In 2010, for the second vintage in a row, the region of

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1 September 28, 2013

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4 THE 2010 BORDEAUX RELEASE In 2010, for the second vintage in a row, the region of Bordeaux produced spectacular wines. Since being selected for BC Liquor Stores more than 2 years ago, wines for the 2010 release have been maturing in Châteaux cellars. Here, the tannins have softened, flavours have become more complex and the wines, overall, have become more approachable. On September 28 th, 2013, the 2010 Bordeaux will be released in Signature Stores throughout British Columbia. Like the excellent 2009s that preceded them, the 2010 Bordeaux have concentrated flavours and tannins that are both bold and ripe. Generally, the international wine trade and journalists describe the 2010 as more classic, restrained and long-lived. In the end, however, the wines show more similarities than differences and whether you prefer one vintage over the other comes down to personal choice. This is a very happy situation for wine lovers! One of the most marvellous things about a vintage like 2010, is that one can find delicious and ageworthy wines at all prices. Signature Stores will have selections from a range of different subregions and Châteaux. If you are seeking some great values for the cellar, look for wines from lesser-known appellations like Château Marsau (Côtes de Bordeaux Francs AOC), Château Haut-Carles (Fronsac AOC) or Château Rahoul from Graves AOC. BC Liquor Stores has also secured the very top rated wines of the vintage. Châteaux Haut-Brion, Le Dome, Pétrus, Pape Clément, Latour, Cheval Blanc, Pontet-Canet and Beauséjour-Duffau all scored 100 points from respected journalist Robert Parker and will be available in very limited quantities. Bordeaux

5 The dry white Bordeaux are the happy result of a season that experienced both drought conditions and cool temperatures later in the year. As a consequence, flavours are ripe, with tropical notes, and there is good freshness on the palate. Sauternes guru Mr. Bill Blatch calls 2010, the prettiest vintage of all time, for the sweet wines, remarking that they are beautifully lush and sweet. Starting on September 28th, 2013, a wide selection of Bordeaux 2010 will be available across the province. Participating stores include our 22 Signature Stores, as well as Dunbar, Caulfeild and Peninsula Village (Surrey). Our flagship location at 39 th & Cambie will carry the complete collection of 2010 Bordeaux, with Brighouse, Park Royal and Alberni & Bute also displaying enhanced selections. Product Consultants are available at all locations and will be pleased to assist you. Barbara Philip MW Portfolio Manager BC Liquor Distribution Branch Drinkability Legend DRINK NOW: can be enjoyed now DRINK OR HOLD: can be enjoyed now but may also be matured further by cellaring HOLD: ideal for further cellaring Numbering All wines have been numbered for ease of reference. Those products whose name is followed by (L) are subject to bottle limits. Bottle Limits are found on page Bordeaux 2010

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8 Vins ROUgES 1. Château d Aiguilhe, Côtes de Castillon Very lush and expressive, with caressing plum sauce, mulled blueberry and blackberry fruit and melted licorice and warm fruitcake flavors, all gliding together through the finish. Offers lovely range and a seductive mouthfeel. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Angélus, St-Émilion (L) An absolutely spectacular wine from this estate, run with meticulous precision by Hubert de Bouard, the opaque bluish/ purple 2010 Angélus offers up a beautifully sweet smorgasbord of aromas ranging from blueberry pie to espresso roast, white chocolate, creme de cassis, licorice, truffle and a touch of lead pencil shavings. There is even a floral underpinning to this extraordinary, highly-scented, full-bodied wine. Rich, layered and built like a skyscraper, this multi-dimensional Angelus has lavish concentration and moderately high tannin, but it is sweet and well-integrated, as is the oak. Just enough acidity provides focus and delineation to this exceptionally well-endowed wine, which should hit its prime in 7-10 years and last pts, Wine Advocate $ Château d Angludet, Margaux This has a pure loganberry and damson plum core, with lilac, warm pebble and lightly singed anise notes flittering through the background. Offers well-integrated structure through the finish, with subtle minerality echoing. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $50.00 Prices shown are for 750 ml bottles unless otherwise specified. Prices are subject to change without notice. In the event of any errors or inaccuracies published in this booklet, the product description and display price in the liquor store will prevail. Some products may not be available on the release date due to late shipping and customs processing. Bordeaux

9 4. Château d Armailhac, Pauillac (L) Another sensational effort from Philippe Dhaluin, the administrator of Mouton Rothschild, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot shows complex floral notes intermixed with forest floor, camphor, black currants and mulberries that all jump from the glass of this aromatic style of d Armailhac. This wine possesses very good acidity, a surprisingly higher percentage of Merlot than usual, but the quality is impressive, and the good news is that there are 20,000 cases of this fullbodied beauty, which should age nicely for years. 93 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château l Arrosée, St-Émilion A supple, lighter style of wine in 2010, the 2010 L Arrosee is stylish and medium to full-bodied, with seductive notes of black cherries, cranberries and mulberries. Some oak is present, but this is a mid-weight, savory, broad and disarming wine to drink over the next years. 91 pts, Wine Advocate $ Les Asteries, St-Émilion (L) This formidable wine has loads of structure, an undeniable chalky minerality, big, rich blackberry and creme de cassis fruit, with hints of spring flowers, tar and licorice. Magnificent and pure, this is a killer example of St-Émilion that is full-bodied and capable of lasting years. 96 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

10 7. Château Batailley, Pauillac Made in a more charming style than the normally backward, rather formidably tannic wines of Batailley, this 2010 is an endearing, elegant wine, but it has no shortage of power, richness and intensity. It displays loads of beautiful cassis, cedar and Christmas fruitcake notes along with impressive purity, texture and a full-bodied mouthfeel. Usually much more austere, this vintage seems to have produced a richer, more layered and opulent style of Batailley that can be approached in 3-5 years and consumed over the following 25 years. 92 pts pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, St-Émilion (L) A blend of 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine from a moderately sized vineyard was cropped at only 27.5 hectoliters per hectare and came in at 14.5% natural alcohol. The wine displays plenty of toasty oak and vanillin as well as some lead pencil shavings intermixed with cedar, black currants, cherry jam, chocolate and espresso. It is a relatively big, dense, full-bodied St-Émilion that needs 5-6 years of cellaring and that should keep well for up to two decades. 93+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse, St-Émilion (L) The 2010 is a more structured, masculine and steely version of the utterly compelling Tasting like black raspberry confiture with subtle notes of graphite and crushed chalk along with enormous floral notes, the wine displays a slightly smoky character but a voluptuous attack, mid-palate and finish. Its is full-bodied and massively endowed, with every component perfectly etched in this extraordinary wine, which should be drinkable after 7-8 years of bottle age and last for a half-century or more. This is brilliant stuff. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

11 10. Château Belair Monange, St-Émilion (L) An absolutely magnificent wine from Christian Moueix and his son Edouard, this wine is right up there with their 2009 and may eclipse it in terms of its potential longevity. Dense purple, with a near-liqueur of crushed rocks and chalk intermixed with blueberry, black raspberry and cassis, this wine is very fullbodied for a Belair, with ethereal complexity and impressive texture and length. Forget this baby for 7-8 years and then look for it to evolve over three decades-plus. 96 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Belgrave, Haut-Médoc Ripe and fleshy, with lots of roasted vanilla bean and fresh espresso, followed by dark, winey cassis and blackberry fruit. An intense licorice edge and a solid, tarry finish imparts drive. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Bellevue, St-Émilion Very alluring, with dense but silky-textured layers of boysenberry, fig and blackberry fruit. As this moves toward the finish, extra briar, toasted wood spice and black licorice notes emerge, lending drive and greater definition, without overshadowing the pure fruit. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Belle-Vue, Haut-Médoc Coated with suave toast and packed with ripe linzer torte, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, this displays great drive and energy, with mouthwatering anise and graphite driving the long finish. A lovely expression of the modern style. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectotor $ Bordeaux 2010

12 14. Château Bellevue Mondotte, St-Émilion (L) The wine is not as powerful as one might expect, given the owners and winemaking team, coming in at 14.3%. A sensational, rather massive example for a 2010, this opaque purple wine offers up notes of subtle barbecue smoke, blackberry and cassis as well as a hints of lead pencil shavings and a confiture of red and black fruits in the mouth. Full-bodied, unctuously textured and excruciatingly tannic, this is a big, blockbuster style of wine meant for years of cellaring pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Beychevelle, St-Julien (L) Showing better from bottle than it did from barrel, where it was also impressive, but not quite at this level, the 2010 Beychevelle displays sweet black currant, black cherry, foresty notes, medium to full-bodied texture with impressive purity and moderately high tannins (although they ve softened considerably during the wine s upbringing in barrel). Layered and rich for a Beychevelle, this wine should easily withstand three decades of cellaring. I would give it another 3-4 years of bottle age, but this is a fabulous effort from the first Château one sees upon entering the appellation of St-Julien. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol A fleshy, full-throttle wine with lots of mocha, kirsch, mulberry, and plum, their 2010 displays a smorgasbord of aromas, a full-bodied mouthfeel, terrific purity, density and even a hint of lead pencil shavings and subtle toasty oak. If you want to understand the genius of the Rollands, there is no better example than looking at their own wine from this property in Pomerol. The tannins are present, but not that significant, thus I tend to think the wine will come into its own in 4-5 years and last for 20 or more. 95 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

13 17. Château Bourgneuf, Pomerol This has a dark, slightly chewy edge for now, but the core of crushed plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit should absorb that with cellaring. Dark ganache and graphite frame the finish, which features a racy, acidic spine. Should unfurl nicely with age. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Branaire Ducru, St-Julien This wine is more backward than I would have normally expected, but nevertheless, it is very impressive. The 2010 Branaire-Ducru displays an inky bluish purple color and loads of mulberry, raspberry, black currant, graphite and floral notes in its intense aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, with sensational ripeness, purity, texture and length, the tannins are slightly more prominent than I remember from barrel, but they are sweet and ripe (as opposed to astringent and bitter). This beautiful wine needs 4-6 years of cellaring and should keep years. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Brane Cantenac, Margaux With a gorgeously evolved, extremely complex bouquet of forest floor, spring flowers, lead pencil shavings and red and black currants, this full-bodied, dense, ruby/plum/purplecolored wine hits the palate with an opulent, fleshy, fullbodied richness, silky tannins, and a very layered, profoundly concentrated style that is, at the same time, both powerful and sublime. This gorgeous wine from proprietor Henri Lurton will benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring and evolve for years 95+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

14 20. Château Branon, Pessac-Léognan (L) Once again in 2010, notes of mocha, espresso roast, chocolate, creme de cassis and scorched earth soar from this opaque purplecolored wine. It is aged in 100% new oak, but that is hardly noticeable given the wine s sensational richness and extravagant fruit. This wine is classic, full-bodied and intense. It s just a shame that less than 8,000 bottles are usually made. This wine is still backward, but very full, rich, and impressively pure in texture. Give it another 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20+ years. 97 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Brown, Pessac-Léognan Shows good range, with red and black currant fruit playing off each other, while tangy iron and sanguine notes flitter throughout. Turns plush and inviting, with a tarry note inlaid on the finish. Displays density, but stays pure and well-balanced overall. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Calon Ségur, St-Estèphe (L) The 2010 is performing well. With Cabernet Sauvignon dominating the blend, the wine has a dense plum/purple color along with notes of underbrush, black currants, plum, licorice, smoky charcuterie and some roasted herbs in the background. Full-bodied, moderately tannic and set for an extremely long life, this will not be a wine to please those looking for immediate gratification. Rather, I would suspect this wine will close down even further in bottle and, despite its full-bodied, powerful, massive size, it will need at least a decade of cellaring before it is accessible. This is another 2010 capable of lasting years. 94+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

15 23. Château Cambon la Pelouse, Haut-Médoc Dense but fresh, with a saturated core of blackberry pâte de fruit, anise and plum sauce that races along with vibrant spice and graphite notes. The long finish shows cut and drive, with enough grip to cellar short term. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Canon, St-Émilion (L) Ripe and silky, with a flamboyant edge to the plum sauce, anise-soaked currant fruit and dark blackberry paste flavors. The tannins are dense but velvety, and the finish cascades nicely. A bit of panache here, but this pulls it off. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Canon la Gaffelière, St-Émilion (L) This wine shows wonderfully exotic tapenade, licorice, Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, blackberry and sweet cherry notes in its strikingly provocative aromatics. On the palate, the wine is dense and full-bodied, with stunning concentration, purity, texture and length. It is full-bodied, silky smooth and seems to have more in common with the 2009 than one might expect, although the freshness and tannin levels are slightly more elevated. Drink it over the next 20+ years. 95 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

16 26. Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc The wine needs a good 7-10 years of cellaring and should keep for 30 more years, but this is the finest Cantemerle I have encountered in my professional career of tasting young vintages (dating back 34 years now). Stunningly deep ruby/purple, with a beautiful nose of spring flowers intermixed with perfumed raspberry and blueberry notes, it exhibits a sort of cool-climate character. Broad, rich and intense on the palate, the wine has plenty of tannins, but they are sweet and well-integrated. Everything is delicately entwined into this beautiful, medium to full-bodied, dense purple wine, which shows stunning character and a prodigious potential for development. This is definitely a major sleeper of the vintage and even better than I thought from barrel. 94+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Cantenac Brown, Margaux The greatest Cantenac Brown I have ever tasted, the 2010 is one for the ages. Dense purple, with an extraordinary nose of sweet forest floor, blackberry jam, pen ink and graphite, this wine soars from the glass, giving it an aromatic dimension and intensity I have never seen from this estate. The tannins are present, as they are in most Cantenac Browns, but the wine s sweetness, broad, skyscraper-like mouthfeel, dense, purple color and spectacular length (close to a minute) make this a giant classic and a fabulous sleeper of the vintage that still remains under-priced, considering how great its potential may be. This is a wine for those with cold cellars and youthful DNA. It is going to need at least a decade of cellaring and should last for years. A classic! 94+ pts, Wine Advocate $98.00 Bordeaux

17 28. Château Carbonnieux, Pessac-Léognan Intense, with dark, smoldering tobacco and charcoal leading the way, along with densely layered currant preserves, fig paste and blackberry coulis flavors. The finish lets the pure fruit sing, while a violet note waits in reserve. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Carignan, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux Sleek and ripe, with a toasty apple wood frame guiding the dark plum, cassis and raspberry fruit along, while singed wood spice and anise fill in on the finish. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Carignan Prima, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux The 2012 Prima has backed off the new oak in an intelligent manner and now seems like a denser, slightly fuller, mediumbodied wine with more impact and textural pleasure on the palate. The Prima should drink well for 3-4 years. 88 pts, Wine Advocate $ Carruades de Lafite, Pauillac (L) Another brilliant second wine, the 2010 Carruades de Lafite (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42.5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot) is elegant and amazing for a second wine from Lafite. Carruades de Lafite is now engraved in the bottle to prevent unscrupulous sommeliers and merchants from trying to pass it off as Lafite Rothschild. The wine displays much of the same lead pencil, charcoal and black currant notes of its bigger sister, although it is forward, precocious and far less structured than the grand vin. Nevertheless, this wine, which can be drunk now, will cellar beautifully for at least more years. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

18 32. Château Certan de May, Pomerol (L) Chocolaty, cedary and Christmas fruitcake notes along with some oak, damp earth and forest floor are present in this fullbodied, masculine style of Pomerol, which has a dense ruby/ purple color and is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The wine has a nice chewiness to it and is powerful and muscular, but not quite as silky or complex as some of the other top wines of this appellation. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the following pts, Wine Advocate $ La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan The 2010 La Chapelle de la Mission, which includes the production from the now-extinct La Tour Haut-Brion vineyard, is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, which is a high percentage for the latter grape. Fleshy, succulent and opulent along the lines of the 2009 (which did surprise me ), it is a big wine, with boatloads of glycerin and a classic Graves character of scorched earth, burning embers, charcoal, and plenty of black cherry and black currant fruit. The glycerin level is high, the fruit level impressive, and the purity and texture endearing. Drink it over the next 15 or so years. 93 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Chasse Spleen, Moulis Very supple and refined, with a crumpled velvet feel to the smoldering bay, tobacco and mulled spice hints surrounding the core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit. Flashes of cedar and sandalwood hang through the fine-grained finish. Rustic and lovely. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $50.00 Bordeaux

19 35. Château Chauvin, St-Émilion Chauvin produces a stylish wine, always exhibiting plenty of black cherry fruit intermixed with garrigue notes as well as hints of spice box and Christmas fruitcake in a medium to fullbodied, elegant yet savory and expansively textured style. The 2010 has a precociousness that gives it an up-front, sexy appeal, but then clamps down on the palate as the tannins begin to accumulate in the wine s finish. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Cheval Blanc, St-Émilion (L) The 2010 is one of the most impressive two-year-old Cheval Blancs I have tasted in 34 years in this profession. The final blend of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot has the telltale berry/floral nose with subtle hints of menthol, blueberry, raspberry and flowers in addition to some forest floor and a delicate touch of lead pencil shavings. The wine exhibits more structure and density than it did from barrel, and it was already remarkable then. The foresty/floral notes seem to linger and linger in this surprisingly full-bodied, powerful Cheval Blanc, yet it possesses a very healthy ph that should ensure enormous longevity. 100 pts, Wine Advocate $2, Bordeaux 2010

20 37. Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan (L) The second wine of Haut-Brion is now called Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, and the 2010 is among the finest I have tasted there. It is a broad, powerful and more muscular wine than its cross-street rival, La Chapelle de la Mission, but all the same, it is wonderfully fresh and precise, with notes of blueberry and boysenberry as well as hints of smoke and wet stones. Endowed with gorgeous fruit, texture, purity and elegance, this relatively dense second wine demonstrates how draconian the selection process has become for the top estates in Bordeaux in recent years. The blend of this wine is 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Cabernet Franc with just a touch of Petit Verdot. I would expect it to last at least 20 years, which is remarkable. 93 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac (L) One the finest Clerc Milons I have ever tasted, and showing better from bottle than from barrel, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and the rest a tiny bit of Carmenere and Petit Verdot has a complex nose of cedar wood, red and black fruits, white chocolate and creme de cassis. A very powerful wine at 14.5% natural alcohol (quite high for a Medoc), this wine has impressive purity and texture, a full-bodied mouthfeel, relatively sweet tannin, but an already endearing complexity, length and richness that are hard to ignore. This is a superb effort and one of the wines that is usually reasonably priced among the classified growths. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

21 39. Château Clinet, Pomerol (L) The blend is largely dominated by 85% Merlot, with some Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Cabernet Franc also included. Inky/purple-colored, the wine has an exceptionally full-bodied, layered, moderately tannic mouthfeel and impressive power. Loads of melted chocolate/fudge and black fruits galore along with some coffee bean, mocha, as well as some background oak are all present in this big, formidably endowed, masculine style of Pomerol that will take longer to shed its tannin than the I would give this wine 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years. 96+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Clos Floridene, Graves This is very pure, with a mix of damson plum, black cherry and red currant fruit all steeped together and backed by juicy bergamot, toasted spice and licorice notes. There s nice freshness through the finish, with a tarry edge hanging just in the background. Should age gracefully. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Clos Fourtet, St-Émilion (L) The wine has an opaque blue/black color and abundant notes of forest floor, spring flowers, black raspberry and blueberry liqueur in the aromatics along with hints of espresso and white chocolate. The wine is dense, full, rich, unctuously textured and very full-bodied, with its extravagant glycerin, fruit and extract covering the wine s somewhat tannic structure. This is a bigger, more restrained and structured wine than the outrageously flamboyant and prodigious Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following years. 98 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

22 42. Clos des Jacobins, St-Émilion Fleshy, with lots of intense blackberry, plum and boysenberry notes blended together and wound with licorice strips and singed alder wood. Solid grip through the finish has a slightly chewy feel now, but should soften soon enough. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Clos du Marquis, St-Julien With the alcohol hitting 13.6% in a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, this wine displays plenty of sweet kirsch, licorice and black currant fruit in a classy, seductive style, with medium to full body, soft but abundant tannins and a long finish. It does indeed possess the elegance and finesse of its bigger sibling, Léoville Las Cases. Drink it over the next years. 90 pts, Wine Advocate $ Clos de l Oratoire, St-Émilion It displays loads of Christmas fruitcake, licorice, incense, black cherry and black currant liqueur with some smoky barbecue notes as well as hints of coffee bean and chocolate. Sexy, fullthrottle and impossible to resist already, it should continue to drink well for 15 or more years, and I don t anticipate this particular wine closing down. The 2010 blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc was produced under the consultancy of Stephane Derenoncourt. The wine was picked very late, in mid- October, resulting in beautiful ripeness as well as the precision that is part of 2010 s trademark style. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $88.00 Bordeaux

23 45. Clos de Sarpe, St-Émilion (L) This is a quintessential blockbuster, no-compromise, massive, pedal-to-the-metal, balls-to-the-walls sort of wine with incredibly dense creme de cassis, kirsch, licorice, truffle and some background oak. Always one of the most concentrated and backward wines of the vintage, the 2010 is a prime example. I was interested to learn that the final blend and selection only produced about 625 cases of grand vin. Forget it for years and drink it over the following century. (Oh, that s right - most of us won t be alive to challenge that estimate!) 96+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Cos d Estournel, St-Estèphe (L) The 2010 is a more structured, restrained, less flamboyant version of the A final blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that hit 14.5% natural alcohol, this wine (which represents only 55% of the estate s production) is full-bodied, classic and built along the lines of the 2000 This wine exhibits beautifully pure notes of creme de cassis, blueberry liqueur, pen ink, graphite and hints of toast and vanillin. The wine is full and rich, and although aged in 80% new oak, the wood is a subtle background component. This beauty will take longer to round into shape than the dramatic and compelling Forget it for 5-8 years, and drink it over the following three-plus decades. 97+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

24 47. Château la Conseillante, Pomerol (L) A brilliant effort from this property, known for the sheer elegance and finesse of its wines, the 2010 La Conseillante offers back-to-back monumental efforts, particularly given the remarkable This estate has been on a hot streak of late. The 2010 is a slightly bigger, richer wine, but without losing its floral, elegant mulberry, black raspberry and sweet kirsch notes. Combine those with some licorice, subtle new oak and a hint of forest floor, and the result is a medium to full-bodied, rich, complex wine that has striking aromatics and perfect balance in the mouth. Forget it for 3-5 years and drink it over the following pts, Wine Advocate $ Cos Labory, St-Estèphe A very grippy style, with a prominent charcoal spine gripping the plum, currant and blackberry fruit notes before slowly yielding on the finish, where a singed iron accent waits. Displays depth, but the structure remains astringent overall. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château le Crock, St-Estèphe Offers a good beam of cassis and briar, with singed anise, lilac and black tea notes. Displays a juicy edge on the finish, and should unwind nicely in the short term. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $50.00 Bordeaux

25 50. La Croix de Beaucaillou, St-Julien Ripe and enticing, with mesquite, steeped plum, lightly mulled blackberry and bittersweet ganache notes all seamlessly layered and carrying through the charcoal-tinged finish. Shows good grip, but on track to be approachable soon. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Croix Mouton, Bordeaux Supérieur Another of the notable estates and wines benefitting from the talents of Jean-Philippe Janoueix, this outstanding wine from a humble appellation displays sweet, smoky barbecue notes along with blackberry and blueberry fruit and hints of licorice, incense and graphite. It achieves a level of quality and satisfaction well above its humble origin. Drink it over the next 5-7 years. 90 pts, Wine Advocate $ La Dame de Montrose, St-Estèphe (L) One of the best second wines, and possibly the best since the 1990 is the 2010 La Dame de Montrose. This represents 36% of the production and is a blend of two grapes 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot. A superb second wine, opulent and substantively textured, it shares more in common with a flamboyant, exuberant year such as 2009 than most 2010s. Dense purple, its oodles of fruit, luxurious mouthfeel and terrific finish make it a sleeper of the vintage. It s a wine to buy in abundant quantities and drink over the next years. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

26 53. Château de la Dauphine, Fronsac Features a toasty frame, lead by notes of mocha and ganache. Sleek steeped currant and blackberry fruit sit at the core, with a vibrant graphite edge driving the finish. Solid. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château le Defi de Fontenil, Fronsac Dany and Michel Rolland s top cuvée from their home estate of Fontenil is dense and powerful. Black fruit and brambles give way to sweet, chocolately tannins and a ripe finish. This wine still bears a Vin de Table designation as a reminder that the first vintage was produced using innovative vineyard techniques to keep heavy rains from diluting the wine. In that year, the wine was not allowed to use the appellation Fronsac AOC. BP $ Château Deyrem Valentin, Margaux A delicious, elegant, complex sleeper of the vintage, this dense plum, ruby/purple-colored wine offers up floral notes mixed with incense, camphor, blueberries and black currants. It is medium to full-bodied and surprisingly deep for a cru bourgeois. Impressively textured, long and supple in the finish, it is meant to be drunk over the next decade. 89 pts, Wine Advocate $35.00 Bordeaux

27 56. Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan (L) This is one of my all-time favorite wines from Domaine de Chevalier, a silky, rather classic Pessac-Léognan with notes of scorched earth, tobacco leaf and black and red currants, but no hard edges. Fragrant, complex aromatics are followed by a savory, expansively flavored wine made from a final blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine hit 13.5% natural alcohol, which must certainly be among the highest they have ever achieved, even eclipsing the An opulent, precocious style of wine that seems much more developed, complex and delicious than I thought from barrel, this beauty can be drunk in 5-6 years or cellared for 20 or more. 95 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château le Dome, St-Émilion (L) A full-bodied wine, but ethereal in its elegance and finesse, the wine has a strikingly provocative bouquet of camphor, blueberry jam, violets, new saddle leather, white chocolate and spice. Extremely full-bodied, but again, not showing any weighty fatigue or any type of aggressiveness, this wine has extraordinary purity and richness as well as a blockbuster finish of close to a minute, yet is so flawless, seamless and compelling, it s hard to believe the wine is this concentrated and rich. It will be interesting to see how it evolves, but it certainly can be drunk in 3-4 years and, I m sure, cellared for as long as years from now. The 2009 from Le Dome flirted with perfection, but this wine swallows the entire scoring system, and rightfully so. 100 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

28 58. Château la Dominique, St-Émilion The wine displays plenty of licorice, Christmas fruitcake, black currants, licorice, truffles and some espresso notes. Full-bodied, viscous and somewhat reminiscent of many 2009s, given its blast of fruit, glycerin and heady alcohol, this is a beautifully rich St-Émilion for pleasure seekers. Don t discount its ageability, as I am sure it has two decades ahead of it. 93 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien (L) With loads of minerality, a terrific opaque purple color, and slightly more structure and tannin than either Poyferre or St.-Pierre (and that s saying something), this is a blockbuster, fabulous Ducru Beaucaillou that should be at its best a good decade from now and last years. The classic wet rock, creme de cassis, subtle oak and gravelly stoniness of the vineyard come through in this spectacular, full-bodied, gorgeously pure and intense effort. This is wine for the ages that should be forgotten for at least a decade. 98+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Duhart Milon, Pauillac (L) Dense purple, with classic notes of cedar and lead pencil shavings as well as gobs of back currants and licorice, the wine has a full-bodied mouthfeel with fabulous precision and density. It also possesses a long, silky finish with moderately high tannins, but they are ripe and well-integrated. The wood is clearly pushed to the background in this dense, full-bodied Pauillac, which should drink beautifully for 30+ years. 96 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

29 61. Château l Eglise Clinet, Pomerol (L) This wine will likely be a major superstar with about years of cellaring. This opaque purple wine offers up notes of caramelized black currant and black cherry candies intermixed with some very high class, subtle vanillin and toast. Hints of licorice, mocha and perhaps even a touch of chocolate are also present in this full-bodied, super-duper, concentrated, classic wine, which has everything in perfect proportions. But in the finish, its whoppingly big tannins kick in and basically announce that drinking this wine now would be infanticide. Look for this wine to last for at least 50+ years. 96 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château l Evangile, Pomerol (L) Another spectacular effort from l Evangile, the 2010 is a close rival to the 2009 and should be fascinating to compare with that vintage over the next 30 or so years. Stunningly rich and black/purple in color, the 2010 l Evangile offers up the telltale floral note as well as black raspberry jam intermixed with cassis and kirsch. There are also ethereal floral notes and a hint of background oak. This is a massive, rich, very impressive l Evangile, and readers should take note of the + in my rating, which could certainly push this wine way up there. Forget it for 3-5 years, and drink it over the following pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Faugères, St-Émilion Solid, if a touch chewy along the edges right now, as briar, cocoa and licorice snap notes are out in front of the core of pastis-soaked plum and blackberry fruit. There s lots of sweet, roasted wood spice on the finish, with the briary edge lingering as well. A bit exotic, but the structure is legit and cellaring should tame this. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Bordeaux 2010

30 64. Château de Fieuzal, Pessac-Léognan (L) A sleek, ripe, driven wine, with raspberry, black currant and pastis-soaked plum notes at the core, lined with well-embedded toast, ganache and tobacco hints. The finely beaded acidity stitches this up nicely on the lengthy finish. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Fleur Cardinale, St-Émilion Dense ruby/purple, it tips the scales at 15% natural alcohol and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Full-bodied in texture, it offers up loads of blueberry, blackberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with some cedar, vanilla and a touch of spring flowers. Impressively built, with good acidity and light tannin, this is a superb example of wine that reaches its prime in 3 or 4 years and lasts two decades. It s right up there with their brilliant Another over-achieving, brilliant effort from the Decosters, the 2010 from their 45-acre vineyard is a blend of 70% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. 95 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château la Fleur de Gay, Pomerol (L) A pretty, elegant wine that is 100% Merlot but a very limited production (around cases in most years), the 2010 displays good integration of oak and mulberry, plum and black raspberry fruit intermixed with some licorice, underbrush, vanillin and spice box. This is a voluptuously textured, round, seductive style of Pomerol to drink over the next years. 93 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

31 67. Château la Fleur Pétrus, Pomerol (L) This wine has a character similar to its cross-street neighbor, Petrus, displaying sweet mulberry and intense black fruit characteristics, with a hint of vanillin and loads of black cherry jam. Full-bodied, extravagantly luscious, with a skyscraper-like mid-palate and phenomenal length of close to 50 seconds, the wine has plenty of tannin, but the voluptuous fruit, power and overall glycerin and intensity tend to conceal much of it. Elegant but compellingly rich and authoritative, the 2010 is a truly magnificent wine for this estate, which has one of the finest terroirs in all of Pomerol. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the following pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Fombrauge, St-Émilion This has a really nice graphite frame that drives the core of fig, plum and boysenberry fruit authoritatively, with dense ganache, espresso and tar on the finish. The grip is keeping things tight now, but this should meld in the cellar, as the underlying feel is energetic. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Fontenil, Fronsac The 2010 Fontenil displays loads of crushed rock and floral notes intermixed with raspberries, red currants and some darker fruits such as blueberries. It is medium to full-bodied, with relatively soft tannins but good acidity, ripeness and focus. It should drink nicely for at least a decade. 91 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

32 70. Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac (L) Bizarre as it may sound, the 2010 Les Forts de Latour is also the finest I have ever tasted from this selection, which comes from specific vineyards, not really so much a second wine as just another wine from estate holdings. A blend of 72.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27.5% Merlot that represents 40% of the production, this astonishing wine hit 14.3% natural alcohol. Extremely ripe and rich, it reminds me of the 1982 on steroids (and that wine is still drinking great 30 years after the vintage). Sensational notes of graphite, crushed rocks, black fruits, camphor and damp forest notes are present in this expansive, savory, full-throttle wine, which is better than many vintages of the great Latour itself from the past. 97 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château la Gaffelière, St-Émilion (L) The 2010 s final blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc offers up impressive levels of red, blue and black fruits as well as some toasty oak and crushed rock, giving it minerality. Of course, the acidity in this vintage, with its lower phs than 2009, provide a freshness and precision that is rare for wines so rich. This wine has plenty of tannin, so give it 4-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following years. 95+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Château la Garde, Pessac-Léognan A fresh, pure style, with a lovely core of plum, anise and black currant notes, carried by a polished structure. Features a tug of graphite and mouthwatering cut on the finish. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $39.00 Bordeaux

33 73. Château le Gay, Pomerol (L) The 2010 Le Gay is performing sensationally, even better than my wildly enthusiastic tasting notes from barrel might have predicted. Inky opaque purple, and presenting a formidable and foreboding nose of camphor, black truffles, graphite, blueberries and blackberries as well as hints of smoked meats and floral nuances. The wine hits the palate with power, richness and purity, full-bodied texture, and enormous intensity. The final blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. This wine needs at least 8-10 years of cellaring, based on its masculinity and structure, and should easily eclipse years in a good cellar. 99 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Gazin, Pomerol (L) Wow! This wine exceeded my enthusiastic barrel tasting notes. A big, back-strapping blockbuster from Gazin, in which the oak seems to be pushed into the background (thankfully), the wine offers up notes of caramelized black cherry and black currant fruit interwoven with mocha, white chocolate, subtle toast and hints of coffee beans and tobacco leaf. The exceptional aromatics are easily followed up by a full-bodied, powerful, broodingly backward, rich, intense wine with multiple dimensions, layers of fruit, and a sensational finish of close to a minute. This is one of the all-time great efforts from Gazin. It should be forgotten for 6-10 years and drunk over the following 30 to pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Giscours, Margaux (L) Features a lightly firm, singed alder frame around a core of dark plum, cherry and cassis bush notes. Taut tar and warm paving stone notes fill in on the finish. Shows serious, well-embedded grip, and the core of fruit is spot on. This has the range, length and cut for the cellar. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Bordeaux 2010

34 76. Château Gloria, St-Julien The 2010 Gloria is an ass-kicking, fabulous value once again from this estate, which would probably be classified if the 1855 hierarchy of the wines of the Medoc were ever done again. Abundant notes of cedar wood, fruitcake, flowers, creme de cassis and kirsch are all present in this full-bodied, opulent, dense, dark ruby/purple wine. It is slightly more restrained than the flamboyant 2009, but equal in quality. This is a juicy, wellproportioned, sensationally concentrated, super-ripe Gloria to drink over the next decades. Of course, it is a sleeper of the vintage, given the reasonable price it normally sells for. 93 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Gracia, St-Émilion (L) From very small yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare, this wine flirted with perfection on each occasion I tasted it. It is a sensational effort if you can find it. The wine is dense purple and stunningly rich, with lots of crushed rock and chalky notes from the limestone soils as well as blueberry and black berry liqueur intermixed with some smoky barbecue and an aroma that reminded me of tea-smoked duck. Thick, rich and full, its glycerine and concentration hide some rather lofty tannins This is another prodigious effort from proprietor Michel Gracia it s just a shame he doesn t make more wine. 99 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauillac (L) This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot is an up-front, seductively styled Pauillac (one of the more forward and evolved wines from this appellation in 2010). Deep purple, with exceptionally subtle texture and oodles of cassis fruit as well as hints of mocha and white chocolate, it is an elegant wine, but the overall impression is one of considerable flesh, fat and succulence. It will be hard to resist now, but can be cellared for another 15+ years. 92 pts, Wine Advocate $78.00 Bordeaux

35 79. Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac (L) An absolutely magnificent wine from this very popular estate, which sits well off the Route du Vin, just to the southwest of the town of Pauillac, its classic creme de cassis and floral notes are well-displayed. The wine possesses supple tannin, a full body, voluptuous character and a layered, impressively textured mouthfeel. This is a brilliant effort from Grand-Puy-Lacoste that can be drunk in 4-5 years or cellared for three decades or more. 95 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château la Grave, Pomerol Broad and creamy, with plum, boysenberry and blackberry fruit carried by seamless, polished structure. Despite the lush flavors, this is serious a wine, boasting a strong graphite spine that strides through the finish and lovely flecks of anise and black tea hanging in the background for added range. Should age well. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Gruaud Larose, St-Julien (L) Dark garnet/plum/purple, with loads of spice, earth, underbrush, red and black currants, licorice, and even a hint of Provencal garrigue, this full-bodied, tannic, masculine style of St-Julien needs 5-6 years of cellaring, but is full, beefy, rich and impressively endowed. There are plenty of firm tannins in the background of this blockbuster wine, which has been built for the long haul. This is one 2010 where patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

36 82. Château Haut-Bages Libéral, Pauillac One of the best efforts from this estate since the 1982, this wine remains fairly priced. It exhibits ripe blue and black fruits, a dense plum/purple color, good acidity buttressing a remarkably rich, fleshy, sumptuous texture, and oodles of smoky black currant and blueberry fruit. Ripe, heady and rich, this wine will probably benefit from 2-5 years of cellaring despite its precociousness and keep for two decades. 92 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan (L) Deep plum/purple, Haut-Bailly s 2010 required some coaxing to appreciate its subtle notes of barbecue smoke, lead pencil shavings and creme de cassis as well as its touches of pomegranate and forest floor. The oak is pushed far into the background and the tannins are extremely silky, but the intensity of the wine is profound and the finish lingers for close to 55 seconds. This wine is ripe yet delicate, powerful yet stylish, and essentially resembles a remarkable fashion design from a house of haute couture. This wine needs a good 7-8 years of bottle age and should keep for years. This quintessential example of pure finesse, elegance, harmony and delicacy is combined into a wine that lingers intensely with near-perfect poise and character. 98 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Haut-Bergey, Pessac-Léognan From Helene Garcin, this blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot displays classic tobacco leaf and smoky barbecue notes along with rich black currants and crushed rocks in a medium to full-bodied, seductive, attractively up-front style. Some Asian plum sauce is also noticeable in this complex, evolved and delicious wine, which can be drunk over the next years. It is a sleeper of the vintage. 92 pts, Wine Advocate $70.00 Bordeaux

37 85. Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan (L) As for the 2010 Haut-Brion, it does not have the power of Latour s 2010 or the intense lead pencil shavings and chocolaty component of Lafite-Rothschild, but it is extraordinary, perfect wine. It has a slightly lower ph than the 2009 (3.7 versus the 2009 s 3.8), and even higher alcohol than the 2009 (14.6%). The wine is ethereal. From its dense purple color to its incredibly subtle but striking aromatics that build incrementally, offering up a spectacular smorgasbord of aromas ranging from charcoal and camphor to black currant and blueberry liqueur and spring flowers, this wine s finesse, elegant yet noble power and authority come through in a compelling fashion. This prodigious Haut-Brion is hard to compare to another vintage, at least right now, but it should have 50 to 75 years of aging potential. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $1, (1.5 L) $3, Haut Carles, Fronsac One of the great wines of Fronsac, right up there with other reference points such as Fontenil, La Vieille Cure and a handful of others, this 2010 exhibits an opaque purple color and a stunning nose of blueberries, black raspberries, crushed rock and spring flowers. Dense and full-bodied, with terrific intensity, richness and texture, this is a superb example of what the Fronsac appellation is capable of achieving. Readers should remember that wines from Fronsac were more expensive than Pomerols and St-Émilions 120 years ago! This wine should drink well for up to 15 more years. 92 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

38 87. Château Hosanna, Pomerol (L) This wine displays plenty of black raspberries, black currants, espresso roast, Asian soy and plum sauce along with some mocha and chocolate. Beautifully rich, firm, and full-bodied, with sweet but abundant tannins, this is a classy, noble style of wine that should be forgotten for at least 5-7 years and drunk over the following 20. Remarkably, the alcohol, like most of the wines in the J. P. Moueix stable of Pomerols and St-Émilions, hit 14.5%. 96+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Château d Issan, Margaux (L) A complete, medium to full-bodied, exquisite Margaux from this medieval, moat-encircled, compellingly beautiful estate in the southern Medoc, D Issan s 2010 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The deep, gravelly soils mixed with clay have provided extraordinary aromatics. The yields were ridiculously low (22 hectoliters per hectare) and the wine tips the scaled at 13.7% natural alcohol. Production was small after the selection for the grand vin, and the result is a dense, purple-colored wine with beautiful aromatics of spring flowers, blueberries and black raspberries as well as hints of cassis, tar and charcoal. The wine is gorgeously pure, well-balanced, and soft enough to be approached in 4-5 years or cellared for pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Kirwan, Margaux As always, this estate has produced a blockbuster style of Margaux in 2010, with the more masculine side of the appellation providing density, power, big body, loads of fruit, extract and richness. This wine is powerful and concentrated, but by no means excessively extracted. Dense purple, muscular, deep and impressive, it is a wine that allows for no compromise among wine lovers. Forget it for 6-10 years and drink it over the following years. 92+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

39 90. Château Labegorce, Margaux Slightly chunky in style, displaying a firm, singed apple wood frame to the core of plum and anise notes. Medium-weight, with a flash of briar on the finish. A bit shy on stuffing in the end, as the firm toast wins out. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac (L) The 2010 Lafite Rothschild, a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot (a 3% difference from the barrel sample shown two years ago), achieved relatively high alcohol of 13.32%, according to administrator Charles Chevalier. The wine is very impressive, not as fleshy, flamboyant and massive as the 2009, but nevertheless, a big, rich, full-throttle Lafite- Rothschild meant to age a half century or more. Deep purple, with notes of white chocolate, mocha, cedar and charcoal as well as hints of vanillin and creme de cassis, the wine is full-bodied yet has that ethereal lightness that makes it a Lafite. It will need at least years of cellaring and keep for 50+ years. 98 pts, Wine Advocate $2, (1.5 L) $3, Château LaFleur-Gazin, Pomerol Offers a fleshy, corpulent feel, with mouthfilling plum, melted licorice, fruitcake and linzer torte flavors layered and pumping through the broad, well-toasted finish. A not-shy style, showing a bit of punch on the finish alongside plenty of length and depth. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Bordeaux 2010

40 93. Château Laforge, St-Émilion Showing slightly better from bottle than barrel (and it performed admirably there), the 2010 Laforge emerges from three major soil types in St-Émilion gravel, sand and hard limestone. It is largely a Merlot-based wine, with only about 8% Cabernet Franc added in. A big, forceful, classic, full-bodied St-Émilion with sensational depth, the 2010 displays plenty of black fruit, hints of incense, graphite, and forest floor, and perhaps even a suggestion of black truffle. It is deep, full-bodied, opulently textured, yet the tannic structure comes through in the finish. This is another sensational effort from proprietor Jonathan Malthus. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate 5884 $ Château Lagrange, St-Julien Notes of singed alder, graphite and charcoal wrap around the core of intense blackberry paste, warm plum sauce and currant preserves. Turns sleek and racy on the well-knit finish despite the notable grip. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château la Lagune, Haut-Médoc (L) Another great success from proprietress Caroline Frey, the 2010 La Lagune provides an essential drinking experience, with notes of Asian plum sauce, mulberries, kirsch liqueur and black currants. The wine also exhibits a savory, rich smokiness and subtle lead pencil shaving notes. Full-bodied and pure, combining both elegance and power, this is a brilliant, very approachable effort that should hit its stride in 5-7 years and last for at least two decades. Think of it as a hypothetical blend of the 2005 and Kudos! 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

41 96. Château Lalande Borie, St-Julien Solid, with a very juicy core of lightly mulled plum and blackberry fruit, a polished apple wood note that runs along the edges and a solid, gravel-tinged finish. Sports nice terroir and leaves a mouthwatering feel on the finish. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Larcis Ducasse, St-Émilion The wine boasts 14.6% natural alcohol and is a final blend of roughly three-fourths Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, cropped at a ridiculously low 19 hectoliters per hectare. Notes of licorice, garrigue, incense, smoked meats, espresso, creme de cassis and blackberry liqueur jump from the glass of this unbelievably intense wine. Remarkably full, with compelling freshness and precision, this is a fabulous effort in 2010This is one of the superstars of the vintage and a profound wine. Drink it between 2020 and pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Lascombes, Margaux (L) The wine hits all cylinders in The average alcohol for the bottled wine is 14%. It has a gorgeously sweet nose of creme de cassis, spring flowers, subtle barbecue smoke and charcoal followed by full body, beautiful intensity, great purity, stature and length. The influence of any oak is minimal, despite the fact that 90% new French oak was used. Needless to say, this is an example of modern-styled winemaking at it s finest, and arguments that such wines will not age well, do not represent their terroir, and are soul-less, are totally groundless. Give it 5 or so years of cellaring and drink it over the following years. This is one of the great Margaux wines of the vintage. Probably the greatest Lascombes made to date, the 2010 is a blend of 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot. 96 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

42 99. Château Latour, Pauillac (L) One of the perfect wines of the vintage, Frederic Engerer challenged me when I tasted the 2010 Latour at the estate, asking, If you rate the 2009 one hundred, then how can this not be higher? Well, the scoring system stops at 100, (and has for 34 years,) and will continue for as long as I continue to write about wine. Nevertheless, this blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.5% Merlot, and.5% Petit Verdot hit 14.4% natural alcohol and represents a tiny 36% of their entire production. The ph is about 3.6, which is normal compared to the 3.8 ph of the 2009, that wine being slightly lower in alcohol, hence the combination that makes it more flamboyant and accessible. The 2010 is a liquid skyscraper in the mouth, building layers upon layers of extravagant, if not over-the-top richness with its hints of subtle charcoal, truffle, blackberry, cassis, espresso and notes of toast and graphite. Full-bodied, with wonderfully sweet tannin, it is a mind-boggling, prodigious achievement that should hit its prime in about 15 years, and last for 50 to pts, Wine Advocate $2, (1.5 L) $3, Château Latour à Pomerol, Pomerol (L) Dark and loamy, with fig bread and ganache out front, followed by steeped fig, pastis-soaked plum and Black Forest cake notes, all layered and backed by a long, licorice and graphite-filled finish. Offers more than enough fruit and acidity to soak up the abundant toast. For fans of the big style. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Bordeaux

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45 101. Château Léoville Barton, St-Julien (L) A splendid showing, much stronger from bottle than it was from barrel, the Léoville Barton is one of the spectacular wines of the vintage. Inky purple to the rim, its huge tannin gives this wine real potential for years of longevity. It is a classic, powerful Bordeaux made with no compromise. A superstar of the vintage, the wine has notes of pen ink and creme de cassis, good acidity, sweet, subtle oak, and massive extraction and concentration. I thought it was one of the most backward wines of the vintage two years ago, and nothing has changed in the ensuing upbringing of the wine in cask except that the wine now seems even richer, denser and fuller than I previously thought. The beautiful purity, symmetry, and huge finish of nearly a minute make this one of the all-time great classics from Léoville Barton. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Léoville las Cases, St-Julien (L) The 2010 is a quintessentially elegant, classic wine of Bordeaux firm, rigid, perhaps slightly lighter than most of the other St-Juliens, but stylish, potentially complex, and reminiscent of the style of the 1986, but more concentrated and powerful. It is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc with a normal ph of It was raised in 75% new oak and the alcohol came to 13.7%. This wine displays loads of black currants, cedar wood and vanillin, but needs a good 7-8 years of cellaring, if not much longer. It should last for 30+ years. 96+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

46 103. Château Léoville Poyferré, St-Julien (L) The wine out distances both Léoville Las Cases and Léoville Barton, but all three of them are compelling efforts. Fullbodied, dense purple in color, with floral notes intermixed with blackberries, cassis, graphite and spring flowers, this full-bodied, legendary effort is long and opulent, with wonderfully abundant yet sweet tannin, a skyscraper-like mid-palate and a thrilling, nearly one-minute finish. This spectacular effort from Poyferré that should drink well for 30+ years. 98+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Lilian Ladouys, St-Estèphe Features firm chalk and charcoal notes along the edges, with a mix of crushed plum and red currant fruit at the core. The bright, fresh finish lets the minerality meld with the fruit. Pure and focused, but shy on depth, this is a step back from this estate s recent progress. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Lynch Bages, Pauillac (L) The 2010 Lynch Bages is an absolutely brilliant wine, and somewhat reminiscent at this stage in its development of the profound Jean-Charles Cazes, who took over for his father a number of years ago, has produced a magnificent wine with the classic creme de cassis note intermixed with smoke, graphite and spring flowers. It is a massive Lynch Bages, full-bodied and very 1989-ish, with notable power, loads of tannin, and extraordinary concentration and precision. This is not a Lynch Bages to drink in its exuberant youth, but one to hold on to for 5-6 years and drink over the following three decades. 96 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

47 106. Château Magdelaine, St-Émilion (L) Jam-packed, with mouthfilling notes of blackberry preserves, crushed blueberry, plum skin and anise, showing loads of singed wood spice and briar for a lively texture. Stays supergrippy through the finish and needs a little time to round into form, but the range is serious and the length very impressive. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Malartic Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan (L) Lead pencil shavings, soy and barbecue smoke as well as red and black currants characterize this brilliant effort, which has an expansive, full-bodied mouthfeel yet a sublime elegance and lightness of being. Dense ruby/purple, gorgeous purity and a long, long finish of close to 50 seconds characterize another brilliant effort from this classified growth in Pessac-Léognan. It should drink nicely for years yet is surprisingly accessible even today. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

48 108. Château Margaux, Margaux (L) The 2010 is a brilliant Château Margaux, as one might expect in this vintage. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend hit 90%, the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and only 38% of the crop made it into the Château Margaux. Paul Pontallier, the administrator, told me that this wine has even higher levels of tannin than some other extraordinary vintages such as 2005, 2000, 1996, etc. Deep purple, pure and intense, with floral notes, tremendous opulence and palate presence, this is a wine of considerable nobility. With loads of blueberry, black currant and violet-infused fruit and a heady alcohol level above 13.5% its beautifully sweet texture, ripe tannin, abundant depth and profound finish all make for another near-perfect wine that should age effortlessly for years. 99 pts, Wine Advocate $1, (1.5 L) $3, Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux This is alluring, with the sappy feel of the kirsch, dark plum and loganberry fruit melded nicely to a charcoal spine. The long, smoldering finish reveals a singed iron note and features good grip. Should evolve nicely. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Marsau, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux This has a gutsy feel, with dark currant, steeped cherry, ganache and espresso notes rolled together and extending through the charcoal-tinged finish. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $25.00 Bordeaux

49 111. Château Meyney, St-Estèphe It is good to see this well-situated estate in St.-Estephe get back on track. The 2010 has loads of beef blood, charcuterie and smoked game along with black currant fruit. Some underlying graphite notes are also present in this full-bodied, meaty, fleshy wine, which has outstanding concentration and the potential to last for 15 or more years. It is a major sleeper of the vintage. 90 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château la Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan (L) A strong candidate for a perfect score in about 15 years, the 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion could well turn out to be a modern-day version of their Sadly (or maybe fortunately) for me, I m not old enough to have tasted the 1955 in 1958 from bottle, but this wine could also be an update on the more modern 2000 which, of course, I know well and actually own. This full-bodied, colossal giant of a wine is one of the goliaths of the vintage. It may well have the highest level of natural alcohol for any wine from the Left Bank of Bordeaux (15.1%) and has the definite potential to be a 50- to 75-year wine. Dense purple, it offers up notes of lead pencil shavings, charcoal embers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur along with massive concentration, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel and a monumental finish that goes well past a minute, which I think might be a record for a young Bordeaux. An amazing wine. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $1, Château Monbousquet, St-Émilion A lush, modern, style, with hyperdrive on the blueberry, loganberry and boysenberry fruit flavors. Nothing gets too heady though, as there s charcoal-studded grip, smoldering coffee grinds and roasted bay leaf notes all in the background for definition and further development with cellaring. Modern, yes, but firmly grounded in its terroir. Best from 2016 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Bordeaux 2010

50 114. Château la Mondotte, St-Émilion (L) The 2010, a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc cropped at 20 hectoliters per hectare, is showing incredibly well, combining elegance, extraordinary creme de cassis and kirschlike fruit, and notes of licorice, incense and vanillin in a fragrant, full-bodied, massively endowed style that is neither heavy nor overbearing. The freshness and overall precision of this wine reminds me stylistically of the brilliant 1998 as well as the This wine normally drinks well reasonably young, but I suspect the 2010 is going to require 5-7 years of cellaring and keep for years. 99 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Montrose, St-Estèphe (L) The 2010 Montrose is a fabulous wine, and I was leaning toward giving it a three-digit score, which it may ultimately merit after it resolves some of its very sweet tannin. It is not as soft or flamboyant as the 2009, but it is a great classic, coming in at 13.9% natural alcohol. Representing 64% of the total production, the final blend is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot (which is one percent different than the barrel sample blends that were presented). Inky bluish/purple in color, with classic blueberry, black currant, crushed rock and floral notes, hints of graphite, and lots of wild mountain berry fruit, this wine is extravagantly rich, has very sweet but noticeable tannin, laser-like precision, a massive, full-bodied mouthfeel and a finish of close to 50+ seconds. Look for it to drink well for half a century or more. 99 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

51 116. Château le Moulin, Pomerol A sexy wine from proprietor Michel Querre, the 2010 Moulin is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It has an exotic toasty note intermixed with sensual and seductive notes of caramel, Asian spice and black cherry jam as well as hints of plum sauce and incense. Its complex aromatics are followed by a deep, luscious, succulently styled wine that is medium to full-bodied without a hard edge to be found. It is hard to resist already, and for that reason should be consumed over the next years. 92 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Moulin Riche, St-Julien This is inviting, with warm cocoa, steeped blueberry and blackberry fruit notes, featuring a juicy bolt of fig pâte de fruit and a long, dark, charcoal-filled finish that is nearly accessible now. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac (L) Only 49% of the production made it into the 2010 Mouton Rothschild, which has a strikingly beautiful label by Jeffrey Koons. This is a truly great wine, with a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) and the other 6% Merlot. At 13.9% natural alcohol, Mouton s director, Philippe Dhalluin, has clearly produced another 50- to 60-year wine that has a chance at perfection in about 15 years time, when I suspect this wine will be rounding into drinking condition. It is dense, rich and full-bodied, with the classic Mouton creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice and floral notes, but also some blueberry and hints of subtle espresso and mulberry. The wine has more minerality and precision than the rich, extravagantly opulent 2009, and while that may please some, others will have their patience tested as they wait and wait for this compelling Mouton Rothschild to hit full maturity. 98+ pts, Wine Advocate $1, (1.5 L) $3, Bordeaux 2010

52 119. Château Ormes de Pez, St-Estèphe Dark and winey, with good damson plum, black currant and mulled spice notes pushed by a tangy iron note and flecks of savory and chalk on the finish. The judicious toast lets the pure fruit drive along. Best from 2015 through Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 91 pts, Wine Spectator $ Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe (L) Probably the best second wine ever made at Cos (although the 2009 should not be discounted), the 2010 Les Pagodes de Cos is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot finishing at 14% natural alcohol. This wine exhibits beautiful, silky tannins as well as sweet, rich mulberry and black currant fruit with hints of spring flowers, licorice and subtle toast. A full-bodied, opulent and -ideal- second wine, most people who have tasted it would probably agree that it is actually better than many vintages of Cos d-estournel from the 1960s and 1970s. Drink it over the next years. 93 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Palmer, Margaux (L) The 2010 Palmer is one of the superstars of the vintage, a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, which is just slightly different than what I indicated two years ago. The alcohol level hit 14.5%, and the wine comes across like a more stacked-and-packed version of their It is tannic and backward, but has a sensational black/purple color and a gorgeous nose of camphor, barbecue smoke, blackberry and cassis. Full-bodied, with oodles of glycerin but a relatively healthy ph, this wine has a precision and freshness that belie its lofty alcohol and extravagant concentration. This is a sensationally rich, fullthrottle Palmer that could well end up being one of the all-time great wines made at this estate. It needs a good 7-10 years of cellaring and should keep for 50 or more years. 98+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

53 122. Château Pape Clement, Pessac-Léognan (L) I certainly underrated the 2010 Pape Clement from barrel, rating it only (Thank God I put a plus there!) Having tasted it four times in Bordeaux, and rating it perfect three times and 99 the fourth time, this final blend of 51% Merlot, 47.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1.5% Petit Verdot is perfection in a bottle. Its sublime elegance, the power, the medium to fullbodied texture, the silky tannins, the subtle notes of smoke, lead pencil shavings, black currants, charcoal, camphor, blueberry and cassis fruit are all remarkable. It is a rich, full-throttle wine, but the elegance and the great terroir of Pape Clement come through in abundance. This wine will last years. 100 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Patris, St-Émilion More forward than most of the pack, with plum and blueberry fruit, a good sticthing of tobacco leaf and an integrated roasted vanilla bean note through the finish. Not as grippy as when tasted from barrel, this seems quite approachable already. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Pavie, St-Émilion (L) Painfully powerful, backward and super-concentrated, this 2010 is a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped at 26 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest, as usual, was late by the standards of the appellation, occurring between October 12 and October 19. The alcohols are surprisingly modest by 2010 standards, 14.2%. As usual, this is one of the top wines of the vintage, but it needs a good decade of cellaring. It is much more backward and restrained than the 2009 was at the same stage, and seems even more tannic and structured than the It is a monumental wine for true connoisseurs who have the patience and discipline to cellar it for a good decade. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

54 125. Château Pavie-Decesse, St-Émilion (L) A Blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with 14.5% natural alcohol, the higher percentage of Merlot in this wine than in the Pavie gives it a stunning opulence, thickness and luxuriousness. Opaque purple, with notes of mulberry and kirsch liqueur leaning toward blacker fruits, subtle smoked meats and some lead pencil and vanillin, this is another brawny, fullbodied, yet remarkably precise and fresh style of wine despite its sensational extract and power. Give it 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following years. 96 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Pavie Macquin, St-Émilion This is always an extremely masculine, dense, burly wine, and the 2010, which tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol (just slightly under that of the 2009), has a final blend of 80% Merlot and the rest virtually all Cabernet Franc, with just 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Loads of crushed rock and chalkiness, along with licorice, black truffle, smoked game and black fruits dominate the aromatics and flavor. Backward, formidably endowed, fullbodied and almost atypically massive and huge, with gargantuan extraction, this is a wine for patient connoisseurs to forget about for close to a decade. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, Margaux (L) The second wine, the 2010 Pavillon Rouge (essentially twothirds Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot with small quantities and Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) looks to be a wine to age for 20 or more years, but it is quite drinkable already. Soft, supple and luscious, with oodles of blue and black fruits, the floral character one expects, and not a trace of herbaceousness, oak or aggressiveness, this is a beautiful, round, generous wine to drink over the next years. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

55 128. Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac (L) It is a fabulous wine, but if you want to drink something reminiscent of Mouton Rothschild before 2025, it is probably worth taking a look at the 2010 Le Petit Mouton, which seems to be going from strength to strength at this estate. This wine has 14% natural alcohol because there is more Merlot in it. (Merlot is riper and ferments into slightly higher alcohol than Cabernet Sauvignon.) This wine represents 26% of the crop. The creme de cassis character is also present, along with tobacco leaf, cedar, and a more evolved, chocolaty, spicy note. Opulent, fleshy and round, it should drink well for two decades. 91 pts, Wine Advocate $ La Petite Eglise, Pomerol The second wine of l Eglise-Clinet is pure Merlot aged in 50% new oak. It displays great precision on the nose with scents of wild strawberry, blood orange and a hint of tangerine, all with sizzling definition and zest. This is so lively and animated. The palate is medium-bodied: lifted on the entry with dense dark berry fruit laced with crushed stone and a touch of black tea. Like all of Denis Durantou s 2010, this is underpinned by extraordinary freshness and vitality, whilst the finish has immense precision. 93 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Pétrus, Pomerol (L) The harvest at Petrus took place between September 27 and October 12, and the 2010 finished at 14.1% natural alcohol, which is slightly lower than the 2009 s 14.5%. The 2010 reminds me somewhat of the pre-1975 vintages of Petrus, a monster-in-the-making, with loads of mulberry, coffee, licorice and black cherry notes with an overlay of enormous amounts of glycerin and depth. Stunningly rich, full-bodied and more tannic and classic than the 2009, this is an awesome Petrus, but probably needs to be forgotten for 8-10 years. It should last at least another 50 or more. 100 pts, Wine Advocate $3, Bordeaux 2010

56 131. Château Phélan Ségur, St-Estèphe Allies solid density to subtle refinement, with steeped plum, currant, singed iron and charcoal notes. Lightly firm through the finish, showing a lovely tobacco edge, this should age gracefully. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, Pauillac (L) Administrator Christian Seeley thinks the 2010 is the greatest Pichon-Longueville Baron he has ever made, equaling some of the estate s colossal wines from vintages such as 1989 and It was certainly showing well when I stopped by the Château in January. Opaque purple, with loads of charcoal, licorice, incense and some exotic Asian spices along with abundant cassis liqueur, blackberry and hints of roasted coffee and spring flowers, it is full-bodied and opulent, with relatively high tannins, but they have sweetened up considerably and seem less aggressive than they did from barrel. The oak is clearly pushed to the background by the wine s wealth of fruit, glycerin and fullbodied texture. This sensational Pichon-Longueville Baron needs 5-6 years of cellaring, and should keep 30+ years. 97+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

57 133. Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac (L) The 2010 Pichon Lalande is performing extremely well and at the top of the range I predicted several years ago. A final blend dominated much more by Cabernet Sauvignon than usual (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot), the wine is a tighter, more tannic and structured version of this famed Pauillac, which often tends to have more of a St-Julien-like personality than most Pauillacs. Structured, backward and tannic, yet showing a fat mid-palate that is more savory, broader and more expansive than I remember from barrel, this wine is somewhat reminiscent of the 1986, given the Cabernet Sauvignon domination of the blend. Full-bodied, impressively endowed, and less sexy and velvety than normal, this is a somewhat different style of Pichon Lalande than most readers have been used to. Whether you like it more or less will depend on your point of view, but this wine, unlike most Pichon Lalandes, needs a good 5-7 years of cellaring and should keep for 30+ years. 95+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Plince, Pomerol Plince 2010 has lifted flavours of spices, cinnamon, plums and blackberries with firm acidity and tannins. It has a gorgeous palate and body enveloping and rich without heaviness. A very successful Plince that will evolve well for at least a decade or two. 89 pts, Jeannie Cho Lee $ Bordeaux 2010

58 135. Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac (L) An absolutely amazing wine, from grapes harvested between the end of September and October 17, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot has close to 15% natural alcohol. It comes from one of the few biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux, but you are likely to see many more, given the success that Tesseron seems to be having at all levels, both in his vineyards and in his fermentation/winemaking. An astounding, compelling wine with the classic Pauillac nose more often associated with its cross-street neighbor, Mouton-Rothschild, creme de cassis, there are also some violets and other assorted floral notes. The wine has off-the-charts massiveness and intensity but never comes across as heavy, overbearing or astringent. The freshness, laser-like precision, and full-bodied, massive richness and extract are simply remarkable to behold and experience Pontet-Canet s 2010 is a more structured, tannic and restrained version of their most recent perfect wine, the Kudos to Pontet-Canet! 100 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Potensac, Médoc Solid, if a bit chunky, with cocoa and ganache coating a core of black currant and blackberry fruit that hangs through the muscular finish, where a warm paving stone note rings out. A touch austere, but the stuffing is there for cellaring. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Poujeaux, Moulis Dark and enticing, with a subtle smoky frame around the core of mulled plum, black currant and blackberry fruit. The long, graceful finish is inlaid with flecks of charcoal, black tea and singed sandalwood. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $55.00 Bordeaux

59 138. Château Providence, Pomerol (L) This is packed with fruit, but maintains a restrained feel overall, as the core of plum, blackberry and black currant seems content to wait for now. Richly layered, displaying seamless graphite and black tea notes that frame the finish, with a lovely tug of loam echoing on the very end. An impressive combination of density and polished poise. Best from 2016 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Rahoul, Graves Polished and alluring, with black tea, dense plum and blackberry fruit, followed by a long, licorice- and tar-filled finish that glides along with surprisingly polished structure. An echo of smoky tobacco lingers as well, and this offers good range and depth. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux (L) To reiterate, the 2010 Rauzan Ségla is like a super-duper version of the Displaying fabulous density, an inky purple color and a superb nose of forest floor with a hint of menthol as well as loads of creme de cassis, mocha and touches of chocolate and subtle oak, this full-bodied, deep, concentrated wine represents only 45% of the estate s production. It is certainly not for those who can t wait a few years for it to round into shape, as I suspect it needs at least 5-8 years of bottle-age, but it should last for half a century or more. 95+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

60 141. Château Rol Valentin, St-Émilion A strong showing from this blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that hit 14.7% natural alcohol, the 2010 Rol Valentin exhibits oodles of sweet black currant and black raspberry fruit along with some toasty oak and a note of charcoal embers in a full-bodied, opulent, showy, even flamboyant style that seems to beg comparison to This wine should drink beautifully for years. 92 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Saint-Pierre, St-Julien A toasty, modern style, with mocha and blueberry coulis notes leading the way for plush-textured blackberry and black currant confiture flavors. Espresso and mocha accents extend the finish. This has stuffing, but the polish makes the wine approachable now. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Sarget de Gruaud Larose, St-Julien Dark and winey, with a solid core of steeped blackberry, blueberry and black currant fruit, liberally laced with warm cocoa and tar notes. The mouthcoating feel on the finish features lots of smoldering tobacco. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château la Serre, St-Émilion This has a nice sappy edge, offering kirsch and boysenberry preserves flavors that course along, with lots of mouthcoating fruitcake and melted licorice on the finish. There s a tarry thread too, for added texture and length. Solid. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator $78.00 Bordeaux

61 145. Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan (L) This is an extraordinary performance once again from the Cathiard family, the proprietors of Smith-Haut-Lafitte. They think the 2010 is even better than the (I disagree, but only slightly.) This wine has laser-like definition in its an remarkable nose of a subtle charcoal fire interwoven with spring flowers, creme de cassis, blueberry liqueur and spicy wood. Full-bodied, stunningly concentrated, long, rich and moderately tannic, this wine is set for an exceptionally long life of years but can be drunk in pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Médoc (L) A very classic wine for patient connoisseurs, Sociando Mallet makes no compromises and continues to produce one of the finest wines among non-classified estates in Haut-Médoc. Dense purple to the rim, the opaque purple-colored 2010 offers up notes of graphite, blueberry and black raspberry fruit, a hint of cassis, some licorice and wet rocks. Deep, full-bodied and almost excruciatingly tannic, this full-throttle, balls-to-the-wall style of wine needs at least 8-10 years of cellaring and should keep for three decades or more. 91+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Talbot, St-Julien (L) One of the best Talbots over recent years, and possibly the best since the 1986 and 1982, this sexy juggernaut of a wine struts forth with an opaque plum/ruby/purple color and terrific notes of creme de cassis, licorice, roasted herbs and smoky barbecue. It is a brilliant effort, with full body, wonderful fruit, a savory, expansive mouthfeel, sensational texture and a long finish, but no hardness or astringency. This is a fabulous Talbot to drink over the next years. 94 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

62 148. Château du Tertre, Margaux A plush and flattering style, with beguiling toast wound around a smoldering core of warm plum confiture, dark cherry and currant fruit, and buried hints of charcoal and espresso. Displays a polished finish overall. A hint of warm paving stone lurks in the background. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Teyssier, St-Émilion An over-achieving estate for a number of years now, this dense purple wine exhibits oodles of creme de cassis and licorice, hints of subtle barbecue smoke and toast, terrific texture and a long, succulent, fleshy finish. It is not all that dissimilar from the 2009 in terms of its flamboyance and drinkability, although I suspect that analytically the ph is slightly lower and the tannins a bit higher than those of its older sibling. Drink it over the next years. 92 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château la Tour Figeac, St-Émilion The alcohol is more modest at 14% than many other St- Émilions, but the wine displays a sumptuous personality, with loamy, sandy soil notes interwoven with black currant, blueberry and sweet cherry, some floral nuances and a touch of toasty oak. It is a rich, full-bodied wine with moderate tannin. Give it several years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15 or more years. 92 pts, Wine Advocate $65.00 Bordeaux

63 151. Château Troplong Mondot, St-Émilion (L) Inky, bluish/black/purple, with notes of spring flowers, licorice, camphor, graphite, and a boatload of blueberry, black raspberry and blackberry fruit, this is a powerful, full-bodied Troplong Mondot. All the building components of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol are judiciously and impressively integrated. Forget this for 5-7 years and drink it over the following three decades. 99 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Trotanoy, Pomerol (L) Think of this wine as the 1998 on steroids! Showing better out of bottle than it did from barrel, this wine has put on considerable weight. It is full-bodied, masculine (as most vintages of Trotanoy tend to be), with loads of earthy, foresty notes intermixed with black and red fruits, a meaty, almost charcuterie note to it, an inky/purple color, some sweetness on the attack, but then the tannins kick in, making the wine seem at least a decade away from accessibility to most consumers. The texture is layered, the purity impressive, and the overall symmetry, balance and integration of all of the wine s building blocks are flawless. Forget it for 10 years and drink it over the following 35 years. Bravo! 98 pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Trottevieille, St-Émilion (L) The final blend of 58% Cabernet Franc and 42% Merlot hit 14% natural alcohol. The yields were a low 20 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine reflects that. It is more evolved than many of the St-Émilions in 2010, but perhaps the Cabernet Franc is giving it that wonderful juicy blueberry and floral set of aromatics. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, pure, surprisingly complex already, rich, savory, broad and long. It is not a blockbuster in the style of Troplong Mondot or Larcis Ducasse, for example, but it is a savory, complex, finely tuned wine to drink over the next 15+ years. 90+ pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

64 154. Château la Vieille Cure, Fronsac This takes a modern approach, with a noticeable dose of dark, roasted espresso and chocolate up front, but remains grounded in the appellation s textbook racy chalk and charcoal profile. The core of lush fig, plum and blackberry fruit sits in reserve, and the finish is polished and long. Impressive. Best from 2015 through ,000 cases made. 92 pts, Wine Spectator $ Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol (L) The 2010 Vieux Château Certan, a blend of 86% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol. Production was lower than in 2009 and the alcohol slightly higher, but the ph is 3.7, which is surprisingly reasonable given the lofty power and alcoholic clout this fullbodied wine possesses. Dense purple-colored, the 2010 displays a vivid yet astonishing array of spice box, red, blue and black fruits, crushed rock and spring flowers. This is another 40- to 50-year effort in 2010 that should elicit considerable interest from wine consumers. 99 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

65 62 Bordeaux 2010

66 Vins BLAncs 156. Château Carbonnieux Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) A tangy style, with lemon zest, gooseberry and white peach flavors backed by a jicama note on the finish. The crunchy feel begs for food. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ La Clarte de Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan Features layered Jonagold apple, fennel, citrus oil, macadamia nut and salted butter notes, backed by a long, paraffin-filled finish. Inlaid with toast, this harnesses the power of the vintage well, with the purity shining through. Best from 2014 through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château Doisy-Daëne, Barsac Vibrant, with mouthwatering lemon rind, bitter grapefruit and chamomile notes, flecked with floral and chartreuse hints. Very pure, featuring a spine that will hold up to aging. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Clos Floridene Blanc, Graves This is rich but crunchy, with Jonagold apple, salted butter and lemon green plum offset by tangy green almond, tarragon and fennel frond. The juicy, full-bodied finish manages to keep a brisk edge. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $35.00 Bordeaux

67 160. Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) A backward style of wine with notes of honeyed pears, subtle citrus, candle wax, orange zest and lemon butter, this medium to full-bodied, rich wine has terrific acidity and a long, long finish. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Château de Fieuzal Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) More oaky than most, but showing plenty of buttery, honeyed, complex melony and citrus notes, this wine is medium to full-bodied, tasty, fresh and impressive. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Château La Garde Blanc, Pessac-Léognan Juicy, with a tangerine, lemon peel and grapefruit pulp profile backed by a note of citrus oil on the finish. Shows good clarity and cut, featuring a vivacious green almond note on the finish. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Château La Grande Clotte Blanc, Lussac St Émilion From Dany and Michel Rolland, ignore the humble pedigree of this wine, as it is always a beauty, and the 2010 is no exception. With honeyed citrus-rich fruit, medium to full body, and loads of personality, this is one of the best value generic Bordeaux wines available. It is largely a blend of two-thirds Sauvignon Blanc and the rest Semillon and Sauvignon Gris. Drink it over the next 2-4 years. 90 pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux 2010

68 164. Château Haut-Bergey Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) Smoky citrus, hazelnuts, grapefruit and lemon zest jump from the glass of this complex, relatively evolved dry white grave. Medium-bodied, very classy, and nicely concentrated, this fresh well-focused wine should be drunk between now and pts, Wine Advocate $ Château Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) This full-bodied blend of 54% Sauvignon Blanc and 46% Semillon has a level of concentration and intensity that makes it the dry white wine of the vintage. Loads of minerality, a hint of subtle spice, but mostly just pure orange marmalade, candle wax, honeysuckle and caramelized melons make for a full-bodied, distinctive style of wine to drink over the next 50+ years. 98 pts, Wine Advocate $1, Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan Lemon rind, orange marmalade, honeyed grapefruit and subtle smoke soar from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, this very classic wine is pure and charming, combining finesse with substance. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Lynch Bages Blanc, Pauillac (L) A blend of 67% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Semillon and 18% Muscadelle, this has a very fresh lively, well defined nose with citrus lemon, a touch of brioche and fresh tinned pineapple. The palate is well balanced with fresh citrus fruits, patisserie, lemon curd an a touch of custart creme at the finish. Very good acidity. This is very fine indeed. Drink now pts, Wine Advocate $60.00 Bordeaux

69 168. Château Malartic Lagravière Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) This full-bodied blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon hit 14.5% natural alcohol. It is deep and rich, with loads of caramelized grapefruit, tropical fruit, subtle oak, wet stones and plenty of melons. Drink now pts, Wine Advocate $ Château la Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) A staggeringly rich blend of 81% Semillon and the rest Sauvignon Blanc, this full-throttle, impressively endowed wine has good acidity, with hints of candle wax, mandarin orange marmalade, caramelized melons and lemon oil. It is a stunner and should last more years. 96+ pts, Wine Advocate $1, Château Pape Clement Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) A blend of 51% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon and the rest Sauvignon Gris, this wine has staggering aromatics of orange blossom, lemon custard, pineapple and mango. Exotic, rich and full-bodied, it should drink nicely for at least years or more. 95 pts, Wine Advocate $ Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, Margaux (L) Ripe but focused, with heather, salted butter, macadamia nut, white peach and Jonagold apple notes. This has weight and definition, kept honest by a hint of tarragon on the finish. Very long and pure, showing a youthful vibrancy and a precision that should carry this in the cellar longer than you might expect. Drink now through pts, Wine Spectator $ Bordeaux 2010

70 172. Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Pessac-Léognan (L) A stunning wine with hints of pineapple, caramelized citrus, mandarin oranges, smoky figs and hazelnuts, this is a fullbodied, rich, superb white Graves from the Cathiard family. Anticipated maturity: pts, Wine Advocate $ Bordeaux

71 SAUTERnes & BARSAc 173. Château Climens, Barsac Dense and lush now, offering tangerine, apricot, honey-roasted almond and dacquoise notes, with a long, powerful, honeyed finish that lets toasted coconut and mango cruise through. The lovely dried pineapple and honeysuckle accents flitter through the background. Shows stunning length and depth. This will become dreamy with age. Best from 2018 through pts, Wine Spectator (375 ml) $ Château Doisy-Vedrines, Barsac The Doisy-Vedrines has a refined bouquet of lemon curd, dried honey and just a touch of quince, perhaps not quite as rich as recent vintages, but very well-defined. The palate is well-balanced, with a touch of lime cordial and passion fruit on the entry, and zesty acidity and impressive precision towards the taut, slightly spicy rich finish. Returning after an hour, this sample has enhanced clarity and volume, and subsequent encounters confirm a very promising Doisy-Vedrines pts, Wine Advocate (375 ml) $ Château de Fargues, Barsac/Sauternes The Château de Fargues has a very pure nose of clear honey, lemon curd and passion fruit all with fine delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with a citrus-driven entry with touches of lime, passion fruit and grapefruit. It has great focus and drive, a crescendo of flavours that embrace quince, Seville orange, tangerine and spice. There is wonderful persistency towards the powerful finish. This is another great de Fargues to follow the monumental pts, Wine Advocate $ (375 ml) $ Bordeaux 2010

72 176. Château Guiraud, Sauternes A thick, unctuous style, with marzipan, dried pineapple, mango and dried guava notes leading to a good bolt of toasted almond and pie crust on the finish. A muscular, well-stuffed version that will need some time to settle in. Best from 2015 through pts, Wine Spectator (375 ml) $ Château Rieussec, Sauternes Sporting 140gms/L residual sugar, the 2010 Rieussec displays impressive clarity on the nose, with fresh pineapple, grapefruit and a touch of lime flower, and tangible minerality. The palate has that Tropicana vibe with guava, almond and pineapple that slightly obfuscates the terroir towards the finish. This is a highly enjoyable, comparatively rich 2010 Sauternes, but without the intellect of some of the finest examples of the vintage pts, Wine Advocate $ (375 ml) $ Château de Suduiraut, Sauternes The Château Suduiraut has a comparatively rich, botrytized bouquet with dried honey, pineapple and a touch of Seville orange marmalade, with exquisite definition and focus. The palate is well-balanced, with a viscous texture and a good level of botrytis, demonstrating fine minerality and tautness. Dried mango, quince and spice all interlace the focused finish, which is long in the mouth. Tasted against its peers, this has a higher level of intensity and focus. A superb follow-up to the sensational pts, Wine Advocate $ (375 ml) $50.00 Bordeaux

73 179. Chateau d Yquem, Sauternes (L) Picked predominantly over 10 days from October 14, the 2010 d Yquem has 141gms/L residual sugar and ph It is a slow-burner, the nose understated at first but unfurling with each passing moment with subtle scents of freshly sliced apricots, Clementine, clear honey and white flowers. There is an underlying minerality that really defines this bouquet. The palate is similar to the nose, revealing hidden facets with almost each swirl of the glass orange blossom, limestone, white peach and honeysuckle. This is such a precise d Yquem; it is after you have swallowed the wine that one comprehends just how brilliant it is pts, Wine Advocate (375 ml) $ Bordeaux 2010

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75 BOTTLE LimiTS Château Angelus...2 Château d Armailhac...5 Les Asteries...1 Château Beau Sejour Becot...2 Château Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse....1 Château Belair Monange...2 Château Bellevue Mondotte...1 Château Beychevelle...2 Château Branon...2 Château Calon Segur...1 Château Canon....2 Château Canon la Gaffeliere....2 Château Carbonnieux Blanc....5 Château Carruades de Lafite....2 Château Certan de May...1 Château Cheval Blanc...2 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion...2 Château Clerc Milon...5 Château Clinet....2 Clos Fourtet....2 Clos de Sarpe....2 Château La Conseillante....2 Cos d Estournel...5 Château de Fargues...2 Château La Dame de Montrose...1 Domaine de Chevalier...5 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc...1 Château Le Dome...1 Château Ducru Beaucaillou...2 Château Duhart Milon....1 l Eglise Clinet...1 Château l Evangile...1 Château de Fieuzal....2 Château de Fieuzal Blanc...1 Château La Fleur de Gay...2 Château La Fleur Petrus...2 Les Forts de Latour...1 Château La Gaffeliere Bordeaux 2010

76 Château Le Gay...1 Château Gazin...1 Château Giscours...2 Château Gracia...1 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse...1 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste....2 Château Gruaud Larose...2 Château Haut-Bailly...3 Château Haut-Bergey Blanc...2 Château Haut-Brion....2 Château Haut-Brion 1.5 L...1 Château Haut-Brion Blanc...1 Château Hosanna....2 Château d Issan...2 Château Lafite Rothschild...1 Château Lafite Rothschild 1.5 L...1 Château La Lagune...2 Château Lascombes...2 Château Latour...1 Château Latour 1.5 L...1 Château Latour a Pomerol...2 Château Léoville Barton...1 Château Léoville Las Cases....5 Château Léoville Poyferré...2 Château Lynch Bages...2 Château Lynch Bages Blanc...1 Château Magdelaine....1 Château Malartic Lagravière...2 Château Malartic Lagravière Blanc...1 Château Margaux....1 Château Margaux 1.5 L...1 Château La Mission Haut-Brion...2 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc...1 Château La Mondotte...1 Château Montrose...3 Château Mouton Rothschild...2 Château Mouton Rothschild 1.5 L...1 Les Pagodes de Cos...2 Château Palmer...2 Château Pape Clement...2 Château Pape Clement Blanc...1 Bordeaux

77 Château Pavie...2 Château Pavie-Decesse....1 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux...1 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux...1 Château Le Petit Mouton...5 Château Petrus....1 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron...2 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande...2 Château Pontet-Canet...5 Château Providence...5 Château Rauzan-Segla...2 Château Smith Haut Lafitte...2 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc...1 Château Sociando-Mallet....5 Château Talbot...5 Château Troplong Mondot...2 Château Trotanoy...1 Château Trottevieille...2 Vieux Château Certan...1 Château d Yquem...1 The tasting notes included in this brochure are excerpts from reviews in Wine Advocate (Robert Parker & Neal Martin) and Wine Spectator with some notes by Barbara Philip, MW. Please refer to the original publication for each wine s full review. 74 Bordeaux 2010

78 Notes Bordeaux

79 GIRONDE ATLANTIC MÉDOC ST. ESTÈPHE PAUILLAC ST. JULIEN Blaye HAUT-MÉDOC LISTRAC-MÉDOC MOULIS-EN-MÉDOC MARGAUX Bordeaux PESSAC- LÉOGNAN CÉRONS GRAVES PARIS FRANCE BORDEAUX

80 BORDEAUX REGION MAP CÔTES DE BLAYE ET PREMIÈRES CÔTES DE BLAYE CÔTES DE BOURG POMEROL LALANDE- DE-POMEROL Libourne ST. ÉMILION CÔTES DE CASTILLON DORDOGNE PREMIÈRES-CÔTES DE BORDEAUX ENTRE-DEUX-MERS BARSAC SAUTERNES G A RO N N E

81 Notes 78 Bordeaux 2010

82 Notes Bordeaux

83 2010 Bordeaux will be available at the following stores on Saturday, September 28, 2013: Lower Mainland 39th & Cambie 5555 Cambie St Vancouver, BC V5Z 3A Abbotsford South Fraser Way Abbotsford, BC V2T 4W Alberni & BUte 768 Bute St Vancouver, BC V6E 4H Fleetwood nd St Surrey, BC V3R 4E HighGate Village Kingsway Burnaby, BC V5E 2V Langley St Langley, BC V2Y 2X Meadowtown Unit Lougheed Hwy Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 2W Nicola Station Nicola Ave Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 8B Nordel Crossing Unit Nordel Way Surrey, BC V3W 1P Northgate Unit North Road Burnaby, BC V3J 0A Park Royal 570 Park Royal North West Vancouver, BC V7T 1A Richmond Brighouse Ackroyd Rd Richmond, BC V6X 3K Richmond Ironwood Steveston Hwy Richmond, BC V7A 5J Westwood Centre Lougheed Hwy Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 6P Outside Lower Mainland Fort Street 1960 Foul Bay Rd Victoria, BC V8R 5A Victoria Westshore Unit Jacklin Rd Langford, BC V9B 5E Kamloops Columbia PlACE Summit Dr Kamloops, BC V2C 6M Kelowna Mission Park Lakeshore Rd Kelowna, BC V1W 3S Kelowna Orchard Park Dilworth Dr Kelowna, BC V1Y 9T Penticton Plaza Main St Penticton, BC V2A 5E Prince George Pine Centre 3173 Massey Dr Prince George, BC V2N 2S Vernon Unit 245A Village Green Mall th St Vernon, BC V1T 7G Participating Non-Signature Stores Caulfeild Headland Dr West Vancouver, BC V7W 3C Dunbar 3453 Dunbar St Vancouver, BC V6S 2C Peninsula Village th Ave Surrey, BC V4A 2H Bordeaux 2010

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