Vinous - Score: 93 (2020 October)

The 2009 Alpilles Rouge is a powerful, brooding wine. It is also the most reticent of the five wines in this report. I don’t see the aromatic nuance, textural richness or finesse of the best years. Instead, the 2009 comes across as brooding and a bit monolithic. Of course, it is possible the 2009 is in that transition from a young to an older wine. We shall see. Today, it is pretty bombastic, with plenty of dark fruit, leather, smoke, game and scorched earth notes that add to its virile character. This bottle was released from the domaine in 2020.