Making my way through the numerous offerings at Bordeaux Grands Crus Vintage 2009 tasting in New York was a challenge.
In addition to the shear number of wines, tannins on the reds have not had time yet to loose their rough edges.
Towards the end of the event, Laurence Brun of Chateau Dassault suggested that this challenge for the palate could be best managed by taking breaks between sections of the tasting. Dilemna one is faced with is you have 4 hours maximum to get a good feel for 100 plus wines showcased.
Professional tasters with more discerning noses and palates will have I am sure seen more shapes of things to come (in 4 to 5 years) when this wines are ready to drink.
Whites from Graves and Pessac Leognan (at the beginning) and Sauternes (at the end) were not as much of a challenge.
The 'chill me gently' plea from Chateau Carbonnieux was a nice way to ask to make justice the wine by not serving it ice cold.
Sauternes selection at the end included Chateau La Tour Blanche, the only one to decant its wine.
Their representative told me that in his opinion, any Sauternes less than 10 years old should be decanted to give wine breathing room and reveal aromas.
Fresh impressions from Bordeaux Vintage 2009 tasting.