2009 Carruades de Lafite, Pauillac 1×1.5L

Robert Parker 93

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. This is a great performance for a Second wine that, let us be honest, 15 years ago was looked down upon and sold cheaply. Here, the 2009 has a very ripe bouquet with breezy dark black plum and boysenberry fruit mingling with orange rind, a touch of bacon fat and even a hint of mango sorbet. The palate is full-bodied with succulent, grippy tannins. There is great weight and volume to this wine, although the acidity keeps everything in check. Smooth and harmonious, turning chalkier in texture towards the finish, this is a complex 2009 Pauillac that should age well. Tasted January 2013. [Neal Martin, 01/01/2013]

Vinous 89+

Bright ruby-red. Open-knit, fruity nose offers plenty of charm to its strawberry, blackcurrant and floral aromas. Fresh and juicy on the palate, with red cherry and fresh blackcurrant flavors complicated by flinty and floral nuances. This easygoing, fragrant Carruades is hard to resist drinking up right now. [Stephen Tanzer, 07/01/2012]