Almost exactly two years after my first encounter I revisited the 2010 Bordeaux at the Institute of a Masters of Wine in London. The wines are generally much more shut down now and therefore difficult to decipher. These wines aged 4-5 years are in their most shut down phase. Most of the wines on my first encounter were left banks. This time it was a more balanced representation.
The year 2010 is brilliant in St-Estephe, Pauillac and St-Julien, better than any other vintage I have encountered. It is more mixed in Graves, and patchy in St-Emilion, with some awkward wines there. In Margaux in is generally good but not as consistent as the other Medoc communes. in Pomerol very good indeed in contrast to St-Emilion.
The most disturbing aspect I detected is the trend - that some producers can't resist - is toward making more souped up wines...and I don't think that is a problem which is unique to the 2010 vintage, though there are one or two wines which are refreshingly better in 2011 or 2012.
I will give a rundown of wines I tasted with scores, which are hardly objective or consistent, and whether the wine was a hit or a miss relative to my generally very high expectations.
Wines not shown include Pape Clement, Ducru Beaucaillou, Latour, Pavie.
Wines of the vintage (excluding whites)
Pape Clement (based on my last tasting, not tasted here)
Rauzan-Segla
Calon-Segur
Montrose
Leoville-Barton
Leoville-Lascases
Pichon Lalande
La Conseillante
Cheval Blanc
Haut-Brion
Lafite
Mouton
Margaux
Pessac-Leognan/ Graves
Haut-Bailly: Miss, 90. Too easy, obvious and dumbed-down especially in the context of what this estate can achieve. An estate that has wandered off to the dark side in the quest for points.
La Mission Haut Brion: Miss, 95. I know that sounds like a contradiction. A mammoth wine which is alas blighted by its colossal alcohol...through the charcoal and blueberry it always lurks. Maybe that will not turn out to be a problem and this will be a legend for our grandchildren to enjoy if they can afford it.
Smith Haut Lafitte: Miss, 90. What happened to the fabulous wines from 2002-06? Another estate that has gone onto the dark side with dumbed down wines. It's nice, but too oaky, and too low in acidity.
DDC: Miss, 91...nice enough wine but still too loose...too much fatness, alcohol, not enough nervosity, the 11 and 12 are better.
Margaux
Cantermerle: 91. Miss. I was expecting better (my expectations were high)... good wine but a bit over-extracted.
Cantenac Brown and Brane Cantenac, both hits, modern but classy ~92 for both.
La Lagune: Hit, 92 really shut down hard but definitely a wine that has what it takes, which will emerge into a beautiful swan on day.
Duforts-Vivens: Hit 93 lovely, restrained, balanced and classy wine.one to consider buying.
Ferriere: Hit 92, rougher and more rustic, but lovely stuff, grippy
Giscours: Hit 91 cool fruits, good potential
D'Issan, Kirwan, Lascomes both misses...over extracted, vanilla oak, out of kilter... ~ 88
Palmer: Miss 91...too obvious and easy, where is the grip and gravitas? Very different to other young Palmers like the ferociously backward 2000. What is going on here? The cynic in me suspects this has been fashioned to please well heeled and unsophisticated far eastern palates.
Rauzan-Segla: Hit 97...the quality of wine that Palmer should have produced and then some...this Rausan is svelte, beautifully pitched and a peach of a wine. One of the wines of the vintage.
Prieure-Lichine: Hit 93... A revelation, and a beautiful wine showing admiral restraint.
Du Tertre: Hit 93...similarly impressive, retrained and thrilling.
St-Estephe
Calon-Segur: Hit 97...minerals, earth, cool fruit, one of the great successes of the vintage. This is astonishly good.
Cos D'Estournel: Miss 91....Not as spoofulated as the 2009 but the accent is on easy for this estate's well-heeled clientele.
Cos Labory: Hit 90... A creditable effort for this estate
Lafon Rochet: Hit 92... You would expect this to be good and it is
Montrose: Hit 99...fabulous entry, balance and persistence...one of the wines of the vintage.
St-Julien
Beychevelle: Hit 96...shut down but a brilliant Beychevelle with a lot of class...when it emerges from its shell it will be thrilling
Branaire-Ducru: Hit 94...this has shut down hard compared to two years ago. The score will probably go up a couple of points when it emerges from its deep sleep. Very happy to own this.
Lagrange: Hit 92... Better than the last sample I tried a couple of weeks ago.
Langoa: Hit 92... Solid, like Lagrange, but outclassed by its more esteemed sibling.
Leoville-Barton: Hit 96...shut down, but a very complete wine. The best Leoville-Barton, it will probably merit a higher score in a few years.
Leoville-Lascases: Hit 98...it's quite closed but a glorious, elegant wine. I have not tried Ducru Beaucaillou, but this is the best St-J I have tried, which is a bit unfair on Leoville-Barton. LLC is also one of the wines of the vintage.
Leoville-Poyferre: Hit 93.. A little glossier, but a very good wine, with ferocious tannins.
Saint-Pierre: Hit 92...an estate which has been accused of going to the dark side...the oak is a bit more obvious but I did not find it obtrusive. And a very good wine to boot.
Talbot: Hit 92...perhaps the most restrained and shy St-Julien, but it lacks for nothing, which bodes well for the future when it comes out of its shell.
Pauillac
Duhart-Milon: Hit 93...lots of moving parts here, which are not all fully integrated, but lots of potential. Difficult to fathom aged four. If my score is off it is probably too low.
Grand-Puy Lacoste: Hit 95... More classic and restrained than the opulent kinky 2009, and a better wine for it...very GPL and will evolve the same way the 1995, 1996 and 2000 have.
Lynch-Bages: Hit 93...a chunky Lynch, with a lot of density and stuffing, tannic and brooding...maybe lacks elegance...no problem with this evolving into a great Lynch, but I think it may be decades away from its apogee.
Lynch-Moussas: Hit 93... I really loved this...it had a wonderful restraint and minerality, and it contrasted with the power and density of the Bages. This has elegance and finesse.
Pichon-Baron: Hit 96...titanic wine, with power and gravitas, a great wine to rival the 2000 and 2005 but very closed and tannic now.
Pichon-Lalande: Hit 97...this has that extra degree of finesse and class...a really gorgeous Comtessa.
Pontet-Canet: Hit 94...a big wine (in a big bottle) it is expressive and grippy, big and bold. I somehow struggle with the notion that this is a 100 point wine...the Pichons, Montrose and LLC are better wines.
St-Emilion
Beausejour-Becot: Miss 86 ..clumsy and awkward...the 2011 and 2012 are a lot better.
Belair-Monange: Miss 88...Oh the pity! What did they do to my beloved Belair? More extracted, but so wooden.
Berliquet: Hit...90...modern, but well made and pleasing.
Canon: Miss...85?...and 15% ABV. Lionel (that's Cockney rhyming slang)
La Dominique: Hit...91...lush but good wine, no horrors here...under-rated producer.
Figeac: Hit...93...complicated wine. My first impression was that this is unfocused and a miss. My second take is completely different. That this is a very good Figeac, true to the style and that this is a very good effort in a somewhat challenging vintage.
Pavie-Macquin: Miss...87...overcooked, much better in 11and 12.
Troplong-Mondot: Miss...87...sumo wine, lush and seductive but hot on the back with its 16% alcohol.
Clos Fourtet: Hit...92...proper St-Emilion but modern at the same time, very competent effort.
Pomerol
Bon Pasteur: Miss...87...contrived, easy, not at all interesting.
Clinet: Hit...92...minerally, grippy, (refreshingly) a bit old school
La Conseillante: Hit...97...a structured as well fleshy and complex wine with mineral overtones, and a stern tannic backbone, this is top drawers Pomerol, will challenge the 1989 and 1990 (neither of which ever closed down like this has).
La Fleur Petrus: Hit...95...a really complete and luscious Pomerol...I reckon the 2012 is as good perhaps even better, but this is lovely.
Gazin: Hit...94....a fabulous Gazin.
Petit-Village: Hot...93...another delicious wine
Trotanoy: Hit...93...structured and grippy, very good.
First growths:
Angelus: Miss...93...an interloper and a porn star among the first growth aristocracy. Smooth and silky like melted milk chocolate, you can see how some people could love this, and even buy it. Even I enjoyed the experience but I doubt I could drink more than a glass with its 15.5% alcohol. Not bad for what is really a cru bourgeois.
Cheval Blanc: hit...98...If the vintage was problematic in St-Emilion, there is no sign here because this is a near-perfect Cheval Blanc, which is beautifully balanced and precise, lush and silky as it fans out across the palate.
Haut-Brion: hit....99...a near perfect extraordinary and compelling wine. The most riveting attack of any of the first growths.
Lafite: hit...98...it is rich and powerful, but fresh, racy and superbly balanced, cool and aristocratic.
Mouton: hit...97...the most closed of all the firsts. Powerful, brooding, intense, rich and opulent.
Margaux: hit...99...a bit less accessible that a year and a half ago when it rose head and shoulders above the 2009. It is a brilliant wine and would be my pick of the firsts. Of course we did not try Latour. This has superb mouthfeel, perfect balance, elegance and presence.
D'Yquem: hit...98...rich layered and exotic with a very long luxurious finish. I tasted Climens straight after, and while the Climens was pleasant it was uninspiring and a bit flaccid in comparison.
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