeaux value wines come from Pessac Leognan.
One of the hallmarks of a great Bordeaux wine vintage is when all the appellations produce strong wine from wineries in all price ranges. 2009 Bordeaux fits that bill perfectly.
At their best, they combine intense, honey coated, tropical fruit, spice and floral aromas with pure, sweet, succulent, honey coated fruit flavors and refreshing levels of acidity. The wines can age effortlessly for decades.
Though the Grand Valley has a shorter growing season than other preeminent wine regions, the high altitude and clear skies allow for warm summer growing conditions, a large diurnal temperature difference and more growing degree days than Napa Valley or Bordeaux.
On this occasion, we enjoyed one of my favorite producers of California Cabernet Sauvignon, Spottswoode. Spottswoode has been on a roll since 1994, They produce a great style of Cabernet. It’s rich, ripe and deeply concentrated, but it’s not over the top.
A recent discovery of letters unearthed by Professor Thomas M. Truxes of New York University sheds new light on, amongst many other things, the wine trade between Bordeaux and Ireland in the 18th century.
Perhaps because they have only been on a hot streak for a few years, (since 2000) for a Bordeaux wine of this quality, they remain fairly priced. This wine is no shrinking violet. It is thick, rich, pure and aromatic. The tannins are soft and the texture is elegant.