The 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion, a Bordeaux blend from France's Pessac Leognan region, has garnered exceptional acclaim from wine experts, making it a standout vintage. This red wine, composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, showcases a remarkable blend of power and elegance.
James Suckling awarded this wine a perfect score of 100, describing it as "crazy" with its unique nose featuring aromas of iodine, stones, currants, wet earth, and mushroom. He notes that such complexity typically emerges after a decade in the bottle, yet this wine displays it already. Suckling highlights its "amazing palate" and "dense and gorgeous" character, suggesting it to be stunning.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also praised the wine with a near-perfect score of 99, noting its "layered and concentrated" nature, evoking aromas of prune, blackberries, flowers, and licorice. The review emphasizes its "deep, elegant mid-palate" and "powdery tannins," with a long, penetrating finish that ensures its aging potential for 15-30 years.
Jeb Dunnuck and Jane Anson, both scoring the wine at 98, commend its "muscular, powerful style" and "vibrant freshness," with Dunnuck asserting that it "makes a mockery of all the anti-alcohol crowd" at 15.1% alcohol content, while Anson describes it as "vibrating with life" and "architectural."
Additional reviews echo these sentiments, like that from Neal Martin’s Wine Journal, which highlights its "wonderful nose" and "linear, strict, brilliant focus," and Wine Spectator's 97-point review, celebrating its "intense and engaging" character with a "muscular and vivacious" finish.
Overall, the 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion is a masterclass in balance, showcasing intense flavors, a robust structure, and promising longevity, making it a highly sought-after wine for collectors and connoisseurs alike.