Haut-Médoc 2010 & 2014 panel tasting results

It’s the perfect time to take an in-depth look at these two vintages, says Jane Anson...

88 Haut-Médoc wines from 2010 and 2014 tasted, with 1 Outstanding and 17 Highly Recommended

The tasters: Jane Anson, James Lawther MW and Ronan Sayburn MS

Scroll down to see the wines

Summary by Jane Anson, Decanter contributing editor:

Looking at the numbers, we tasted through 88 wines in total across the Haut-Médoc, with a relatively even split between 2010s and the 2014s, and we found a good many successful bottles that are worth stocking up on.

Living up to expectations, the Haut-Médoc 2010s shone, but 2014 achieved some good scores too. Plenty of good drinking wines for both now and the coming years.

A full 18 wines out of the 88 were awarded 90 points or more – Highly Recommended here, or a Silver medal in the Decanter World Wine Awards system.

Only one made it into the 95+ Exceptional/Gold bracket (and none in 98+ Outstanding/Platinum). But that’s still 20% of the tasting Highly Recommended, with only 23 wines scoring below the 86 Recommended threshold. A reasonable result when you consider that the vast majority of the wines we tasted retail at less than £30, and many below £15.

As expected, there was a pretty clear distinction between the two vintages. Five of the top seven wines (scoring 91 and above) were from 2010, although eight of the top 18 (90 and above) were from 2014.

And, even in 2010, there was a distinction between the classified estates and non-classifieds (or at least the more expensive wines) in terms of ageing potential. The classified 2010s were barely out of the starting blocks, while many of the crus bourgeois or other 2010s were getting fully into their drinking window – important to note, when you read so much about how we should be leaving our 2010 wines for another five years at least. It’s worth pointing out that some 2010s and succulent and joyful right now, and have no need of further ageing.

But there were clear highlights and excellent fruits on display in 2014, scattered from top to bottom of the scores, though in general the wines did not have the same density and longevity as the 2010s. Too many 2014s showed the weakness of the vintage in terms of underripe fruits that left traces of green pepper flavours.

Assessing large groups of wines in panel tastings really drives the point home that it is not always easy delivering a supple, fruit-filled, easy-drinking wine at the lower price points in an oceanic climate such as Bordeaux. It gives you huge respect for the ones that manage it.

The two highest-scoring 2014s were Châteaux La Lagune and Arnauld, with La Tour Carnet and Cambon La Pelouse also deserving a nod – in fact La Tour Carnet was one of the few where all three judges scored it equally well, with a Highly Recommended across the board.

And it’s great to see Château Arnauld do so well, especially as it made it into the top wines for both its 2010 and 2014. It’s an estate that is on excellent terroir, just outside the Margaux appellation borders, and has been investing heavily over the past decade. Hubert de Boüard consults, and there’s a focus increasingly on ensuring ripe fruits and soft tannins, but still within the signature sculpted elegance of a Haut-Médoc.

There were also, as expected, a number of great value wines on offer – the second wines of Châteaux Chasse-Spleen and Lynch-Moussas in 2010 are definitely worth getting hold of, both well priced and delicious; and the top-three wine Château Sénéjac 2010 can be found at under £25, which makes it a clear winner in a vintage where classified estates often retailed above £50, even £100.

Ronan Sayburn MS, head of wine at 67 Pall Mall in London, summed up the tasting by acknowledging: ‘Lots of solid bronze- and silver-level wines, to be drunk with food. Lots of tannins and acid, highly structured, lots of classic Bordeaux successes on display.’

The scores

88 wines tasted

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their AP Haut-Médoc reds from 2010 and 2014, with a maximum of three wines per producer

2010

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 1

Highly Recommended 9

Recommended 23

Commended 7

Fair 2

Poor 0

Faulty 1

2014

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 0

Highly Recommended 8

Recommended 23

Commended 12

Fair 2

Poor 0

Faulty 0

Our tasters each pick their top three wines from the tasting:

Jane Anson

Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Anson lives in the region and is an accredited wine teacher at the Ecole du Vin in Bordeaux. Her book titles include Bordeaux Legends, a history of the 1855 first growth estates (Abrams 2013), and Wine Revolution (Quarto 2017). 

Chateau Belle-Vue 2010

A generous percentage of spicy, rich Petit Verdot is part of the character of this wine, and it really suits the intense character of the 2010 vintage. The texture and clarity of the fruit is clear. Intense, cassis-led, mixed with liquorice root and charcoal, roasted coffee bean, great texture and balance, tannins that are still young and with huge life ahead. 93 Drink 2019-2026

Chateau Sénéjac 2010

One of the most reliable names in the Haut-Médoc appellation, Lorraine Cordier was running this lovely estate with biodynamic farming in 2010 (she passed away in 2011 although the property remains in his family). Sweet fruit evident on the nose, some touches of damson and black cherry jam through the palate, super enjoyable on its own but will also be great with food. Vibrant and full of fruit. 93 Drink 2019-2022

Château Arnauld 2014

An excellent property with vines located on a high quality gravel terrace just outside the borders of Margaux, with serious investment in recent years. Clear grip, poise and enjoyable depth of damson and blackberry fruit expression, with lovely smoked spice notes on the nose. The tannins are firm but pliable. Great potential and a real success in the vintage (particularly impressive as Arnauld did so well in both vintages tasted). Hubert de Boüard consultant. 92 Drink 2019-2033

James Lawther MW

A contributing editor to Decanter and Regional co-Chair for Languedoc-Roussillon at the Decanter World Wine Awards, Lawther is an independent wine writer, lecturer and tour guide based in Bordeaux. A Master of Wine since 1993, he has been writing about Languedoc-Roussillon for the last 20 years.

Château Arnauld 2010

This cru bourgeois was the surprise package. Ripe, lush and creamy, it shows the elegance of its near Margaux site and the generosity of the vintage. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot, it can also age. 95 Drink 2019-2027

Château Belgrave 2014

The Dourthe team have invested considerable time and money in this good value fifth growth (1855) and the results show. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, it’s dark, long and linear – a classic for ageing. 92 Drink 2019-2028

Château Sénéjac 2010

This southern Haut-Médoc has always been a favourite. Owned by the same family as fourth growth (1855) St-Julien Château Talbot since 1999, it produces characterful but harmonious wines, the fruit on the Cabernet-dominant 2010 particularly zesty and expressive. 91 Drink 2019-2022

Ronan Sayburn MS

Sayburn is CEO at the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe, head of wines at private members’ club 67 Pall Mall, and runs his own consultancy and wine training company, RS Wine Academy. A former UK Sommelier of the Year and regular judge in the competition, he is also a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Château Arnauld 2010

Located between Moulis and Margaux, opposite the iconic Le Lion d’Or restaurant, this Allianz Insurance group-owned château has seen much improvement recently. Shows great depth, elegance and balance with well-integrated oak and a modern winemaking technique. 95 Drink 2019-2027

Château Cantemerle 2010

Driving from Mérignac airport up to the Médoc along the D2, Cantemerle is the first of the great wine estates that you encounter. It’s a 90ha property located close to La Lagune. This wine shows classic graphite, cedar and pencil shavings on the nose with an elegant, multi-layered palate. Refined and attractive. 94 Drink 2019-2029

Les Hauts de Lynch-Moussas 2014

Found of gravelly/clay soils close to Batailley and Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Improvements have been seen at this property of late, and this second wine provides excellent value for money: delicious blackcurrant, dark cherry and plum wrapped in fine oak, cedarwood and tobacco. 93 Drink 2019-2027

About Haut-Médoc

On the face of things, this tasting might look a little unfair, pitting the 2010 vintage in Bordeaux against the 2014. One year with all the acclaim, the other frequently overshadowed.

2010 was without question an exceptionally strong year (given a Decanter 5/5 rating on both Left Bank and Right), with lots of sunshine but cool nights ensuring plenty of thick skins, intense concentrated flavours and big, bold tannins. All of this should perfectly suit the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated Haut-Médocs, as the long harvest window meant excellent ripening. At eight years old, these wines should be in the absolute sweet spot.

2014 was also a strong vintage in some areas, and luckily the Haut-Médoc was one that most benefited from the beautiful Indian summer – after a July and August that gave winemakers sleepless nights. The southern Médoc was not quite as lucky as the northern sector, because it was up beyond Margaux where rainfall was particularly low during harvest, but a long ripening period will always suit Cabernet Sauvignon, and a late harvest where picking takes place in October will almost invariably mean reasonable alcohols and balanced acidities – a good thing, as long as there is enough fruit to buttress the whole experience.

Perfect timing

We should expect to find all these wines relatively young, with tight black fruit flavours and tannins still holding the fruit confidently in place, although Haut-Médocs traditionally will not take as long to be ready to open as the village appellations. The four years’ difference could mean that many of the wines – the concentrated 2010s as well as the slightly lighter 2014s – are beginning to open up and getting ready to be enjoyed.

In this tasting we had the Haut-Médoc 1855 classified wines of Belgrave, Camensac, La Lagune and La Tour Carnet, alongside much-loved names such as Cambon La Pelouse and Caronne Ste Gemme, so plenty to look forward to. Panel tastings at this stage are really important, as this moment of ageing is when corks are starting to be pulled.

Lining up such a good number of wines means the exceptional ones really do stand out, and it’s particularly interesting to see who did well across both vintages. In many cases, the 2010 bottles were considerably more expensive, although at the cru bourgeois and general Haut-Médoc level, this certainly isn’t always the case. Would the price make a difference? And would the 2010s wipe the floor with their 2014 counterparts?…

Haut-Médoc: the facts

Médoc appellations Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Moulis, Listrac, Margaux, St-Julien, Pauillac, St-Estèphe; total 16,000ha (15% of Bordeaux’s vineyard); about 600 châteaux

Haut-Médoc AP 4,318ha, 301 winemakers

Date of AP 1936

Location Southern part of Médoc, below AP Médoc, closer to city of Bordeaux

Soils Gravel and clay

1855 classifications in Haut-Médoc Five châteaux

Grapes Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 44%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 2%

Haut-Médoc: know your vintages

2016 Big, bristling tannins, great freshness, a more architectural feel than the previous year, but with many successes. Best wines are around Pauillac and St-Julien.

2015 Particularly successful in the southern Médoc (and on the Right Bank), so covering a lot of these Haut-Médoc producers. Plenty of sunshine, excellent ripeness, fruit plush and plump.

2014 Again, as this tasting shows, an above average year with some real successes in the Médoc, but uneven.

2013 Weakest recent vintage, very challenging conditions. Some producers managed to bottle fruit-forward, enjoyable wines, mainly through careful selection and sorting, but proceed carefully.

2012 Some tight tannins at first, a classic year rather than exceptional, but lovely fruit up in the Médoc, and many wines that are starting to be enjoyed.

2011 A vintage that should be looked at again right now. Exceptionally hot in April and May, although worries of drought were lessened by a cool July, then a damp August, followed by an excellent harvest. Initial hard tannins are beginning to soften.

2010 An exceptional vintage offering excellent fruit-tannin- acid balance, and long-living.

See all the wines from this tasting

Top Scoring Bordeaux 2010 & 2014

See all of the wines in this panel tasting

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