Domaine Jean-Michel Alquier Faugeres "La Maison Jaune" red 2009

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (David Schildknecht, juin 2011): Bottled shortly before I tasted it, Alquier's 2009 Faugeres Maison Jaune did not seem too perturbed, even with the light filtration he routinely administers, although I have allowed for the possibility in my rating. Licorice and cocoa powder accent a ripe repository of juicy black raspberry that feeds a rather low-toned and decidedly tannic though impressively persistent finish. This rather broad bottling retains a welcome modicum of fresh fruit, but the saliva inducing savor and mineral dimension that render the 2010 already so appealing are absent. I would anticipate this being best drunk over the next 3-5 years even though I expect its tannins to remain largely intact over that period.