(81% merlot and 19% cabernet franc; 14.2% alcohol; pH 3.75) Bright, full red-ruby. Pure, penetrating aromas of black cherry, violet, licorice and minerals offer lovely perfumed lift. Then fresh, bright and sweet in the mouth, with a distinctly modern aspect to the pure, intense flavors of black cherry, bitter chocolate and flinty minerality. Very smoothly tannic and fine-grained, this remarkably polished and perfumed Pomerol finishes very long, with an airy lightness of touch and lingering mint and pepper nuances.

Now that La Conseillante is making a second wine with more severe selection, think of the 2009 as a version of the 2000 on steroids. This is never going to be a blockbuster wine, because the terroir just seems to produce silky, elegant wines, but in this case, the 2009 has an extra kick and level of concentration that is unprecedented. Inky bluish purple, with an extraordinary nose of framboise, black raspberries, spring flowers, spice box, and a hint of truffle, the wine has great depth, full-bodied opulence, silky tannins, enormous power and richness, but again, a vibrancy and uplift that are just freakish in this vintage. That's one of the great hallmarks of 2009 and one that will always stand out over the next 30 years. This wine should be drinkable in 5-7 years and last 40 or more. (Tasted three times.)