I told you so… 2009 is stacking up to be one of those vintages where everything I put in my mouth is just sensational. In 2000, when the 1998 Southern Rhone wines came to market, we bought over 65 cases of Chateauneuf du Pape alone. We can’t do that again without buying another house to store all the wine in… We can’t do that again… Hmmm…

Kermit Lynch is known by many to be one the ground-breaking negociant/importers that specializes in small, out of the way producers that make terrific wines. That was many decades ago and now his fame lends itself to “private” label wines of his own creation. With the 2009 Cypress Cuvée, Mr. Lynch did alright… especially at an average retail cost of $15.99…

My tasting note:

Youthful, earthy nose with fresh cherry, strawberry and truffle hints. Medium-to-full-bodied with moderate acidity and firm, dry tannin. Good balance. Lush palate with blackberry, cacao and gamey notes – classic CDR. Long finish with spice and dried fruit notes – like a Vino Ripasso! Drinking well and should easily improve for another 5 to 7 years in the bottle. Great value!

The Kermit Lynch web site states the 2009 vintage is 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache, clearly verified by the structure and spicy notes. I don’t have production numbers, but I would not dawdle – wine this good will not last long!

Cheers!

I have always told my classes that in highly-touted Bordeaux vintages, such as 2000, 2005 and now 2009, often times the best place to look for top quality wines at modest prices is in the lesser properties, or second labels of classified wines. Bordeaux has become such an expensive commodity that finding affordable, classified wines is no longer an option for most buyers. This is especially true in recent vintages. So, when a wine like the Costes du Château Féret-Lambert shows up, I take notice.

I tasted this wine as a part of the selection process for redeveloping the Harvard Faculty Club wine list and the wine is, in a word: stupendous. At an average retail somewhere around $15.00, this wine is off the charts. Primarily Merlot (90%), as you would expect from the AOC, the property states soil types of clay, limestone and fossilized coral, which certainly comes through on the palate. Moderate oak aging and progressive wine making techniques have combined to produce a real star.

My tasting note:

Lush, black currant nose with jammy, mineral and cedar hints. Medium-to-full-bodied with moderate acidity and firm, structured tannin – great balance. Dark fruit core with black cherry, bittersweet chocolate and tar notes. Wow! Moderate length with a super smooth finish. Drinking well now and should continue to improve in bottle for another 5 to 7 years, perhaps more. Simply a superb value.

So my advice – although 40,000 cases were made, I would run to my local purveyor and take home at least a case. Cheers!

I have a feeling that I am going to be posting a lot about European wines from the 2009 vintage… So far, 2009 is reminiscent of other vintages like 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005 and 2007…

I picked up several wines the other day and gave one a try – Chateau Saint Martin de la Garrigue Bronzinelle, from Coteaux de Languedoc. What a gem! The wine is structured and delicious – my note follows:

Lively nose with black raspberry, fresh cherry and dried herb hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity and firm, chewy tannin – great balance. Dark fruit core with spice, cedar and cacao notes. Moderate length with a tight, layered finish. Drinking well and should continue to  evolve and improve for another 5 to 7 years in bottle. Great value.

At $15.99 (average retail, pre-discount) per bottle, this is a  real charmer – true, past vintages of this wine were closer to $10.00, but at the current price, the wine still represents a magnificent value. The wine should have wide availability.