Château Lassègue - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009

Wine Spectator

89 / 100

byJames Molesworththe12/1/2013

A very rounded, polished style, with mocha and vanilla notes nicely integrated into the core of crushed plum, blackberry and cherry preserves. A toasty edge hangs through the finish, revealing an echo of coffee and a solid, lingering grip. Drink now through 2017. 2,500 cases imported.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe7/31/2012

Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, kirsch, cassis, tropical dark chocolate and minerals on the nose. Smooth on entry, then juicy and penetrating, with strong acidity and mineral verve keeping the dark fruit flavors quite bound-up today. Finishes with strong, toothcoating tannins and impressive vinosity. This slightly inky, chewy wine needs seven or eight years of patience, but is there enough flesh and fruit to support a harmonious devolopment in bottle? 89 (+?) points

Wine Advocate

90 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/29/2012

Its ferocious tannins still need some resolution, and the wine is definitely what the French call a “vin de garde,” needing probably 8-10 years of cellaring. It is certainly concentrated, dense purple in color, with notes of iron, crushed rocks, black currants, kirsch and toasty oak. This is a chancy wine given the history that tannins always outlast the fruit, but there is a lot here and I wouldn’t want to dismiss it, considering all the good stuff it appears to possess.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88-91 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2010

(a blend of 60% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 20% cabernet sauvignon; 13.9% alcohol; 85% new oak; made from 45-year-old vines located on the prolongation of the Pavie slope on clay-limestone soils) Deep inky ruby. Intense, inky aromas of blackberry, spices, licorice and tar. Then sweet, supple and dense on the palate, with flavors of red cherry jam, mirabelle and oregano. Finishes with chewy, slightly dry tannins and strong spice and black pepper notes. If this develops more generosity and flesh and the tannins soften, it will merit a score at the high end of my projected range.

Le Figaro

92-94 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe6/30/2010

Robe intense de fruits noirs, mûre. Nez attaque dense et veloutée, assez tannique, long et droit, minéral. En bouche, 60 % merlot, 20 % cabernet-franc, 20 % cabernet-sauvignon. 85 % fût neuf.

TAST

17 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2010

Incontestablement le meilleur millésime jamais réalisé par la propriété. Beaux aromes profonds et précis. Vin intense, généreux, développant des notes de fruits noirs un peu compotés mais l’ensemble a beaucoup de vigueur et aligne muscle et chair. Le terroir de côtes révèle son potentiel. L’ensemble est certes marqué par l’alcool du millésime, mais sans rusticité ni lourdeur.

Wine Enthusiast

87-89 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/30/2010

Rather light with the fruit fresh, with high acidity and bitter coffee.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/28/2010

This estate is owned by Jess Jackson and the wine made by his superstar winemaker Pierre Seillan. Backward and unevolved, with perhaps too much oak showing at this stage of its life, the 2009 Lassegue has a dense purple color and a thick, sumptuous attack and mid-palate, a boatload of tannin, and a huge, concentrated finish. The wine is very promising, but at the same time almost painfully unevolved and young. Forget it for 7-8 years. (Tasted once.) Drink 2017-

Wine Spectator

90-93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/9/2010

Black licorice and tar aromas, with ripe blackberry fruit. Full-bodied, with a dense palate of berry and Indian spices. Slightly jammy, but should come around nicely.

Jancis Robinson

12 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/8/2010

Silly heavy bottle. Very dark purple. Sorry but this is really most unpleasant on the nose. SO overripe! So sweet and over the top. Really I can’t see the point of coming to Bordeaux to make this sort of wine (Jess Jackson’s Bordeaux outpost). So sweet and overblown it may as well be a Russian relic. Sorry, I know this sounds harsh and I have no axe to grind but this is one of the most unpleasant bordeaux I have ever tasted. (12??)