Château Belgrave 2009

Elegant raspberry, red and black currant, and earthy, loamy underbrush and soil tones make for a very attractive and fragrant bouquet. This ripe, medium to full-bodied wine should drink well for 10-15+ years.

Shows the ripeness of the vintage, featuring sleek linzer torte and plum confiture flavors laced with mouthwatering spice and sweet tobacco notes. This has well-integrated toast and a very racy finish. Drink now through 2015. 18,100 cases made.

88-90 Barrel sample. A firm and austere wine, dominated by mineral tannins. The fruit is solid, chunky, rather too extracted with bitter coffee flavors.

This is fairly tight and buttoned down, and the inflexibility of the tannins dampens the expression of the fruit. It's good quality, no question, and the cassis fruit has a ripeness to it once it opens up, but it ends a little abruptly and isn't showing the generosity of the vintage. Recent vintages of this property have seen a big step up in quality and I'm certain that this wine on its own with some food would be a delicious 2009, but it doesn't stand up in the lineup today.

A wine with sliced-plum and lemon character and hints of lemon grass on the nose and palate. Medium to full body with fresh acidity and a clean finish. Try after 2016.

The 2009 Belgrave has a ripe red cherry, kirsch-scented bouquet with hints of raisin and fig. It is just flirting with over-ripeness... but not over-ripe! The palate is medium-bodied with candied red fruit, a little chewy in texture and perhaps needing more mineralité on the finish. Yet, there is fine density and decent precision on the finish. Maybe give this another couple of years in bottle. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Year On tasting.

Packed with spicy, black and red fruits with mineral elements, this fleshy, soft textured wine, offers a fresh, black cherry and spice filled finish. 89 Pts

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, subtle ochre rim. Dark berry fruit with tobacco undertones, delicate notes of precious wood, candied orange zest, a hint of figs. Medium complexity, subtle extracted sweetness, ripe tannins, fine acidity, delicate caramel on the finish, mineral and lemony aftertaste, a good food companion. Already easy to drink.

Deep purple-garnet color. A noble bouquet, an elegant Cabernet touch, plenty of black berries and licorice, with crystal-clear purity. On the palate, dense, fleshy tannins and a broad astringency—truly tasting like a great Bordeaux. A fantastic wine and, among those that are (still) relatively affordable, one of the best. It can even improve further and then catch up with the gigantic 2000 vintage.

Deep purple-garnet colour, dense at the core with a violet sheen at the rim. A noble bouquet with a refined Cabernet touch, plenty of black berries and liquorice, and a crystal-clear expression. On the palate, dense, meaty tannins with broad astringency; a terrific wine that, as always, is among the best of the (still) relatively affordable ones and tastes truly like a great Bordeaux. It may well gain further and then catch up with its monumental 2000 vintage.

Peppery, fresh bouquet with notes of strawberry, mint and nougat. Silky, finely textured, fragrant palate with sweet fruit, delicate structure and fine tannins. Aromatic finish. 17/20 2015 - 2028

Well balanced, enjoyable soft brambled fruits, dark cocoa bean, spiced rosemary, blackberry, tobacco, grilled earth. Ready to drink.

The wine shows remarkable fruit purity, with notes of red berries that literally leap from the glass. The palate is generous and supple, with perfectly integrated tannins.

A dense, supple attack, a silky mid-palate, medium length, and a lovely spicy finish with blackberry notes.

Beautiful, intense colour. Fruity, ripe nose, fairly creamy. The palate is supple, fruity and pleasant, with a fleshy body. The finish is of average length.