Voluptuous and silky, this is deceptively soft and open yet with singing acidity flowing through it, giving it grip. It's extremely ripe and generous in fruit, with notes of ground coffee and cappuccino and great persistency. It manages to combine hedonistic appeal with thought-provoking moments, demanding that you slow down rather than gulping the whole glass. It manages to seduce without overpowering, but is certainly signature Le Pin. Drinking Window 2019 - 2046
Tasted by Jane Anson (at BI Wine's 10 Years On Tasting, London, 07 Feb 2019)
Part of Anson: How Bordeaux 2009 wines taste now

The 2009 Le Pin has an attractive bouquet with scents of black cherries, truffle, orange rind and hints of pain d’épices developing. I appreciate the definition here, the sense of control, the terroir coming through as much as the growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannin, a fine bead of acidity, spicier than the last time I encountered this vintage. Gentle grip and fine tension towards the bay leaf and white peppery finish. This finishes in some style and it should age with grace. Excellent. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Years On tasting. - vinous.com, March 2019

Tasted blind. Looks quite evolved. Meaty nose. Some freshness and real concentration. Tastes more like a left- than a right-bank wine though it’s amazingly long and confident. Only just ready to drink. Very rich and velvet-textured.
JR - March 2019

Spicily ripe black fruit nose; richly packed, beautifully balanced, medium to full bodied wine, fresh in acidity, finely tannic; deep, freshly ripe black cherry fruit, long, penetrating, intense, spicy; a close grained, quietly showy, understated juiciness, and a splendid length of ripe fruit and gentle mineral aromas; plush yet firm, long and beautifully defined by its vital acidity, and with great length. Elegance, freshness, poise, persistence. Natural and with nothing overdone. 2020-40

Medium garnet colored, the 2009 Le Pin comes charging out of the glass with exuberant notions of baked red and black cherries, mulberries and warm plums with touches of star anise, cigar box and lavender plus wafts of menthol and fragrant soil. Full-bodied and boldly fruited, it has tons of vibrant red and black fruit layers with wonderful mineral and floral sparks throughout the long, plushly textured finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, March 2019

100pts - Exceptional purity and a blockbuster nose of mocha, black cherry liqueur, mulberries and plums are followed by an extravagantly rich wine that seems to have a nearly endless finish. Truly haute couture of Merlot, so to speak, this wine has a finish that goes well past a minute, with wonderfully sweet tannins and a provocative, concentrated, broad mouthfeel that is remarkably luxurious. This is amazing stuff! It should drink well for 20-25 years.

This is undeniably the greatest Le Pin I have tasted at such an infantile age. There are about 500 cases of this wine, which is made by the Thienpont family, the owners of Vieux Chateau Certan. One hundred percent Merlot, it continues to possess the exoticism of previous vintages, but the oak at present is far better crafted and integrated than in the debut vintage of 1979. Drink: 2012 - 2037
-Wine Advocate #199 Feb 2012

(95-98 pts)
A great classic, the 2009 Le Pin (100% Merlot) displays unreal density and a profound flavor profile, but also reveals good structure and elegance. Even though it is aged in 100% new oak, no wood is detectable, which is a tip off to what we are dealing with in the most extraordinary 2009s. The oak and tannins are often totally unnoticeable because of the sheer magnitude and mass of fruit and glycerin. This 2009, made in the style of the 1982, should drink well for 25 or more years. (Tasted once.) - Roberts M. Parker, December 2011

Very rich and lush, but also extremely refined, this has a lightness of touch that some top Pomerols of the vintage lack. That has a lot to do with the stunningly fine tannins that glide through the long super-fine finish. Better than ever. Drink or hold (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019) - Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com, March 2019