Wine Advocate (100)

The 2010 Pontet-Canet offers a very deep garnet color. Whoa—the nose explodes with a vast array of black fruit preserves and savory nuances: plum preserves, blackcurrant cordial, black cherry coulis and licorice with wafts of dried lavender, melted chocolate, charcuterie, black olives, truffles and camphor plus a hint of sandalwood. The full-bodied palate is completely filled with black fruits, exotic spices and earthy nuances with a firm foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. So much more expressive and seductive than a lot of 2010s at this stage, and yet it is still incredibly youthful!

James Suckling (91-92)

This is one of the fruitiest Potensacs that I remember, with loads of blueberry and currants. Full and velvety. Plenty going on underneath.

Wine Enthusiast (94)

All fruit tannins, a structured, tight wine, its acidity offering great waves of black plum juice flavors. There is great power as well as the freshness and elegance.

James Suckling (94-95)

Wow. This shows a wonderful core of intense, ripe fruit and velvety tannins. Loads of berry, chocolate and toasted oak. A joy to taste young.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (91+)

(14.5% alcohol): Bright, medium red-ruby. Cool aromas of crushed bluberry, bitter chocolate, scorched earth and licorice. Suave, smooth and fine-grained, with harmonious acidity framing and lifting the flavors of pungent red berries, tobacco and wild resiny herbs. Finishes with broad tannins and intriguing hints of herbs and earth. This property is now under the same LVMH ownership as Cheval Blanc and it shows in the wine's silky texture and medicinal reserve. My sample was more complex and layered with extended aeration, without losing any of its verve.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

A wine that could easily be mistaken for a First Growth, the 2010 Rauzan-Ségla is an incredibly powerful, full-bodied wine by this estate’s standards, yet it nevertheless holds onto a terrific sense of elegance as well as perfect balance. A huge nose of blackcurrants, smoked earth, tobacco, lead pencil, and spice give way to a concentrated, blockbuster styled Margaux that has thrilling depth of fruit, masses of ripe tannins, and great length and finesse on the finish. This brilliant wine is just now seemingly on the edge of its drink window and offers immense pleasure, yet it has another 30-40 years of life ahead of it. Along with the 2015 and 2016, it’s the greatest wine made at this estate in the past two decades.

Vinous - Neal Martin (96)

The 2010 Rieussec is slightly more backwards on the nose. It is very focused with almond, saffron, orange pith and dried honey aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a harmonious entry. Impressive depth with lovely vanillary new oak, it is long and pure towards the finish. A Sauternes with pedigree. Superb. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

Vinous - Neal Martin (96)

The 2010 Rieussec is slightly more backwards on the nose. It is very focused with almond, saffron, orange pith and dried honey aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a harmonious entry. Impressive depth with lovely vanillary new oak, it is long and pure towards the finish. A Sauternes with pedigree. Superb. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

Wine Spectator (93)

Well-packed, offering layers of boysenberry, fig and blackberry pâte de fruit, inlaid with anise, roasted apple and singed spice notes. Dense and grippy, showing detail and energy through the lengthy finish, with a backdrop of minerality that should blossom in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2025. 800 cases made. -JM

James Suckling (93)

Spicy nose with coffee, mulberries and milk chocolate. Bright red fruit on palate with a wonderful sweetness and fine soft tannins. Dense and profound but very subtle at the same time. Beautifully structured and with good length. Very enjoyable now, but tannins will soften over the next two to three years. Better in 2016.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

94-96 A solid, chunky wine. It has powerful dry tannins, although they are never dominant, leaving the sweet fruit to shine. Blackberry flavors and the dark core are becoming well integrated.

James Suckling (93)

Extremely attractive aromas of currants, raspberries and blueberries follow through to a full body with silky tannins, and a beautiful balance and fruit, tannin and acidity harmony. Wonderful second wine from Rauzan-Segla. Try in 2017.

Wine Enthusiast (94)

93-95 Densely structured wine, full of honey, cinnamon, and sweetness. The acidity gives just the right counterpoint.

Wine Advocate (98)

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Smith Haut Lafitte delivers notes of baked plums, boysenberries and dried mulberries with an undercurrent of cigar box, new leather and bouquet garni. Full-bodied, the palate has firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the maturing fruit, finishing on a stewed tea note.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

95-97 Richly textured, with an opulent feel, concentrated, the fruit buried in the dense flavors. It makes for a big, powerful wine, looking to a long future.

Indulge in the refined pleasures of Taillefer 2010, a fine example of Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion from Bordeaux's coveted right bank. Crafted by Chateau Taillefer, a storied estate held by the Moueix family for several generations, this sumptuous blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc is aged 12 months in French oak barrels.

With a sparkling ruby hue, the Taillefer 2010 presents an expressive bouquet of ripe black fruits, tobacco, and velvety vanilla notes. On the palate, it reveals a profound complexity, striking a balance between power and finesse. The Merlot's soft, round texture skillfully complements the Cabernet Franc's intrinsic spiciness and structure.

This opulent wine's formidable tannic backbone and lasting finish signal its outstanding ageing potential. Described by fine wine critics as a 'textbook Saint-Émilion', the exceptional Taillefer 2010 is a worthy addition to any discerning cellar. Truly a testament to the crafting prowess and terroir of the esteemed Chateau Taillefer.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (96+)

Saturated ruby. Deep aromas of red and black fruits, violet, gunflint, licorice and bitter chocolate, complemented by a sexy oak-derived note of hickory smoke. Large-scaled and sweet, but with terrific precision and refinement to the flavors of dark berries, chocolate, licorice and minerals. Finishes polished and long. Not as opulent or exotic as the 2009, but offers exceptional sweetness and size while managing to maintain impressive verve and thrust. A great 2010.

Wine Advocate (99)

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. It is a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made by Christine Valette and her husband Xavier Pariente with the consultancy help of Michel Rolland. I-m not sure what the heady alcohol level is in Troplong Mondot in 2010 (it certainly must be in the 15%+ range), but it is well-concealed behind the extravagant, richness, full-bodied power, and pure nobility of this majestic wine. Forget this for 5-7 years and drink it over the following three decades. An absolutely stunning wine from this estate, which seems to be on a mission to produce exquisite world-class wines with enormous aging potential, the 2010 is showing better from bottle than it even did from barrel.

Wine Spectator (99)

Extremely formidable from the start, with a wall of tannin-driven power that pushes the core of plum, fig and blackberry fruit to the background for now. Offers loads of flesh, with the tannic surge returning on the finish. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 96-99

Wine Spectator (99)

Extremely formidable from the start, with a wall of tannin-driven power that pushes the core of plum, fig and blackberry fruit to the background for now. Offers loads of flesh, with the tannic surge returning on the finish. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 96-99

Wine Advocate (97)

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Valandraud comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant blueberry compote, Black Forest cake and plum preserves notions, plus hints of underbrush, camphor and licorice. Full-bodied, rich and seductive, it has a gorgeous velvety texture and great freshness supporting the decadent fruit through the long, energetic finish.

Wine Advocate (97)

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Valandraud comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant blueberry compote, Black Forest cake and plum preserves notions, plus hints of underbrush, camphor and licorice. Full-bodied, rich and seductive, it has a gorgeous velvety texture and great freshness supporting the decadent fruit through the long, energetic finish.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2010 Vieux Château Certan is deep garnet in color, and—POW—the nose opens as a complete spice-bomb, featuring notes of fenugreek, cumin seed and cinnamon stick over a core of Black Forest cake, plum preserves and blueberry pie with hints of fragrant earth and crushed stones. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it is laden with layers of black and blue fruit preserves, framed by super plush tannins, finishing epically long and perfumed.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2010 Vieux Château Certan is deep garnet in color, and—POW—the nose opens as a complete spice-bomb, featuring notes of fenugreek, cumin seed and cinnamon stick over a core of Black Forest cake, plum preserves and blueberry pie with hints of fragrant earth and crushed stones. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it is laden with layers of black and blue fruit preserves, framed by super plush tannins, finishing epically long and perfumed.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2010 Vieux Château Certan is deep garnet in color, and—POW—the nose opens as a complete spice-bomb, featuring notes of fenugreek, cumin seed and cinnamon stick over a core of Black Forest cake, plum preserves and blueberry pie with hints of fragrant earth and crushed stones. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it is laden with layers of black and blue fruit preserves, framed by super plush tannins, finishing epically long and perfumed.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2010 Vieux Château Certan is deep garnet in color, and—POW—the nose opens as a complete spice-bomb, featuring notes of fenugreek, cumin seed and cinnamon stick over a core of Black Forest cake, plum preserves and blueberry pie with hints of fragrant earth and crushed stones. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it is laden with layers of black and blue fruit preserves, framed by super plush tannins, finishing epically long and perfumed.

Behold, the Villa Bel-Air 2010, a veritable gem amongst Bordeaux Superieur wines. Sourced from the prestigious vineyards of Graves, this mature and refined wine is the creation of the Cazes family, renowned producers at the summit of Bordeaux winemaking. This classic blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc exhibits the unrivalled quality the winemakers of Villa Bel-Air are famed for.

Marvel in the wine's deep ruby appearance, revealing a complex bouquet of ripe fruits, spice, and oak. Indulge in its velvety palate, offering a harmonious interplay of intense fruit flavours, supple tannins, and a beautifully integrated touch of oak. The production process involved meticulous selection along with an extensive 12 to 14-month ageing period in French oak barrels.

Your cellar will be truly graced by the Villa Bel-Air 2010, an embodiment of finesse, elegance and the inimitable French winemaking tradition.