Vinous (94)

The 2010 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru opens with an explosive bouquet laced with dark red fruit, mint, flowers and graphite. Cool, mineral notes are woven throughout, giving the wine its sense of urgency. A final blast of plums and black cherries informs the powerful, structured finish. This is an impressive showing. The 1er Cru is made from young vines in Musigny.

Vinous (92)

The 2010 Chambolle-Musigny is fantastic. It boasts incredible aromatic complexity, gorgeous textural finesse and seemingly endless layers of fruit. Suave yet firm tannins support the fruit through to the highly attractive, delineated finish. This is a great way to start a survey of the domaine's 2010s.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (97+)

Deep, bright red-ruby. Brilliantly pure aromas of black raspberry, cherry and crushed limestone. Sharply chiseled, sappy and weightless in the mouth, with uncanny limestone cut to the flavors of raspberry, flowers and wild herbs. Spreads out insidiously to saturate and perfume the palate. Judging from this wine's tactile, bracing finish, endless perfume and firm tannic spine, it should gain in nuance for two or three decades in a cool cellar.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (97+)

Deep, bright red-ruby. Brilliantly pure aromas of black raspberry, cherry and crushed limestone. Sharply chiseled, sappy and weightless in the mouth, with uncanny limestone cut to the flavors of raspberry, flowers and wild herbs. Spreads out insidiously to saturate and perfume the palate. Judging from this wine's tactile, bracing finish, endless perfume and firm tannic spine, it should gain in nuance for two or three decades in a cool cellar.

Vinous (97)

The 2010 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru is one of Dominique Lafon's finest offerings from this noble vineyard in recent years, echoing Stephen Tanzer's finding from his vertical in 2019. It has an electrifying bouquet with such intense mineralité that it threatens to overwhelm the senses. The palate is beautifully balanced with a killer line of acidity, just a twist of bitter lemon lending tension, and a judicious touch of creaminess on the detailed finish. Ludicrously brilliant.

Vinous (98)

The 2010 Montrachet Grand Cru is a spectacular wine that fulfills all its potential. The bouquet rivets you to the spot with yellow flowers, hints of honeysuckle and petrichor, with aeration becoming a little petrol-like. The palate is brimming over with nervous energy. There is incredible depth, real thrust to this Montrachet that just lacquers the senses, yet it is only just beginning to demonstrate what it can do. Wow. Bravo Mon. Lafon. Tasted at Noble Rot's Xmas dinner.

The Confidences de Prieure Lichine 2010 captivates with its entrancing allure. As a second wine from the illustrious Château Prieuré-Lichine estate in the prominent Margaux appellation, it reflects the well-respected terroir of Bordeaux with elegance. The vintners skilfully concoct a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, which endows the libation with its complex, multi-faceted character. The Confidences de Prieure Lichine 2010 is matured in 30% new oak barrels for a period of 14 months, resulting in a harmonious fusion of fruit and oak, culminating in stunning depth and balance.

Savour the wine's expressive bouquet draped in blackcurrant, cherry, and spicy oak. It delivers a smooth, rounded palate adorned with well-integrated, ripe tannins. The Confidences de Prieure Lichine 2010 is a superb reflection of Margaux's extraordinary terroir and the exceptional expertise housed within the revered Château Prieuré-Lichine estate.

Wine Advocate (99)

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Cos d'Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant. Give it another 4-5 years in bottle and this will be stunning!

Wine Advocate (99)

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Cos d'Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant. Give it another 4-5 years in bottle and this will be stunning!

James Suckling (92-93)

Wonderful improvement here, with blackberry and chocolate character, full, round and soft. Very well done indeed.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

The 2010 Coutet has quite an intense bouquet with linseed oil and wax resin infusing the dried honey aromas, then orange pith and a touch of saffron. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and extremely well focused, this conveys a sense of energy on the finish that makes you want to return for another sip. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

James Suckling (93)

This is so good already. What an amazing precision of fruit for this wine, with a blackberry and blueberry character as well as minerals. Full and super silky with lovely fruit. Gourmand. Tasty. I want to drink it. Always great value!

Wine Spectator (92-95)

This has a nice briary core, showing dark fig and plum flavors, with a backdrop of roasted sage and tobacco. Offers good muscle and heft, but also the rounded feel of the house style. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 92-95

Wine Spectator (92-95)

This has a nice briary core, showing dark fig and plum flavors, with a backdrop of roasted sage and tobacco. Offers good muscle and heft, but also the rounded feel of the house style. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 92-95

Wine Enthusiast (95)

94-96 A very structured wine, retaining great acidity and freshness. The tannins cut right to the heart of the wine. The aftertaste is solid and chunky.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

94-96 A very structured wine, retaining great acidity and freshness. The tannins cut right to the heart of the wine. The aftertaste is solid and chunky.

The Wine Independent (98)

A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2010 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. After considerable aeration, it erupts from the glass with a powerhouse of flamboyant notes of crystalized ginger, honeydew melon, mango pudding, and lime leaves, followed by nuances of honeysuckle, white pepper, fennel seed, and crushed rocks. The palate is fantastically fruity, youthful and oh-so-rich, delivering citrus and tropical fruit layers with compelling tension, finishing very long and with wonderful purity.

The Wine Independent (98)

A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2010 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. After considerable aeration, it erupts from the glass with a powerhouse of flamboyant notes of crystalized ginger, honeydew melon, mango pudding, and lime leaves, followed by nuances of honeysuckle, white pepper, fennel seed, and crushed rocks. The palate is fantastically fruity, youthful and oh-so-rich, delivering citrus and tropical fruit layers with compelling tension, finishing very long and with wonderful purity.

The Wine Independent (98)

A blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with 138 grams per liter of residual sugar, the 2010 Yquem has a pale to medium straw-gold color. After considerable aeration, it erupts from the glass with a powerhouse of flamboyant notes of crystalized ginger, honeydew melon, mango pudding, and lime leaves, followed by nuances of honeysuckle, white pepper, fennel seed, and crushed rocks. The palate is fantastically fruity, youthful and oh-so-rich, delivering citrus and tropical fruit layers with compelling tension, finishing very long and with wonderful purity.

Introducing the extraordinary Daniel Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Lys 2010, a masterpiece from the celebrated Burgundy region of France. Skillfully crafted by illustrious winemaker Daniel Etienne Defaix, this wine showcases his prestigious lineage and expertise spanning over 400 years. The Defaix domaine, recognised for meticulous, traditional winemaking, nurtures this Chablis to perfection, infusing each bottle with crisp minerality and profound depth.

This vintage marries the ideal 2010 harvest conditions with a complex, slow fermentation process. Using indigenous yeasts, it is fermented in stainless steel, then aged on lees for a minimum of 36 months, ensuring structure and balance. Its intense bouquet of fresh honeysuckle paired with citrus undertones transforms on the palate into an explosion of stone-fruits, honey and a striking mineral backbone. Descended from vines planted in the unique Kimmeridgian soil, the Daniel Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Lys 2010 encapsulates the authentic expression of its historic terroir.

The Daniel Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2010 is a sublime example of French white at its pinnacle, representing a legacy steeped in more than four centuries of artisanal winemaking. Crafted in the illustrious Chablis region of Burgundy, its pedigree is linked to the hallowed limestone and Kimmeridgian clay soils that lend distinguished minerality and richness.

This exceptional single-vineyard Chablis, made by Daniel Etienne, the most recent heir of the Defaix line, manifests a fascinating interplay between intensity and elegance. The wine undergoes a meticulous vinification process, involving extended fermentation and long, slow maturation in vat to achieve an optimal meld of flavours. The result is an intricately layered wine exuding lively citrus and orchard fruit characteristics, delicately layered with floral and flinty notes.

The Daniel Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2010 marks a compelling testament to the deftness of Defaix, amalgamating tradition, terroir, and artistry in each bottle.

Vinous (88-91)

Palish red. More stony on the nose than the Sizies, with a perfumed quality to the strawberry, cherry and menthol aromas. A step up in texture and sweetness, displaying an element of smoky minerality and a slightly edgy quality on the plate. Finishes with a firm mineral spine and an herbal nuance.

Wine Advocate (98)

Up with some of the greatest Cote Roties out there is Delas's 2010 Cote Rotie la Landonne. Revealing an inky purple color as well as an incredible perfume of spring flowers, violets, black raspberries, graphite and Asian spice, it has drop-dead gorgeous purity, full-bodied richness and a seamless, layered texture that fails to completely cover the wine's underlying tannic grip. Made from 100% Syrah and aged 16 months in new French oak, hide bottles in the cellar for another 4-5 years and enjoy them over the following three decades.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The 2010 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes is an incredible wine that's only eclipsed by the 2009 Domaine des Tourettes. The 2010 is inky colored, concentrated and full-bodied, yet also elegant and seamless, with terrific complexity in its blackcurrant, saddle leather, cured meats, toasted bread and graphite aromas and flavors. Given its overall purity and freshness, as well as sweet tannin, it's actually a beautiful drink even today, yet it should be at its finest from 2020-2040.

Vinous (91-93+)

The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corbeaux comes across as cool, inward and virile. It possesses stunning mid-palate presence and depth. Layers of black cherry, blackberry, spices and graphite emerge on the intense, palate-staining finish. Here, too, it is the energy and textural breadth that set the wine apart. This parcel was planted in 1920. I can't wait to taste the Corbeaux in bottle.

Decanter (97)

Classy wine filled with scents of citrus and brioche with hints of woodsmoke. The palate brings impressive soft bubbles and notes of citrus, praline and cream. Long, breezy and vivid finish with a persistent prickle of mousse. Kudos! Platinum Medal

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Excellent bakery aromas on the nose, and rich cooked fruit on the palate. Plenty of concentration and volume here, with lovely floral fragrance and a chalky grip to the finish. Elaborate and expressive and delicious. Comes in an expensive-looking box.

Vinous - Ian D'Agata (93-96)

Bright yellow-gold. Enticing aromas of mango, guava, yellow peach, saffron, minerals and honey, complicated by high-toned botrytis. Rich, dense and almost oily, with intense ripe yellow fruit and honey flavors lifted by firm acidity. The finish boasts outstanding length and a bright lemony touch.

James Suckling (98)

A firm and vivid Champagne with a precise, focused palate. Full-bodied and dry. It’s very layered and bright with light pineapple, peach, praline, cooked-apple and stone aromas and flavors. It’s very subtle and focused at the end. Integrated with richness and high acidity. Good depth. Reminds me of the 1995. Very clean. Solid. Lovely to drink already, but will age nicely.