James Suckling (99)

Marvelous aromas of crushed berries, tobacco, cedar and mushrooms. Some dried cheese. Then turns to flowers. Very complex. Full and intense with fantastic depth and power. It goes on for minutes. It is a wine that exudes tradition but gives a sense of modernity with precise winemaking. Two years in oak, one in concrete and three or four in bottle. Drink on release and age onwards.

Vinous (96)

Good medium red. Captivating aromas of black cherry, dark raspberry, minerals and flowers have shed the reductive character that made this wine difficult to taste shortly after the bottling. Juicy, penetrating and wonderfully elegant, delivering outstanding flavor intensity without any impression of heaviness. Red berry, red cherry and flowers dominate the middle palate, with an element of saline minerality expanding with air. Really stains the palate and titillates the salivary glands on the very long, rising finish. This wine is so well-balanced that it's delicious right now, but it has the solidity, sappiness and tannic structure for a slow and graceful evolution in the cellar. A transcendent premier cru. (14.1% alcohol; September 23 harvest; 3.5 pH; a major attack of oidium in Clos des Ducs in August resulted in a crop level of just 19 hectoliters per hectare, according to Angerville, who noted that the younger vines in the upper part of the vineyard were particularly affected)

Vinous (93+)

Good medium red. Reticent aromas of black cherry, licorice, mocha, coffee and underbrush. Sweet, fine-grained and intense, with terrific clarity and lift to the flavors of black cherry, crushed stone, spices and mint. Tannins are substantial but smooth and horizontal. The wine's savory, perfumed, very long finish really titillates the taste buds. This will need a good decade of cellaring.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2010 Montrose is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to bring out notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, warm cassis, and licorice, followed by hints of mocha, tapenade, crushed rocks, and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate has a formidable structure of very firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the voluptuous black fruit and mineral layers, finishing long, long, long.

James Suckling (92-93)

This is crazy stuff with a super lively acidity and then plenty of fruit and alcohol. Minerally and fruity at the same time. Excellent purity. One of the best ever from here.

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Incredible in every sense of the word, this has everything you could want in a Pauillac and from Mouton Rothschild. Just as good, but different in style from the opulence found in the 2009, here you find incredible levels of intensity, density, richness, vibrancy and lift. The wall of fruit is perfectly ripe, expressing its purity along with crushed rocks, flowers, spice box, lead pencil, currants, cassis, blackberries, and Cuban cigars. The racy finish is seamless and crosses the 60-second mark with ease. This is not a wine for today. This is for the future. Your children can enjoy it at maturity.

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Incredible in every sense of the word, this has everything you could want in a Pauillac and from Mouton Rothschild. Just as good, but different in style from the opulence found in the 2009, here you find incredible levels of intensity, density, richness, vibrancy and lift. The wall of fruit is perfectly ripe, expressing its purity along with crushed rocks, flowers, spice box, lead pencil, currants, cassis, blackberries, and Cuban cigars. The racy finish is seamless and crosses the 60-second mark with ease. This is not a wine for today. This is for the future. Your children can enjoy it at maturity.

Wine Spectator (92-95)

Superfleshy but very direct, with long, racy raspberry ganache and red currant notes. Almost flashy, but stays focused through the long finish. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 92-95

Decanter (98)

One of the great years of Bordeaux now at 10 years old and showing why this is such an unusual vintage in terms of the depth of structure and muscular concentration that was achieved. In fact, I am upping the drinking window from the last time I tasted this, as there is such a pulse of life and grip that shows no signs of going anywhere. The initial layers are starting to be peeled back, but this retains primary black and blue fruits that are still full of flesh alongside baked earth, tons of liquorice and black chocolate with a grippy tannic structure, fresh acidities and a serious attitude. Brilliant stuff, that is clearly going to power on for decades. Harvest September 22 to October 20.

Halliday Wine Companion (94)

True to this cool season, a pretty and elegant Magill Estate of lively acidity, tangy berry fruits and savoury accents. It soaks up 100% new oak effortlessly (65/35% French/American), making space for flavours of licorice, black olives, pepper and exotic spice. No great Magill, but certainly an engaging and commendable result.

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Petrus opens a little broody, with gentle crushed rocks, cast iron pan and fragrant earth notions giving way to a core plum preserves, baked blueberries, licorice and Black Forest cake plus wafts of pencil shavings, garrigue and violets. Full-bodied, the palate is beautifully poised with a firm line of exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and fantastic freshness bolstering the generous fruit, finishing very long and very, very classy. Collectors fortunate enough to have a few bottles of this vintage are advised to be patient and allow it a further 7-10 years to loosen-up and emerge gloriously from this rock-solid structure.

Wine Enthusiast (100)

This famed Champagne comes from one of the steepest vineyards in the whole region, facing across the Marne river. With a blend of 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay, the densely textured wine shows great richness, a magnificent sense of place and structure. This is a very fine wine, a monument among Champagnes, one that will age for many more years. Drink through 2030.

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!

Vinous (93-96)

Good bright, deep red. Aromas of black raspberry, rose petal and menthol show an almost liqueur-like ripeness. Then wonderfully sappy and vinous in the mouth, with a powerful crushed stone element giving punch to the creamy mid-palate. This is in the style of Potel's Lavaux Saint-Jaques, offering outstanding precision and class and a powerful impression of energy. Can't quite match the Chambertin for sheer grip but this wine is like a wake-up call to the taste buds. (The Griottes-Chambertin, which finished its malo later, was quite youthfully clenched and oaky, and impossible to assess with confidence.)

The Eleven Confessions vineyard is a 33-acre plot located in the Santa Rita Hills AVA, which is widely known to be a cool climate region. True to their spirit of being non-conformists, the Krankls chose to focus primarily on Rhône varietals, dedicating 22 aces to Syrah, Grenache and some Rhône whites - while leaving the remaining 11 acres to Pinot Noir planted by the former ranch owner. The cool climate allows a longer hang-time for the grapes to develop full phenolic ripeness. Also, the Krankls kept yields very low, resulting in the phenomenal concentration that their wines are well-known for.

 

Made of a blend of approximately 97% Syrah with Roussane and Viognier completing the blend, the 2011 Syrah Patine earned a massive 98 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 96 pointsfrom Antonio Galloni, delivering “Guigal La Landonne like aromas and flavors of graphite, sweet oak, smoked meats, pepper and black raspberry and cassis-like fruit " (Dunnuck). Galloni finds “mocha, plums, violets, bittersweet chocolate and dark spice” from this “deep, powerful and intense” wine that he thinks will drink well out to 2035.

Wine Advocate (95+)

Made from the estate's oldest vines, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a bold and powerful wine that shows enormous precision and grit. On the Brunello scale, this expression from Siro Pacenti offers more dark fruit, plum, spice, tar and smoke. The wine reveals beautiful density and an important mouthfeel that hits the palate with seductive determination. This wine is holding up beautifully since I tasted it last and has even improved in terms of its complexity and overall elegance. It still has a long way to go.

The Wine Cellar Insider (97)

Intense, attention seeking notes of lemon, lime, flowers and stone open to a wine with depth, richness and concentration. The wine is long, fresh, plush and polished with plush textures and a mélange of citrus and mineral sensations. There is a purity to the sweet fruits that remain on your palate for close to 40 seconds.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2011 Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage Port is a typical field blend aged in used French oak vats. It comes in with 105 grams per liter of residual sugar. The youngest, fleshiest and fullest (perhaps because it is the youngest) of this vertical except for the unbottled 2017, this is also one of the most delicious. The fruit is so delectable that, at first, you don't notice how much pure power it has. Then, it's gorgeously textured, precise, focused and penetrating.

Wine Advocate (94)

The Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy 2010 Langhe Virtus is a blend of 60% Barbera and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is always a late release, and there's a big risk to that with so much bottle and vintage variation to account for. However, this 2010 expression has all its ducks in a row. The bouquet is concentrated and thick, with plenty of power and depth. The bouquet shows dark fruit, with licorice, camphor ash and ink. This is a treat for people who love the magic of old wines. Exactly 8,433 bottles were made.

Halliday Wine Companion (95)

One of the most daring releases of recent times, not so much for its blend of shiraz, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc as its bold shot at 100% whole bunch fermentation in the cold, wet '11, from a vineyard so run down it almost didn't crop at all. Bill Downie has worked his magic to create a hauntingly ethereal wine of internal harmony, silky structure and captivating exoticism.

Wine Advocate (98+)

Very deep purple-black colored, Torbreck's 2010 The Laird offers an extraordinary perfume of Chinese five spice, sandalwood, rose petals, espresso and licorice over a core of prunes, dried mulberries and blackcurrant preserves plus a touch of cloves. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and packed with dried black fruits and exotic spice flavors, the generous fruit is structured with velvety tannins and just enough freshness. It finishes with commendable persistence.

The Ultimate Bordeaux Collection 2010 is an exquisite blend of perfection for the discerning palate. Cultivated in the globally esteemed vineyards of Bordeaux, France, this special vintage is a testament to the careful crafting of fine wines. Produced by some of the world's most distinguished winemakers, this collection is a rarity, embodying the unique terroir of Bordeaux.

Harvested from mature vines, each grape is handpicked at optimum ripeness, enhancing its vibrant taste profile. The grapes undergo meticulous fermentation processes, developing the wine’s complex structure and opulent finish. French oak barrel ageing imbues it with deep, velvety textures, setting the stage for a tantalisingly long finish.

The Ultimate Bordeaux Collection 2010 is revered for its cellar-worthy potential, adding exquisite depth and evolution to the wine. Its rich aromas and elegant tannins mark a flawless fusion of power and finesse. Immerse yourself in the luxurious experience of this outstanding Bordeaux, for it is a true symphony of flavours.

Tim Atkin MW (100)

Vega Sicilia Único Reserva 2010 (14%) Perfection is as rare in wine as it is in most things in life, but this is a stunning Único, reflecting the quality of one of the greatest vintages of the last century. Blended with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, as it was in 2009, it's still a very youthful wine right now, with closeknit tannins, thrilling acidity, layers of spices, fresh earth, tobacco, red and black fruits, some oak sweetness and a wonderfully refreshing, leafy undertone. Simply stunning.