Rich and opulent, but the Barsac terroir keeps it reined in. Exotic fruit notes, baked apple and confit fruit. Pure, velvety and unctuous but with a bite of citrus zest freshness coming in behind. Biodynamic estate.

Pale gold, the 2009 Climens offers up a fabulously fragrant nose of green tea, chamomile, powdered ginger, lemon marmalade and fallen leaves with suggestions of spice cake and preserved mandarin peel. The palate is super intense with vibrant, energetic fruit and layer upon layer of perfume and spice nuances, finishing very long and incredibly youthful.

The 2009 Climens is much more vibrant on the nose than the 2010 with lovely dried honey, quince, saffron and light chamomile aromas. It blossoms in the glass and gains intensity with each swirl. The palate is very well balanced with a touch of marmalade on the entry, quite tensile from start to finish with a rather long, viscous finish. This is just beginning to motor. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022.

Various lots ranging from the moderately sweet, delicate and fine; to the intensely sweet, very rich and very complex. Berenice Lurton’s view is: “2009 Climens is definitely in the ranks of the greatest Climens in history.” It will doubtless be excellent, though in quite what way we shall have to wait and see.

Tasted blind. Deep orangey gold. Creamy interesting nose. Racy and lively and lots of fun with masses of freshness and attack. (JR)