2010 Bordeaux en primeur: Vieux Certan, La Mondotte, Troplong, Palmer, Ducru, Petit Mouton
28/06/11
I've just looked up "no brainer" on tinternet. It said "2010 Vieux Chateau Certan." With whopping scores across the board but production down by a third to just 3000 cases, this is going to be very difficult to allocate. Perhaps that explains Alexandre Thienpont's expression this year. Here's our favourite note, though I don't know why I'm bothering:
'What a wine! This tasted perfect out of barrel. Like the 2009 VCC, this was unusually low in Cabernet Franc because of heat stress in the vineyard, but maybe Alexandre Thienpont should stick to the blend, because it is paying rich dividends. You don't notice the high alcohol, such are the concentration of fruit, the plush tannins and the fragrant, beautifully balanced finish. Likely to be expensive, given the quality of the wine, but this is the Right Bank wine of the vintage. 20+ years. 100 points.' - Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com
From St-Emilion, La Mondotte, the jewel in the crown of the dapper Comte Stephan von Neipperg:
'Owner Stefan von Neipperg and winemaking consultant Stephane Derenoncourt have fashioned a prodigious wine in 2010. This 11.5-acre gem of an estate sits on clay and limestone soils above Pavie and Pavie Decesse. The 2010's final blend was 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It offers unctuously-textured mulberry, boysenberry and blueberry fruit intertwined with notions of espresso roast, toast, smoke and graphite. Full-bodied with a skyscraper-like mouthfeel, silky tannins and a tremendous finish, it will be drinkable in 3-4 years and evolve for 20-25 or more. Drink 2014-2029. 96-98 points+.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com
And Troplong Mondot, which is certainly "amazing":
'An amazing wine, the 2010 is right up there with the extraordinary quality of 2009, 2005 and 1990. Made from yields of 32 hectoliters per hectare, the final blend was 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. A late harvest between October 4 and 16 with the last of the Cabernet Franc coming in on October 28 no doubt accounts for the wine's powerful 15.5% natural alcohol. Of course, the anti-alcohol folks will make a big deal of this, but despite the high alcohol levels in nearly every 2010, there is freshness, precision, definition and absolutely no heat in the wines whatsoever. This stunningly rich effort offers abundant blueberry, black raspberry, licorice and graphite notes intermixed with a hint of espresso roast, a seriously concentrated, super-intense mouthfeel, full-bodied power, a complex, multidimensional texture and a nearly 50-second finish. It will require 5-6 years of bottle age after its release and should keep for three decades or more. Just prodigious! 96-98 points+.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com
We feared it would be as much as £3k a case. In fact, you can have a case of its alter ego for that, too. Today we present Chateau Palmer, always one of Bordeaux's most captivating wines.
'The 2010 Palmer, which is 50% Merlot and the rest mostly Cabernet Sauvignon except for 6% Petit Verdot, is a huge, inky/purple-colored wine with notes of camphor, incense, blackberry, espresso roast, and subtle barbecue smoke. Extremely full-bodied and unbelievably powerful (14.5% natural alcohol, but with a rather standard pH of 3.75), this wine is going to be one of the great classics ever to emerge from this iconic chateau. It is extremely tannic, but the tannins are eclipsed by the extravagant concentration of fruit, unctuosity, and density of this wine. This will be a Chateau Palmer to put away for 10 years and drink over the following 40+. Drink 2021-2061. 95-97 points.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com
And whether as an accompaniment or as an alternative, Alter Ego is now more like the grand vin than ever. It's where the smart money is going since Pavillon Rouge entered another realm.
'Deep ruby-red. Musky aromas of blackberry, gunflint and black pepper, plus a whiff of dried herbs. Bright and linear on the palate, with lively acidity framing the flavors of dark fruits, black pepper and minerals. Finishes with smooth tannins and good length. This rather firm-edged Alter Ego is a different wine than usual, more rigorous and less fruity than the softer, suppler versions of recent years. In fact, in this vintage it resembles Palmer more than Alter Ego. 88-91 points.' - Ian D'Agata, internationalwinecellar.com
Yesterday afternoon's first tranche of Ducru-Beaucaillou went to last year's buyers. Today we have a second tranche at a slightly higher price.
'Representing 45% of their total production, the 2010 Ducru will certainly compete with the efforts produced in 2009, 2008, and 2005. It hit 14% natural alcohol, compared to 13.5% in 2009 and 2008. A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the wine has a surprisingly lower pH (3.62) than the 2009, or the 2005 for that matter. A truly remarkable wine, with a dense purple color and a beautiful nose of creme de cassis, spring flowers and crushed rock, this full-bodied, sensationally concentrated wine has massive richness, high but very sweet tannin, and stunning purity and depth. Proprietor Bruno Borie seems to have pulled out all the stops in turning out an absolutely compelling effort that is the essence of Ducru Beaucaillou. It should drink well for 30-40 years. Drink 2013-2051. 96-98 points+.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com
This week has also seen inital releases from the first growths. Chateau Margaux have made only half the volume of Pavillon Rouge this year as they prepare to launch their third wine, itself underpinned by - you guessed it - a fourth wine. We are still awaiting our final allocation. As Carruades has entered another world, Le Petit Mouton has been attracting more of the hot money over the past few months. Someone told us that the Mouton team faced the firing squad if they didn't make a 100-point wine. Thankfully, they were spared. With such a severe selection to achieve that, it's no wonder the second wine is so good. /AR
Halves & magnums £10 extra per 9 litre case; other formats on request
View all 2010 Bordeaux en primeur