Our first full day was spent in Pauillac, with the team very much in tune with the vintage. The quality of what we have tasted is consistent, and very high.  It’s also a year where the characteristics of each property shine through – the last wine of the day was Mouton and, even as we drove south through St Julien later on, its taste was still ingering on our palates. Incredible.

Discounting the first growths, our Pauillac wine of the day was very hard to call: the Pichons were both very impressive – though totally different in style – plus another brilliant Lynch-Bages and another brilliant Pontet-Canet.  The quality of the vintage is crystal clear in Haut-Bages-Liberal and also very consistent. However, in the end the award for the team’s overall favourite had to go to Ch. Batailley.

On Wednesday we started at Lafite: a tough call but Carruades got the palate going for a very impressive, rich and brooding Duhart-Milon. Lafite itself was stunning in every way, reminiscent of the all bells and whistles 1996, after which we headed north to St Estèphe, where as ever Calon-Segur impressed with its pure, lifted charm.  It’s very Calon; typicité is very much a key trait of this vintage.  Phelan-Segur deserves a note also for a very impressive 2009.

So, in the end we headed back south to Margaux, where the wines were lovely; femininity and charm at every stop and excellent wines from Ch. Margaux to d’Angludet, with an hedonistic Palmer in between. A quick freshener in the bar opposite Durfort-Vivens then Giscours and du Tertre to finish, both of which are the best we have ever tasted.  Bravo. The wine of the day? Excluding Lafite and Margaux? Calon-Segur definitely won our hearts.