Bordeaux 2010 - Haut-Médoc

An appellation that stretches from Blanquefort in the south to past Saint-Estèphe in the north with vines planted across 15 communes provides the most varied range of styles in all the Left Bank. The higher incidence of gravel in the southern vineyards and those nearer the Gironde Estuary provide more elegance, the inland communes with more clay being more robust. 2010 slightly favoured the former for suppleness, while the latter’s firmness is more classic Médoc. Always one of the most reliable appellations in Bordeaux, Haut-Médoc's quality shone through once again in 2010. By Steven Spurrier.