Our Window Into 09 Bordeaux
2009 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion
1/10th the Price of the Grands: $89.95
Amongst the Lowest Pricing in the World
"There are approximately 2,000 cases of the 2009 La Chapelle de La Mission, the best one I have ever tasted... To get an idea of just how extraordinary all the wines from the Dillon family are in 2009, just consider how phenomenal the second wines are." - Robert Parker
We’re in strict agreement. This is remarkable Bordeaux and easily one of the greatest values in the raucous 09 Bordeaux market.
Robert Parker makes no bones about it, summing up his rhapsodizing review of the 09 Chapelle de la Mission ("amazing density, extraordinary fruit quality... admirable purity and length") by calling it flat out "the best one I have ever tasted."
Today we offer the 2009 Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion at $89.95 a bottle - pricing that’s among the lowest in the world; pricing that’s, frankly, a steal for such high-quality wine from such a wildly prestigious vintage and chateau… especially when you glance around and see 09 La Mission going for ten times that.
There's no denying 2009 Bordeaux. The vintage was about as close to perfect as you can get, gracing growers with incredibly pure, sophisticated fruit and an ideal acid/tannin balance that makes them almost unbelievably delicious now yet also optimal for aging. This is a vintage that will certainly be talked about - and majorly coveted by collectors - through the next century.
And yet… there’s the not-so-small matter of their prices. Current pricing on most is simply a bit difficult to wrap one’s head around. We’ve typically shied away from Bordeaux futures, especially in this market, because as much as we love well-made Bordeaux, it’s no secret that the deals that make sense - for both the consumer and the retailer - have been relatively few and far between.
So when the big question of what 09s we wanted to buy finally came to a head, we had to think hard. We really tried to pick out what we perceived as the sweet spots, the best values and yet wines that were exemplary in the context of the vintage.
It was glaringly clear that the 09 Chapelle de la Mission fit the bill, meaty yet alarmingly finessed and soaked with black - but bright - fruits and all the elegance matched with opulence that makes great Bordeaux so seductive.
To us, the sweet spot in 09 Bordeaux can perhaps be found most readily in the second wines from the best chateaux. The quality in these has just skyrocketed as chateaux are pumping more of their effort (and profits) into the vineyards, cutting back yields and producing considerably less of their grands vins, with what would normally go into those now making its way into the second wines. Appropriately, there’s been a fantastic surge in the quality of second wines such as Carruades de Lafite, Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux and, notably, today’s Chapelle de la Mission.
Thankfully, the prices here (though admittedly not remaining stagnant) aren’t on nearly the same exponential growth cycle as their grands vins siblings.
If you have any interest at all in experiencing 09 Bordeaux, this is a bottle we strongly suggest you indulge in. The collectors already know well that today’s pricing makes this a bottle to go long on - though, with only 2,000 cases produced, there's not much to go around; this is quantity more on par with Burgundy than Bordeaux.
If you normally find first growth Bordeaux completely out of reach (the 09s hover around the $1K mark), this is an excellent window into the La Mission Haut Brion house. The 09 Chapelle de la Mission's pedigree promises a long, sophisticated and beautiful life ahead of it, and as the conversation on the 09s continues, this offer represents an ideal opportunity to be a part of it.
To place your order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Robert Schagrin
Managing Partner
Crush Wine & Spirits
Wine is pre-arrival (Spring 2012)
NET | No further discount