BORDEAUX 2010 - ANOTHER GREAT VINTAGE (HONESTLY!) - [click for more detail]

Universally hailed as a great vintage by all of the top Bordeaux critics, similar in quality to 2009 and yet quite different in style. Lovers of Bordeaux wines will want plenty of both vintages in their collections.

As proprietor, one of my perks is that I get to taste magnificent wines like those of Bordeaux 2010 En Primeur. There is no doubt that the GCC wines are generally wonderful, and excellent value for money is there at the lower levels and at Cru Bourgeois.
Great concentated fruit, as in 2009, but this new vintage shows higher acidity levels and even bigger tannins. With such good structure, these wines will age magnificemtly though, in my opinion, the drinking window will start later than for the 2009s.
With yields down, and ever-bouyant demand from the far East, release prices started ok but then got a bit excessive towards the end - especially for Sterling buyers. Consequently, I bought carefully - choosing wines that were sensibly priced and should hold their value well. Where neceassary, l let allocations go, as some of the star wines were over-priced, in my opinion.
Overall, I think the difference in quality between 2010 and 2009 was often over-stated. I tried Pontet Canet on three occasions, and my aggregate scores (out of 300) were just one point apart. 2010 is slightly better and with signoificantly greater ageing/development potential.
So, no cellar would be complete without carefully chosen examples of the wionderful/historic 2010 vintage. We have over 30 wines at GCC level. I look forward to your enquiries. - Alan Harding, Director