Château Bolaire 2009 is a Bordeaux Supérieur red from the commune of Macau, just outside Margaux on Bordeaux’s Left Bank. The estate was established in the early 2000s by Vincent Mulliez (also known for Château Belle-Vue and Château de Gironville). After his death in 2010, management passed to his wife, Isabelle Mulliez, and the property has remained family-run.

Bolaire is small by Bordeaux standards—about 5.3 hectares—and unusually defined by its high proportion of Petit Verdot, a variety more often used sparingly in the Médoc. In 2009, the blend is reported as 39% Petit Verdot, 34% Merlot, and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard sits on fine-grained sandy red clay soils on what was historically an island in the Gironde estuary, a well-drained setting considered particularly suitable for Petit Verdot. Viticulture is described as *lutte raisonnée* (sustainable, reasoned farming). The wine is raised about 12 months in French oak, with roughly 30% new barrels.

The 2009 Bordeaux vintage broadly delivered ripe, generous wines, and Bolaire’s profile fits that frame while keeping a Left Bank structure. James Suckling awarded an excellent 92 points, calling it “wonderful quality for this appellation.” He highlights a “fascinating nose of peaches, berries and spices,” followed by a full-bodied palate of “dark chocolate, nutmeg, blueberries, and raspberries,” finishing “long and flavorful” (James Suckling). He also notes it is “better after 2017,” pointing to the wine’s ability to develop with bottle age.

Overall, Château Bolaire 2009 stands out less for pedigree than for its atypical Petit Verdot emphasis and its strong critical showing for Bordeaux Supérieur, offering a richer, spicier take on Left Bank Bordeaux than most wines in its category.