2009 Vrai Canon Bouche

Saturated red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of plum, licorice and roasted herbs; slightly jammy. A plush, chunky fruit bomb with concentrated, slightly roasted dark berry and chocolate flavors. A bit exotic in a 2009 way. I'd drink this fat, sweet wine over the next several years.

A big, sweet, ripe nose of raspberry jam interwoven with white flowers, blueberries, kirsch and some subtle oak and camphor is followed by an intensely concentrated yet silky textured, full-bodied, opaque purple wine that should drink well for 10-15 years, possibly longer. This is one of the sleepers of the vintage. This 30-acre vineyard has been doing some marvelous work over the last decade, and the Dutch owners had the foresight to bring in the most fashionable winemaking consultant of the moment, Stephane Derenoncourt. This blend of 95% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec hit 14.5% natural alcohol and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Yields were a meager 20 hectoliters per hectare.

A big, sweet, ripe nose of raspberry jam interwoven with white flowers, blueberries, kirsch and some subtle oak and camphor is followed by an intensely concentrated yet silky textured, full-bodied, opaque purple wine that should drink well for 10-15 years, possibly longer. This is one of the sleepers of the vintage. Dec 2011, www.robertparker.com