Bordeaux 2010: Reappraising the grands crus of the Médoc
It’s a great time to revisit the wines of an excellent-quality Bordeaux vintage such as 2010, as many have now entered their early drinking windows. We assessed 40 wines from many of the Médoc’s top producers, finding 21 wines that scored 94-points or more.
The Bordeaux 2010 vintage stands as a landmark year, one of the most celebrated in recent memory. Superb across the entire region, red wines reached optimum maturity with bright acidity and firm tannins.
Small berries produced concentrated wines with many having increased percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blends, leading to a slight advantage for the Left Bank over the Right.
Scroll down to see notes and scores for our top 2010 Médoc reds
Tale of the vintage
Almost 14 years later, the finest 2010 reds are shining examples of what Bordeaux can do at its best: structured, classical and fresh. And while they have taken their time to come around after being initially quite closed, many of the wines are now reaching the start of their drinking windows.
To quickly recap the weather at the time, a cold winter and dry early spring in 2010 delayed the initial vine growth, slowing and disrupting both bud burst (starting a few days later than in 2009) and flowering, which led to problems with millerandage and coulure (poor fruit set resulting in undersized berries in gappy bunches), particularly in the Merlot.
March saw less rain than average, then low rainfall in April and May led to a water deficit ahead of an exceedingly hot and dry summer. Although rain prevailed somewhat in June, only 50mm fell on average across the region July to September, according to data from the ISVV Bordeaux Institute, with no localised variations as in some years.
The year was drier than both 2009 and 2005. Long sunny days were fortunately offset by cool nights, vital in preserving acidity in both reds and whites, and there was a uniform spread of botrytis in Sauternes.
Overall, Pauillac is the most Cabernet-oriented appellation in 2010, and there were some great, almost unsurpassable wines produced there; St-Julien delivered some ‘quintessential clarets’, with each estate able to produce wines reflecting its own individual style and terroir. Indeed, in our tasting for this feature, those two appellations produced four of the five top-scoring wines.
Renowned for their depth, intensity and precision, these wines were lauded for their impeccable balance of fruit, tannin and acidity, as well as their potential for long-term ageing.
As such, en primeur release prices were set largely too high – as a reaction to the already-risen 2009 vintage, particularly for the first growths and their second wines – with the aim being to capitalise on interest from Asia at the time.
With the 2010s up an average 23% on the 2008 vintage, the secondary fine wine market suddenly fell out of love with Bordeaux and crashed a month or so after the spring 2012 primeurs campaign ended, heralding a fall in value for the 2010 vintage over the next five years.
The vintage remains one of the most expensive in recent times, and this has had the effect of largely overshadowing its greatness – but as the wines approach their drinking windows, these prices should now start to make more sense, relative to the market in general.
Fluctuating fortunes
As in all vintages, there have been winners and losers in terms of investments. According to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the wine trade, the returns and margin for 2010 wines in its Bordeaux 500 index were down -11% two years after en primeur release and currently by -12%.
The average ex-château release price per bottle of the 2010s was €211, the ex-négociant release price €255, and ex-London release price €282; two years later the market price had dropped back to €250, and the current market price remains at €248.
Of the 2010s, the best performers in terms of the percentage difference between release price and current market price are Le Pin at +144%, Calon Ségur at +70%, Smith Haut Lafitte +68%, Beychevelle +67% and Petrus +63%. There are 30 estates from the top 500 that show positive figures, ranging from +2% to +144%.
For some wider context, Liv-ex’s figures for current average return on en primeur release pricing reveal that the 2009 vintage is currently down -13%, as is the 2017, with 2019 at +13%, 2020 -10%, 2021 -9% and 2022 -5%.
Liv-ex maintains that: ‘Bordeaux offers plenty of value to buyers – just rarely en primeur’, adding: ‘Decades of poorly priced campaigns means that the relative value comes from well-priced back-vintages, often from leading estates.’
However, collectors with 2010 wines in their cellars – and even buyers looking to purchase bottles today – will be rewarded at almost any price point. Lots of wines are now ready to drink, but many are also capable of ageing further.
The best still need at least a decade longer but will have at least 20-30 years ahead of them after that, steadfast in their charm and approachability.
Hitting their stride: 40 top Médoc 2010 reds to seek out
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Château Gruaud-Larose, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Strongly perfumed: spicy, with vanilla and cola touches. Agile and smooth, a gorgeous roundness and brightness. High, almost piercing acidity, but balanced by mineral-edged, grippy...
2010
Château Gruaud-LaroseSt-Julien
Château Lagrange, St-Julien, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Flowers, leather, sweet spice and vanilla. Lively and focused, detailed and nuanced – in high definition. Gorgeous blackcurrant and black cherry elements. Fruity, but the...
2010
Château LagrangeSt-Julien
Château Léoville Poyferré, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Intense fruit, perfumed elements with strong wood notes. It's confident and a bit of a show-off, but the fruit and plush tannic chewiness are at...
2010
Château Léoville PoyferréSt-Julien
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Perfumed, fleshy and serious. Has a darker, moodier flavour profile than some. Blackcurrant, plum, black cherry, with soft tobacco and dark chocolate notes. Tannins are...
2010
Château Lynch-BagesPauillac
Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Softly fragrant and inviting, with cool, fresh blue fruit. Juicy and intense. Broad and big shouldered tannin-wise, but with a sleek, focused, precise centre. A...
2010
Château MontroseSt-Estèphe
Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
When tasted at 15 years, complexity remains. Ample florality brightens the aromas of black fruits, earth and faint hints of wood smoke. The palate shows...
2010
Château Brane-CantenacMargaux
Château Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Darkly fragranced, with chocolate, blackcurrants and violets, ripe fruit and soft woody touches. Tense and compact, tannins with a lovely texture. Nice weight and balance....
2010
Château Cos d'EstournelSt-Estèphe
Château Giscours, Margaux, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Very perfumed: violets, irises and blackcurrants, supple and lively. Lifted and bright, with fruit and acidity to the fore. Lean and streamlined, tannic structure is...
2010
Château GiscoursMargaux
Château Langoa Barton, St-Julien, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
A dark nose: tobacco, liquorice, potpourri and blackcurrants. Grippy and intense yet juicy, bright and weighty. Tannins fill the mouth with a half-chewy, half-mineral texture....
2010
Château Langoa BartonSt-Julien
Château Léoville Barton, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Darkly perfumed nose: blackcurrants and bramble fruits with subtle wood spice and cinnamon. Juicy, forward and very vibrant. Acidity to the fore, with powdery tannins...
2010
Château Léoville BartonSt-Julien
Château Saint-Pierre, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Floral and heady on the nose. Rich black berries and cherries with dried, perfumed flowers and sweet spice. Almost thick on the palate. Chewy and...
2010
Château Saint-PierreSt-Julien
Château Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Herbal and dark-fruited, has body and movement with high acidity offsetting sleek tannins and mineral elements. Lovely focus and freshness, persistence and drive. Good combination...
2010
Château Branaire-DucruSt-Julien
Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Wildly perfumed with lifted sweet and cool dark fruits. Juicy and alive. Quite a direct approach, but with some salty, crushed stone tannins giving weight....
2010
Château Durfort-VivensMargaux
Château Haut-Bages Libéral, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Dense, expressive aromatics. Rich, vibrant bramble fruit with lots of floral accents. Supple and alive. A great combination of acidity and juiciness with weight and...
2010
Château Haut-Bages LibéralPauillac
Château Calon Ségur, St-Estèphe, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Intense nose, quite herbal and smoky with tobacco, liquorice, sweet spice and dark chocolate. Supple and lithe. Chewy in the best way, with bright, vibrant...
2010
Château Calon SégurSt-Estèphe
Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Gently perfumed, lots of rose petals and red berry fruit on the nose. Smells clean and lively. Mouthwatering red fruits and high acidity but a...
2010
Château Clerc MilonPauillac
Château d'Issan, Margaux, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
94
Deep, expressive nose of dark fruits. Full and round, smooth yet filling. Has both weight and a sense of direction, with tannins giving density. Cool, clean fruit provides linearity. Classical, confident and nicely weighted, subtle power from start to finish. Not very layered and a tad dry on the finish, but there's lots to like here.
2010
Château d'IssanMargaux
Château Desmirail, Margaux, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Cherries, blackcurrants and some dark purple florals on the nose, a little confected. Strong and round, upfront, tannic and mouthfilling but in a crushed velvet,...
2010
Château DesmirailMargaux
Château Ferrière, Margaux, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Vivid, dark, intense nose full of blackcurrant, pencil shavings and liquorice root. Juicy and alive. The tannins are imposing but cut through by the acidity...
2010
Château FerrièreMargaux
Château Pichon Baron, Pauillac, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Cool blue and black fruits, crayon and floral scents. Bright, fleshy and round at first but quite serious and then lean where the fruit quickly...
2010
Château Pichon BaronPauillac
Château Talbot, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Rich, vibrant nose. Milk chocolate, cherries and soft floral scents. Bouncy and grippy. A lovely bright aspect but with quite a serious, streamlined core so...
2010
Château TalbotSt-Julien
Château La Lagune, Haut-Médoc, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
A bit bretty on the nose, dark fruit and vanilla, tobacco and dark chocolate notes. Round and forward, nicely sculpted, body but also lots of...
2010
Château La LaguneHaut-Médoc
Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Incense, cedar, blackcurrants, vanilla, rose and exotic sweet spices. Focused and forward, but compact and tight. Crushed-silk tannins give good support but do cover the...
2010
Château Rauzan-GassiesMargaux
Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Vivid nose: dark baked fruits, floral scents and oaky touches. Nice energy and lift from the start, acidity setting the pace. Well-integrated tannins and a...
2010
Château CantemerleHaut-Médoc
Château Lafon-Rochet, St-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Fragrant and herbal, with blackberry aromas. Plush and fleshy. Fruit and tannins carry the texture and weight, with almost chewy yet cool blueberries, black cherries...
2010
Château Lafon-RochetSt-Estèphe
Château Lascombes, Margaux, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Expressive nose of sweet cherries, cedar, vanilla and liquorice. Juicy and upfront at first, then becomes tight and severe as the promised fruity fun closes...
2010
Château LascombesMargaux
Château Brane-Cantenac, Baron de Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Darkly perfumed fruit aromas, a little sombre. Filling but not heavy palate, tannins supportive with a texture almost of thick crushed velvet. Lean, salty blackcurrant...
2010
Château Brane-CantenacMargaux
Château Cos d'Estournel, Les Pagodes de Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Fragrant dark fruit, ripe and perfumed with cola and crayon notes. Juicy, upfront and lively, the tannins giving both a gentle weight and sense of...
2010
Château Cos d'EstournelSt-Estèphe
Château de Camensac, Haut-Médoc, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Toasted notes on the nose, remnants of oak and blackcurrant. Full and round. Plush, gently chewy fruit and powdery tannins give this a wider mouthfeel...
2010
Château de CamensacHaut-Médoc
Château Kirwan, Margaux, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Blue fruit, dried herbs and vanilla. Juicy and high-toned, the acidity to the fore, but leaving quite a lean, salty undercurrent and a bit of...
2010
Château KirwanMargaux
Château Lynch-Bages, Echo de Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2010
High-toned nose. Generous and fun at first with an initial burst of strawberries and raspberries, but then it straightens and focuses, becoming a bit lean...
2010
Château Lynch-BagesPauillac
Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Nose of wood, caramel, sweet cinnamon, clove, tobacco and confected blackcurrants. The smooth and juicy palate is lively but doesn't fully reflect the nose, with...
2010
Château PédesclauxPauillac
Château de Camensac, La Closerie de Camensac, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Soft notes of tobacco, sweet cedar, baked cherries and pencil shavings. A deep mineral core gives tension and drive, with raspberry and red berry flavours....
2010
Château de CamensacHaut-Médoc
Château Durfort-Vivens, Le Relais de Durfort-Vivens, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Strong red and blue cherry aromas, vanilla, sweet floral scents and lots of cola. Juicy and upfront, nice energy, fun and bright but with a...
2010
Château Durfort-VivensMargaux
Château Lagrange, Les Fiefs de Lagrange, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Dark berry aromas and soft fragrant touches. Tangy and bright. Mouthwatering acidity sets the tone for a clean and lean palate: strawberries, raspberries and wet...
2010
Château LagrangeSt-Julien
Château Belgrave, Haut-Médoc, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Nose of bright black cherries, blackcurrants and sweet floral scents. A little tart at first, but then lean and salty. The frame is there but...
2010
Château BelgraveHaut-Médoc
Château Calon Ségur, Marquis de Calon Sêgur, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Herbal-edged red berry aromas with soft floral accents. High-toned, almost tart, but the tannins and minerality come in quickly, giving a metallic, salty lingering tang...
2010
Château Calon SégurSt-Estèphe
Château d'Issan, Blason d'Issan, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Ripe and dark aromas, vibrant and expressive. Quite a lean body and high acidity, seems to lack a bit of life, though tannins are well...
2010
Château d'IssanMargaux
Château Gruaud-Larose, Sarget de Gruaud-Larose, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Dark berries, peppercorns, liquorice and dried tobacco on the nose. Juicy at first but with a slightly dry woodiness and metallic element that comes through...
2010
Château Gruaud-LaroseSt-Julien
Château Lafon-Rochet, Les Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Woody tones and grippy, weighty tannins come through straight away, rather obscuring the light fruit in the background. Ends with a mineral, graphite and wet...
2010
Château Lafon-RochetSt-Estèphe