2009 La Fleur Morange

Even more impressive is the absolutely prodigious 2009 St.-Emilion, the finest wine I have ever tasted from La Fleur Morange. The average age of the vines at this tiny estate is close to 100 years, and this 2009 blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc came from yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare. The vines sit on the famous iron-rich soils that the French call crasse de fer, and the result is an amazingly opaque purple wine with an extraordinary nose of blackberries, charcoal, graphite and crushed chalk. It is tightly knit, with full-bodied power and relatively elevated tannins. Its noble sweetness and expansiveness as well as its broad, savory finish make this is a compelling wine of great quality that should hit its stride in 4-5 years and keep for two decades. Bravo to Claude Gros! The brilliant Narbonne-based oenologist Claude Gros is the brain trust behind these two cuvees from this St.-Emilion grand cru.

Very deep crimson, Lifted mulberry scents on the nose. Combination of opulence and energy though the oak is a little dominant at the moment. Very soft start and the wine tastes extraordinarily hand-crafted. Very very sweet and sinewy. Needs a heck of a lot of time. Such intensity runs through it. Very vibrant. Still lots of tannin – maybe just slightly inky. (JR)

Very concentrated young, with blueberry jam and coffee bean undertones. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and a fruity finish. Plenty of milk chocolate too. Slightly New World style, but impressive. Try in 2018. James Suckling, jamessuckling.com