The 2010 Brane-Cantenac marked the first year that optical sorting was used and the replanting of a parcel of Petit Verdot. This has long been a favourite vintage, the nose in a class of its own with mineral-driven black...

Wonderful nose with loads of dark chocolate, plums and some coffee. Opens up with orange peel, leather and vanilla. Full and round on palate with beautiful fruit and sweet polished tannins. Long and gorgeous with a really...

The 2010 Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a pale straw-gold color. It needs some patient swirling to coax out youthful notes of orange blossoms, lemon curd, and grapefruit oil, giving way to more fragrant floral scents of jasmine...

An opaque purple core extends bright fuchsia rim. The bouquet is complex layered with notes of licorice incense fruit cake and blackberry liquor. Gobs of creamy dark fruit explode on entry supported by an undercurrent of...

High floral and gunsmoke aromatics, this is intense and concentrated. Where the 2009 has more immediately appeal, this 2010 is clearly going to deliver over the decades. Coiled and reserved tannins, a ton of texture and...

From a château just across the street from Beychevelle, in the southern part of Saint-Julien, the 2010 Château Branaire-Ducru is largely Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot...

Golden straw color. Green apple and bosc pear aromas on the nose supported by subtle salty air and limestone notes along with a touch of tropical fruit. Rounded but with vibrant acidity the tangy fruit lingers on the...

Exhibiting beautifully ripe currants, truffle, leather, and some floral notes, the 2010 Château D'Issan is medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and has a juicy, elegant, classy style with so much to love. Still...

The 2010 Château Lascombes is based on 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. It's a beautiful wine that has some maturity as well as plenty of life ahead of it. Darker currants, truffly earth...

Toasted notes on the nose, remnants of oak and blackcurrant. Full and round. Plush, gently chewy fruit and powdery tannins give this a wider mouthfeel than some. Plenty of flavour and classic claret character, freshness...

92+ Tasted at a vertical tasting at the château. The 2010 Haut Batailley is beginning to reach the potential I enthused about when I first tasted this from barrel. Much like the 2009 Haut-Batailley, it has a very...

Incense, cedar, blackcurrants, vanilla, rose and exotic sweet spices. Focused and forward, but compact and tight. Crushed-silk tannins give good support but do cover the lighter-fruit aspects and the acidity, making this...