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Bordeaux 2009: 130 wines, top down, compared to RP and Jancis. A Buyer’s Guide

May 24th 2010, by Gavin

Updated 8th June. Look away now if you think wine and points don’t go. Here is a top down list of my (GQ) scores alongside those of US guru Robert Parker (RP) – both using the 100 point scale – and Jancis Robinson’s scores out of 20, plus my estimate of anticipated maturity. There are 130 90+ point wines in my book, with 90 meaning outstanding. I tasted all the top wines, except Château Ausone and a few garage/boutique wines from St-Emilion, and Le Gay and Le Bon Pasteur from Pomerol.

It’s fair to say that RP and I agree on many of the top dogs, only he’s given higher points, with a stash of potential 100s (in 2005, he awarded just two wines 100 pts). I think he’s slightly underrated the 2009s from Palmer and Pichon Baron but that’s splitting hairs.

Meanwhile, Jancis has given pretty low marks (some at 15 ‘average’ but all less than 17 ‘superior’) to the highly rated 2009 Montrose, the controversial Cos d’Estournel, both Beauséjours, Pavie Macquin, Magdelaine, Troplong Mondot, La Gaffelière, Clos l’Eglise, Gazin, Smith Haut Lafitte, Haut Bailly, Malartic Lagravière,  La Lagune, Branaire Ducru, Beychevelle, Langoa Barton, Gruaud Larose, Brane Cantenac, Giscours and others -  all lower than Labégorce on 17, which will cost you £165 a case, or even Fonréaud, also 17, from Listrac, for under £100. I like Labégorce (90-92) and Fonréaud’s alright (85-87) but are they better than all the above? It’s a funny old game.

You can view my top 200 A-Z here.

BUY: as prices are released in June 2010, I have noted down the left hand side the wines I would BUY (or BUY* for best buys). Follow me on Twitter for daily Deal or No Deal tips as wines are released.

R: Recommended but the prices are as yet unknown. Many will have to be pre-ordered. Prices in £ are for the UK buyer In Bond (ex-duty and Vat).

V: Value, for affordable drinking. L is for Left Bank, R is for Right.

Price Guide:  £££££ Over €2000 a case of 12, ex duty/VAT

££££ £1000 to £2000, £££ £500 to £1000, ££ £200 to £500 and £ Under £250.

2 comments

• Dan replied:

  Gavin
  Fabulously useful data. Thanks.
  If you believe (as I do) that the GQ en primeur score is as good a predictor of bottled quality as the RP score, then I guess the best en primeur value is to be found where the GQ score is higher than the PR score. Right?
  Hope the hail stays away from Bauduc this year.

  June 6th, 2010 at 12:10 pm. Permalink.

• Gavin replied:

  Dan
  Thanks very much. As for your analysis – probably, but the way prices are going, who knows? Follow me on Twitter as each wine is released for a Deal or No Deal tip.

  June 8th, 2010 at 4:57 am. Permalink.

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