2009 Les Asteries, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1x750ml

Vinous 93

(from 80-year-old vines planted on thin clay soil over hard limestone): Full bright ruby. Medicinal black fruits and chocolate on the nose. Dense, plush and deep, with very ripe dark berry and chocolate flavors enlivened by chewy minerality. Can’t quite match Le Carre for lift but this is every bit as concentrated and comes across as sweeter. Finishes with strong, building tannins and terrific length. [Stephen Tanzer, 01/07/2012]

Robert Parker 98

From vines sitting on hard limestone, this wine is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that offers prodigious levels of extract, richness, complexity and overall harmony. A fabulous wine, with black fruits galore intermixed with a liqueur of crushed rocks and spring flowers, the wine has plenty of tannin and is best cellared over at least 4-5 years and consumed over the following two decades. This property, owned by Jonathan Maltus, is located 100 meters from his Le Carre, and of course the nearby Clos Fourtet, which produced a perfect wine in 2009. [Robert Parker, 02/01/2012]

Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036