Top 2010 wines: A decade on
There were some great wines made in the 2010 vintage around the world, from Bordeaux and Barolo to Barossa and Napa, so here are 30 top scorers for drinking and also for ageing.
After a decade of ageing, many of the best 2010 wines are only just hitting their stride now, and plenty of these are also expected to keep much further into the 21st century.
While 2020 may be a year many of us don’t want to dwell upon, perhaps opening a ‘special wine’ that has been maturing in the cellar can bring a moment of lightness.
If you’re fortunate enough to have a 2010 vintage nestled in your collection, then you may know it was a strong year for several red wine regions, in particular.
Wineries in Napa Valley, the Rhône, Rioja, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino and Barossa Valley provided just some of the highlights.
In Bordeaux, the 2010 wines ‘are some of the best Bordeaux has ever produced‘, said Jane Anson in her recent review of the vintage a decade out from harvest.
Of more than 50 wines she tasted, we’ve picked out below some of the wines entering their drinking windows, albeit the best Bordeaux 2010 wines would also benefit from more ageing. The First Growths, for example, ‘are nowhere near ready’, said Anson.
In Champagne, 2010 was a ‘challenging’ vintage, according to Simon Field MW. Top winemakers can often shine in such moments, and Field praised the ‘incredible skill brought to bear’ in the making of Dom Pérignon 2010, released this year.
The 30 2010 wines below feature bottlings from around the world and have been rated by our experts.
Thirty great 2010 wines: A decade on
You might also like:
Jane Anson’s top fine wines of 2020
Best Champagnes tasted in 2020
Château Lafleur, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, 2010
The paradox of Bordeaux is that some of the greatest vintages are almost unapproachable until they are 20 years old or more. 2010 almost certainly...
2010
Château LafleurPomerol
Wynns Coonawarra Estate, John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia, Australia, 2010
A magical union of opulent, juicy blackberry wrapped discretely in a regal oak robe. Captured at optimal ripeness, the fruit notes remain bright and vital,...
2010
Wynns Coonawarra EstateCoonawarra
Penfolds, Grange, South Australia, Australia, 2010
The deep spectrum of dark flavours – wild blackberry, mulberry, liquorice – speaks in an imposing baritone. The palate is rich, full and even, riding...
2010
Penfolds
Vega Sicilia, Único, Spain, 2010
Unico is Tinto Fino, with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, in contrast to Valbuena No.5, which has a small dash of Merlot. It opens with alluring aromas...
2010
Vega Sicilia
Stéphane Ogier, But de Mont, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2010
This was tasted at a friend's birthday party at Julo wine bar in Bordeaux's old town. There was a line up of ten magnums that...
2010
Stéphane OgierCôte-Rôtie
M Chapoutier, Le Méal Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2010
White Hermitage (or Ermitage as Chapoutier prefers) remains one of the great undervalued wines of the world, and this shows you exactly why everyone should...
2010
M ChapoutierHermitage
Philipponnat, Clos des Goisses, Champagne, France, 2010
The 2010 Clos des Goisses, of which there will be only 5,000 bottles, shows a generous and lively bouquet of white pepper, white flowers, apricot...
2010
Philipponnat
Jim Barry, The Armagh, Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia, 2010
The Armagh vineyard – a northwest-facing sun trap – was planted to Shiraz by Jim Barry in 1968. A bottomless pit of perfumed, plush, liquorice-edged...
2010
Jim BarryClare Valley
Clos des Papes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2010
Undoubtedly one of the greatest Châteauneuf vintages of recent times, up there with the 1990 - and perhaps the 2016; time will tell. It's deeply...
2010
Clos des PapesChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Henschke, Hill of Grace, Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia, 2010
Planted in 1860, these remarkable 150-year old Shiraz vines unquestionably produce one of the greatest wines of Australia. Its spice, tar and tabasco fragrance is...
2010
HenschkeEden Valley
Sandrone, Cannubi Boschis, Barolo, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 2010
Flashes of exotic fruit aromas with notes of coffee and spice. Full and round on the palate with a hint of velvet already. A beautiful...
2010
SandroneBarolo
Kumeu River, Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu, Auckland, New Zealand, 2010
The 2014 Maté's is sensational but young. This 2010, a vintage that's tasting beautifully, is packed full of hazelnuts and roasted lemon complexity. Just wonderful,...
2010
Kumeu RiverKumeu
Gallica, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2010
Rosemary Cakebread's home estate (winemaker at Spottswoode for many years), there is a clear smoky edge from the first nose. As it opens in the...
2010
GallicaNapa Valley
Paul Jaboulet Aîné, La Chapelle Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2010
A bold but measured white Hermitage with a long finish, powerful but without excess alcohol or richness, and although oaked, it's not over-oaked. This has...
2010
Paul Jaboulet AînéHermitage
Muga, Prado Enea Gran Reserva, Rioja, Alta, Northern Spain, Spain, 2010
Only made in the best vintages – and they don't get any better than 2010 – this is a brooding, ageworthy blend of mostly Tempranillo,...
2010
MugaRioja
Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru Les Combettes, Burgundy, France, 2010
Few would question that Combettes, which is close to Meursault, is one of Puligny's outstanding vineyards and Leflaive's wine lives up to that reputation. The...
2010
Domaine LeflaivePuligny-Montrachet
Villa Calcinaia, Riserva, Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, 2010
This historic estate (pronounced ‘Kal-chin-aya’) has been home to the Counts Capponi since 1524 and is today managed by brothers Sebastiano and Niccolò Capponi. Located...
2010
Villa CalcinaiaChianti Classico
Hugel, Grossi Laüe Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France, 2010
So silky, rich and enveloping, yet precise. Spice, earth, flowers; terroir and depth, precision, glorious aromas; was the perfect match for a prawn and mango...
2010
Hugel
Antinori, Tignanello, Tuscany, Italy, 2010
This demonstrates amazing aromatic complexity. Balsamic herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme meet red forest berries, sous-bois, creosote and warm stones. There is a sinewy...
2010
Antinori
Remírez de Ganuza, Reserva, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, 2010
Top white Rioja in a more international style, made with cold soak and ageing in new French oak, but built on quality Viura and Malvasía...
2010
Remírez de GanuzaRioja
Biondi-Santi, Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2010
The only Riserva in the line up for this masterclass, Biondi-Santi's 2010 shouldn't be a pick for drinking now – instead, it demands more time in...
2010
Biondi-SantiBrunello di Montalcino
Château Beychevelle, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Darker in colour than most in this vertical tasting, Château Beychevelle reached its best maturity levels for Cabernet Sauvignon in 2010. This is a really...
2010
Château BeychevelleSt-Julien
Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2010
We were very much in the years here where Malartic was flexing its muscles and rising through the ranks of Pessac Léognan. With this wine...
2010
Château Malartic-LagravièrePessac-Léognan
Leonetti Cellar, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Washington, USA, 2010
A remarkable achievement from a challenging vintage for Walla Walla reds. The lengthy palate has great freshness, texture and viscosity, while the depth and concentration...
2010
Leonetti CellarColumbia Valley
Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2010
Somewhat like the white of the same vintage, this is a taut wine, but time in glass yields impressive, cool,blueberry fruit that tastes more youthful...
2010
Domaine de ChevalierPessac-Léognan
Dom Pérignon, Champagne, France, 2010
Soft gold, with a gentle green luminescence and a paler rim. A fine bead and immediately reassuring nose…. classic DP this, citric fruit, slate, sourdough,...
2010
Dom Pérignon
Château Couhins-Lurton, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2010
The colour and aromatics of this 2010 are still fresh, it could almost be a three year old wine. Touches of lemon confit, as with...
2010
Château Couhins-LurtonPessac-Léognan
Thiénot, Cuvée Garance Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, France, 2010
Traditionally composed of 100% Pinot Noir from both south and north of Montagne de Reims, the 2010 Garance cuvée includes for the first time Pinot...
2010
Thiénot
Pierre Gimonnet, Oenophile Non Dosé, Champagne, France, 2010
The 2010 Oenophile Non-Dosé is bristling with citrus notes, chalkiness and spices. Tight and crystalline on the palate, it’s dense and yet not all that...
2010
Pierre Gimonnet
Domaine Thibert Père & Fils, Vignes Blanches, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France, 2010
A green yellow colour - this looks bright in the glass and smells of lemon sweets and sherbert alongside honeydew melon, green apple and pear....
2010
Domaine Thibert Père & FilsMâconnais
