2009 Rollan de By (Medoc) Cru Bourgeois

A slightly underperforming wine by the standards set in previous vintages, I had expected this to be a top-flight, unqualified sleeper of the vintage, which it is definitely is not. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, this dense ruby/purple wine exhibits notes of asphalt, black currants and underbrush along with some background herbs and spice box. Medium-bodied, ripe and attractive, it is best drunk over the next 5-8 years.

70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot. Clean, sweet cassis nose with light oak spice. Very Merlot though there is a slight Cabernet leafiness. Nice chew all melded in with the fruit. Just fresh enough. (JH)

Dark purple. Sample seemed a little tired on the nose. And the palate. Perhaps I’ll catch up with it again later? Though the oak seems aggressively toasty and spicy. Sour finish. (JR)