2010 was a great vintage for the wines of St Estephe. The Cabernet Sauvignon performed very well, with tannins that were dense but ripe for the majority of the chateaux. This is no longer an appellation whose wines are austere and require at least a decade of aging before they can be approached. Through the entire quality spectrum, phenolic ripeness was achieved and very few wines had tough, astringent or unripe tannins. Like the 2009, this vintage produced some amazing wines from this appellation, many of which will enjoy an even longer cellaring life than the 2009s.
1. 2010 Château Montrose, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The very classy 2010 Montrose is a deep ruby purple, offering up notes of ripe blackberries, plums, blackberries, cedar and tobacco, supported by a seductive array of blackberry, tobacco and tealeaf flavours, and lovely full ripe tannins that are fine and seamless. Another fabulous vintage for Montrose, this is a more classic and restrained style compared with the 2009. (94-97)
2. 2010 Château Cos d’Estournel, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The amazingly fresh 2010 Cos d’Estournel has a deep, opaque purple hue, with aromatics of vibrant blackberries, cherries, plum, spices and a hint of cedar, and a nice depth of fruit and restrained character to the flavours. It is good to see Cos moving away from over-extraction and crafting a wine that is detailed enough to express its fine terroir. This is a more classic style of Cos, understated and subtle but also with wonderful freshness and length. (93-97)
3. 2010 Château Montrose la Dame de Montrose, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The deep ruby purple 2010 La Dame de Montrose exudes aromas of vibrant blackberries, cherries, plum, spices and hint of cedar, oak, followed on the palate by tobacco and cocoa flavours. The ripe velvety tannins give the wine a silky finish. This is a very detailed and beautifully made Dame, all delicacy and finesse, with great length. (91-93)
4. 2010 Château Phélan Ségur, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The 2010 Phélan Ségur is a deep ruby purple, with notes of plums, blackberries, cedar and cassis, supported by very vibrant berries on the palate, delivered in a restrained way. This is a more classic vintage of Phelan Segur than the 2009, but with plenty of substance and depth. (91-93)
5. 2010 Château Cos d’Estournel les Pagodes de Cos, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The 2010 Pagodes de Cos [d’Estournel] is a deep ruby purple, with aromas of cedar, roasted meat, spices, and ripe plums, followed by very fresh and vibrant blackberry and blackcurrant flavours, supple tannins and some spicy notes on the finish. This is balanced style of Pagodes de Cos, with full rich flavours and nice depth. Nearly 40% Merlot. (90-93)
6. 2010 Château les Ormes de Pez, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The 2010 Ormes de Pez is a deep ruby, offering up notes of vibrant blackberries, blueberries and a hint of cedar, followed by rich and expressive flavours, notably mocha notes on the mid palate. This is a wonderful, seductive Ormes de Pez, with incredible density, power and depth. Yield 44 hl/ha, as hail destroyed some of the crop. Good value – the wines can often be found at below 30 Euros.(90-92)
7. 2010 Château Haut-Marbuzet, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The deep ruby 2010 Haut-Marbuzet has aromas of blackberries, blueberries, cedar, plums and violets, followed by fairly upfront flavours with good mid palate fruit and a lovely lifted finish. This is a very impressive, classic St Estephe from a property that is making excellent wine and that should be better known. (90-91)
8. 2010 Château Lilian Ladouys, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The deep purple 2010 Lilian Ladouys has aromas of violets, cassis, blackberries, and on the palate delivers a juicy, ripe and elegant style of St. Estephe with great purity of fruit expression. This is a wine of good density, balance and length, made for fairly early drinking. (89-91)
9. 2010 Château de Pez, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The deep ruby purple 2010 Chateau de Pez, with its aromas of plums, blackberries, and cedar, is a wine of great freshness, depth of fruit and tannin expression. This is another lesser property that did well in a very good year for St. Estephe. From 30 year old vines. (89-91)
10. 2010 Château Meyney, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France The deep purple 2010 Chateau Meyney has aromas of cedar, spices and blackcurrant, and is made in a thick, rich and full bodied style, with plenty of classy and layered flavours of plummy fruits, and a firm enough structure to carry it through. (89-90)
11. 2010 Château Tronquoy-Lalande, St Estephe, Bordeaux, France Bought by the owners of Montrose in 2006, the 2010 Tronquoy-Lalande is a deep ruby purple, with aromas of plums, blackberries and blueberries, supported by flavours of dark ripe berries and a nice freshness in the mid palate This wine has wonderful density, amazing intensity and refined tannins, and should be kept at least 5 years before drinking. (89-90)