2009 Sansonnet

(an 85/15 blend of merlot and cabernet franc): Saturated ruby-red to the rim. Very ripe aromas of black cherry, blueberry, chocolate and cola. Concentrated, rich and chewy, with an almost porty ripeness but good mid-palate energy to its plush dark fruit and chocolate flavors. Finishes with ripe tannins and excellent persistence. A big success for this estate.

A deep, full-bodied, powerful wine with notes of forest floor, creme de cassis, blackberries, fig and flowers, some spicy, smoky subtle oak appears in the background along with licorice and underbrush. Dense, full-bodied, rich, layered and impressive, this sumptuously textured, thick, juicy wine is already showing well and should continue to drink well for up to 15 or more years. The finest Sansonnet ever made, this wine, from a vineyard that sits in back of the valleys and hillsides of St.-Emilion not far from Barde-Haute and Trottevieille. It is looked after by Michel Rolland’s top assistant, Jean-Philippe Fort. They have never made a wine like this, a definite sleeper of the vintage. Yields were 9 hectoliters per hectare and the final blend 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc that came in at 15% natural alcohol.