Stunning 2010 Bordeaux

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Bordeaux 2010

Please find below the last of the 2010’s I purchased based on the Grand Cru de Bordeaux Tasting of the 2010 vintage last spring.  These are the last to arrive and are some of my favorites of the tasting.  The Smith Haute Lafitte is a stunning wine and which I preferred to thier 2009 and once again the Chateau Gloria represents a great value at $54.99 as does the Cantenac Brown at $79.99.  With Napa Valley standards such as Caymus Special Select, Beringer Private Reserve, and many others selling for over $130 a bottle these classic Bordeaux are a value. While the Smith Haut-Lafitte is not inexpensive at $154.99, compare it to Bond, Harlan, Bryant Family, and many others at more then twice the price.

Cheers

John Callaghan

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2010

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 98 Current Retail $227
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 2009. (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 30-40 years but can be drunk in 5-7.
Wine Spectator 96 Gorgeous, with alluring black tea and warm ganache notes that unfurl slowly, while the core of intense steeped plum, anise, blackberry compote and black currant confiture sits patiently in reserve. The beautiful loam-, tobacco- and tar-filled finish displays major heft, but also remarkable polish and grace. Should age very slowly. Best from 2018 through 2035. â€“JM6 bottles in original wood case available at $154.99 per bottle

Chateau Cantenac Brown 2010
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 94+ Current Retail $155The 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 20-40 years. A classic!

Wine Spectator 92 Very fresh, with a bold display of dark blueberry, loganberry and plum fruit aromas and flavors that push ahead, followed by singed spice, black licorice and toasty vanilla bean notes. Displays a polished feel on the finish, kept honest by a buried charcoal accent. Shows plenty of length for the cellar. Best from 2014 through 2028. â€“JM

6 bottles in original wood case available at $79.99 per bottle
Chateau Gruaud Larose 2010
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 93+ Current Retail $197 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: 2020-2040.

Wine Spectator 93 This is distinctive, with an aromatic roasted alder wood streak leading the way, quickly followed by dense but sleek blackberry cobbler, currant paste and warm plum sauce notes. Well-polished through the finish, offering deeply embedded acidity. Best from 2015 through 2030. –JM

1 case available in wood at $94.99 per bottle
Chateau Gloria 2010
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 93 Current Retail $120.00 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, well-proportioned, 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.

Wine Spectator 90 Juicy and direct, with a relatively friendly feel to the plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit, all coated with a ganache note that hangs through the finish. Surprisingly accessible, and not quite as grippy as when tasted from barrel. Drink now through 2023. –JM

6 bottles in original wood case available at $54.99 per bottle
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