Beschrijving
“The 2009 CV is the latest offering of this small volume bottling. In 2008, this wine, normally Van Zeller’s biggest and richest, showed a slightly different type of balance. A creature of its vintage, it had some restraint, a crisp austerity and steely component. The restrained vintage conditions seemed to meld well with its normally rich style, producing something special, well delineated, and focused, yet not at all thin or wimpy. In 2009, a vintage that one would think plays more to its normal type, the question was going to be whether it became a ponderous monster. A vintage that adds oomph to Casal de Loivos might put CV over the top. At the least, it was a vintage where I certainly thought CV would, at a minimum, be a sexy beast. In most respects, it is far more controlled than that. I gave it 4 hours of air on first tasting and played with it on Day 2 for an hour as well, just to give it a thorough workout. A monster? Yes…and no. In mid-palate depth, it is startlingly elegant, not a whole lot different than the 2008, as if the winemaker fought back against the vintage. There is some evidence of restraint. One place where the vintage may be noticeable, however, is the alcohol level. The question for this wine as it ages is whether it will keep its alcohol bursts (15.5%) in check. It is predictably intense and tight on the finish early on; I’d expect nothing less. There is a lot of power and it has its fair share of tannins lurking underneath. Yet, it did come around fairly nicely in that regard and should continue to do so. It actually has some finesse, too. The alcohol, though, was noticeable at times and accordingly I was a little concerned at times. It certainly didn’t destroy an otherwise fine presentation, but it may well have marred it. Let’s say that I was not completely convinced. So, let’s be conservative at the moment. It certainly has loads of upside potential, but it needs to demonstrate the ability to acquire more harmony and balance in the cellar. It has something to prove. Drink 2013-2023.”
–90+ points erobertparker.com, Dec 2011
