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95-97 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon brings together so many of the elements that make Screaming Eagle such a great and distinctive wine. Crushed rocks, graphite, menthol, plums, black cherries and mint all jump from the glass. Power, structure and finesse all come together in this remarkably vivid, dazzling wine. Rain in spring caused a poor set, which lowered yields dramatically, intensifying all of the sensations in the glass. Today, the 2010 is utterly head spinning. In 2010, Screaming Eagle is a bit lower in Cabernet Sauvignon and higher in Merlot than normal. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030.

96 Points The Wine Advocate: “The darker, more virile side of the vintage comes through in the 2009 Proprietary Blend Quella. A dark brooding wine, the 2009 saturates the palate with black cherries, plums, smoke and incense, all in a firm, brooding style that is highly appealing. Vivid and constantly changing in the glass, the Quella impresses for its multi-dimensional personality and potential. Hints of smoke, ash and scorched earth are layered into the powerful, structured finish. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.” ~ Antonio Galloni

97 Points The Wine Advocate: “The 2009 Proprietary Blend Pluribus boasts stunning concentration, depth and power. Tar, incense, graphite, plums and grilled herbs all flow from this dark, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon. The balance of fruit, tannin and acidity is masterful. The Pluribus is always the most intense of the BOND wines. It can at times be a bit of a brute, but the 2009 is as refined as it gets. There is no shortage of class and integrity here. Hints of smoke, tar and juniper berries add the final layers of complexity. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.” ~ Antonio Galloni

98+ Points The Wine Advocate: “BOND’s 2009 Proprietary Blend Vecina, from Vine Hill Ranch, is fascinating to taste after the St. Eden. While the St. Eden is round and sensual, the Vecina is all about linear power and structure. Endowed with tremendous length and persistence, the Vecina presents endless layers of dark fruit and expressive aromatics supported by considerable tension and energy. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.” ~ Antonio Galloni

94 Points The Wine Advocate: “The estate’s 2009 Proprietary Blend Melbury presents an intriguing combination of pure sensuality in its aromas and flavors, but backed up by serious tannins. Dark raspberry jam, flowers, sweet spices and crushed rocks all come to life in this deeply expressive, resonant wine. Sweet floral notes reappear on the finish, adding lift and perfume. In 2009, the Melbury is dazzling. It is also one of the more delicate wines in the lineup Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.” ~ Antonio Galloni

97 Points The Wine Advocate: “The 2009 Proprietary Blend St. Eden is simply stunning. A rich, resonant bouquet melds seamlessly into layers of fruit as the 2009 shows off its breathtaking pedigree and sheer class. There is virtually no perception of tannin in this voluptuous, beautifully balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. Freshly cut roses and a hint of cinnamon add complexity on the finish, but ultimately the St. Eden is first and foremost a wine of textural brilliance and spherical palate presence. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.2018-2028.” ~ Antonio Galloni

"The 2009 Proprietary Blend Harlan Estate is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Cloves, dark plums, cherries, smoke and graphite add richness and resonance to this powerful, incisive wine. Juicy and exuberant, the 2009 has always had a certain raciness that is impossible to resist. Layers of fruit continue to build to the enveloping, sensual finish. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this hugely delicious wine. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034. 97 points" - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate #204

"Opaque ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of dark berry preserves, cherry pit, licorice and mocha, with a suave floral overtone. Sappy cherry-vanilla and cassis flavors reach every corner of the palate and become spicier and sweeter with air. Finishes smooth and long, with resonating spiciness and a persistent note of candied cherry. 94 points" - Josh Reynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Jul 12

"A candidate for the “wine of the vintage,” Pontet Canet’s 2008 boasts an opaque purple color as well as copious aromas of sweet blueberries, blackberries and black currant fruit intertwined with lead pencil shavings, subtle barbecue smoke and a hint of forest floor. Full-bodied, with fabulous richness, texture and tremendous freshness, this first-growth-like effort is more developed than the uber-powerful 2010. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following three decades. Bravo! 96 points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

"A masculine-styled, dense purple-colored 2009, this cuvee offers up scents of charcoal, asphalt, black currants, incense, and crushed rocks. This deep, medium to full-bodied, well-made Margaux is broader, richer, and more substantial than usual, with more alcohol as well as substance. The tannins are ripe and well-integrated. This is a 30-year wine. 89-91 points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #188

"A strong effort from proprietor Emmanuel Cruse, d’Issan’s 2009 was fashioned from minuscule yields of 18 hectoliters per hectare, and its 13.7% natural alcohol set a record at this estate. Composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot, it exhibits a classic Margaux fragrance of acacia flowers/violets, blueberries, cassis, licorice and camphor. Opulent and full-bodied with silky tannins as well as a rich, dense style, it will be interesting to compare the 2009 with the brilliant 2000 and 2005 over the next two to three decades. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035+. 93 points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #199

"The 2009 has the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) ever included in a Calon-Segur (the rest is Merlot and Petit Verdot). Completely different from its St.-Estephe brethren, it is more backward and structured with a dense purple color, lots of black cherry, black currant, loamy earth, forest floor and spice notes, excruciatingly high levels of tannin, and a wonderful inner core of sweetness and concentration. It could behave like the 1982, which, at age 30, is just becoming mature. The 2009 is an uncompromising, masculine, massive style of wine that needs 15-20 years of cellaring even in this luscious, flashy, flamboyant vintage. It is super-tight and needs lots of coaxing and aeration. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2050+. 94+ points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #199

"Now positioned as a totally separate vineyard and a real clos (enclosed walled vineyard), this blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from Jean-Hubert Delon is a beauty. Creme de cassis notes intermixed with some vanillin, crushed rock and spring flowers jump from the glass. Full-bodied and powerful (nearly 14% natural alcohol), this is a generously endowed, rich wine that was first made in 1902. The 2009 should drink well for 20-25 years. Readers need to think of it as a true classified growth, although technically it is not. 93 points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #199

"A brilliant offering from the Mentzelopoulos family, once again their gifted manager, Paul Pontallier, has produced an uncommonly concentrated, powerful 2009 Chateau Margaux made from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. As with most Medocs, the alcohol here is actually lower (a modest 13.3%) than most of its siblings-. Abundant blueberry, cassis and acacia flower as well as hints of charcoal and forest floor aromas that are almost Burgundian in their complexity are followed by a wine displaying sweet, well-integrated tannins as well as a certain ethereal lightness despite the wine's overall size. Rich, round, generous and unusually approachable for such a young Margaux, this 2009 should drink well for 30-35+ years. 99 points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #199

98+ points - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #199

"This wine seems to be one of the few that has not yet recovered from bottling. In a somewhat monolithic, latched-down style, it has plenty of stuffing, lots of structure and an impressive dark ruby/purple color, but it is very hard to coax from the glass. It is a rather classic St.-Estephe made by the Tesseron family, with its distinctive blood orange label, but this wine seems to beg for another 5-7 years of bottle age. The final blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc has some impressive fruit, but the wine just seems slightly more clipped and narrow than I remember it from barrel. Hopefully, time will mellow out this impression. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. 90 points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #199

"A big, powerful Margaux that should age for 20+ years, this inky purple-colored wine exhibits notes of spring flowers intermixed with blackberries, raspberries and cassis. Some lead pencil shavings and toasty oak are also present in this powerful yet at the same time very pure, textured, full-throttle Kirwan. It needs about 5-7 years of cellaring and will be among the longest-lived wines of the vintage. 92+ points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #199

"The 2009 Coutet has a very intense nose of apricot, papaya, honeysuckle and orange cordial that is very well defined. Interestingly I write the same comment as my appraisal out of barrel in that I would prefer just a little more vigor. However that is a minor quibble. The palate is very well- balanced with a rounded, caressing entry. There is certainly tremendous weight in the mouth and abundant botrytis, especially upon the unctuous finish. This has great potential – a fantastic wine from one of the finest Barsac estates. Drink now-2035+. 95 points" - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #199