Chateau St Pierre 2009
An old-style, classic St Julien built to last, with masses of structure and potential. Lots of elegance: wood is well-integrated and mingles well with dark fruit from the 75% Cabernet Sauvignon softened by some 15% of Merlot, which also accounts for its fruitiness-curranty aroma and the crisp, fresh acidity on the palate. The 10% Cabernet Franc completes an added dimension of red fruits, herbs, and peppery earthiness. Eventually, the black, ripe fruits abound in our oversized tasting glasses, with fruit sweetness and intensity. Finally, intense blackberries coat the palate with lots of focus and concentration: a very generous yet well-balanced wine and a very long finish.
There is a real sense of density and lovely persistence on the finish. Insiders consider this wine as a wine with quality between 4th Growth to Second Growth. Some tasters consider this St Pierre 2009 as a Super Second.
Where is the elegance of St Julien? Not too St Julien in style, as you may say, given its power, body, amount of tannins and texture, but this château punches well above its weight with the structure of 2009. This wine is no longer the hidden gem of St Julien, as the five previous vintages have propelled this wine to the forefront of the appellation.
The scores are very high; prices are still reasonable.
The all-time most excellent wine I have ever tasted from Saint-Pierre, this estate, the smallest of the grand cru classes of St.-Julien, has an opaque purple colour and a spectacular nose of subtle charcoal, creme de cassis, blackberry, and incense. Full-bodied, with striking intensity and flamboyantly rich, exuberant flavours bursting with extract, St. Pierre has no hard edges but rather massive, incredibly well-endowed blockbuster style, which should prove to be monumental. Give it 6-8 years to take on more definition and calm down, but this is a 30- to 40-year wine. Bravo! 98 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, March 2012. Edited.
Sultanas and subtle spices on the nose. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and excellent fruit concentration. Long and succulent. Stylish stuff. 94 James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, April 2010. Edited.
Medium to deep garnet in colour, the 2009 Saint-Pierre displays are maturing notes of crème de cassis, blackberry pie and prunes with hints of cardamom, fennel and star anise. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with black fruit preserves and fantastic freshness to balance, it has a firm, grainy texture and a very long, exotic spice finish. 2019 - 2049.
96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (241), March 2019
This is beautiful, you feel the warm summer temperatures of 2009 in that the fruits are ripe, with touches of fig alongside raspberry puree and sweet black cherry, but it is balanced out by deft strokes of mint and eucalyptus, freshly cut herbs, black pepper, a tingle of minerality and tight tannins that are not quite renouncing their duty yet. Good stuff; a great moment to start drinking this wine. 55% new oak.
95 Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, February 2022. Edited.
