En PrimeurAt 185 g/l residual, this is the sweetest wine I have seen from the vintage. And indeed, to the taste, it is extremely liquorous. However, it’s close but it doesn’t seem unbalanced, first by the extreme fragrance of the fresh fruit aromas (Nicolas has a plot near Climens that produces very aromatic wines) and secondly from the high tone of 4.5 g/l Acidity, almost on a par with ’01. So we have something that is extremely sweet yet extremely fresh and possibly great. Bill Blatch

Wine Advocate – 93-95 Pts: Nicolas Tari has certainly improved this estate in recent years. His 2009 has a well defined nose with apple-blossom, lime leaf, apricot and orange peel. Opens nicely the longer it remains in the glass. The palate is well balanced, very good weight on the entry with a citric thread of acidity interwoven through the pure honeyed fruit with a hint of ginger on the aftertaste. Nothing extravagant here, but supremely well crafted and succinct.

Decanter – 18.5 Pts : Great wine, splendid intense melon and white peach aromas, wonderful refinement of body and texture, nobility evident in the long aftertaste, complex balance between acidity, sugar and saltiness, great future.

Wine Spectator – Feb 2012 91 Pts: Rich, with seemingly languid persimmon, quince and glazed peach flavours, this quickly picks up a racy feel, with toasted almond and orange blossom notes running throuigh the finish. Best from 2013 through 2020. En Primeur 92-95 Pts: Full-bodied and sweet, with lots of sliced citrus fruit and spicy bitter almond and honey on the finish. Powerful.

Jancis Robinson – Oct 2011 17 Pts: Just slightly mousy on the nose. Lime syrup. Certainly fun but not as noble as some of the others. En Primeur 18 Pts: Heady, concentrated pear juice on the nose. Then lift and excitement. A little bit of fungus but a very impressive wine. Just a bit of heat on the end. Very luscious. Very opulent but with quite enough freshness to keep it in check. Drink 2020-2040

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