Vinous (97)

Fine, silky tannins provide the backdrop for the 2010 Paleo Rosso, a wine that captivates for its exquisite, graceful personality. Sweet, perfumed aromatics jump from the glass, followed by dark notes of red and black stone fruit, melted road tar, spices and espresso, all woven together in a fabric of pure class. The 2010 boasts stunning depth and volume, but is never heavy. All the elements are simply in the right place, but readers will need to give the tannins a few years to soften a bit further.

Vinous (89)

Good full medium red. Complex nose combines red fruits, pepper, smoke and a hint of orange peel. Silky, suave and perfumed; not especially primary but quite stylish and pliant. Finishes with distinctly suaver tannins than the examples from Nuits-Saint-Georges and good aromatic lift.

Jeb Dunnuck (98-100)

Even better and a monumental wine in the making, the profound 2010 Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire (tasted just prior to bottling) smells of a Provencal street market and offers up gorgeous aromas kirsch, raspberry, dried flowers, spice-box, roasted meats, and licorice on the nose. Coming from a single plot of very old Grenache (there is a touch of Mourvedre in the blend) and aged all in tank, this exuberant, hedonistic-bent Châteauneuf-du-Pape is full-bodied on the palate and delivers a voluptuous, mouth filling texture, brilliant concentration, and a blockbuster finish. Eclipsing the ’07 and up there with the ’90 (I think even better), this is monumental stuff that every Châteauneuf-du-Pape lover needs to have in the cellar!

Wine Advocate (93+)

Made of 45% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet colored 2010 Les Carmes Haut-Brion gives up notes of baked blackberries, blackcurrants, black raspberries and cedar chest with hints of baking spices, black olives, pencil lead and Marmite toast. Full-bodied, the generously fruited palate has a solid backbone of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting all that tightly-packed brawn, finishing with great length and purity. Still incredibly youthful, I suspect this wine has a lot more to give in the years to come!

Wine Advocate (97)

2010 was a very dry vintage of exceptional quality, producing incredibly structured and complex wines that are a little formidable when young but should age incredibly. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose of the 2010 Les Forts de Latour is broody with subtle notes of licorice, tar, crushed black berries and plums with hints of spice cake and hoisin. Full-bodied, firm and grainy with an impenetrable core of muscular fruit, it finishes with fantastic persistence. Give it 5-7 years at least, and then it may well outlive the 1970 Les Forts that I recently tasted with Latour's CEO, Frédéric Engerer!

Discover Liber Pater 2010, a one-of-a-kind expression of Bordeaux's finest grapes. Liber Pater, Latin for 'Free Father', is a nod to the ancient Roman god of wine. Established in 2005 in Graves, a revered sub-region of Bordeaux, this elite winery produces wines that embody the authentic character of ungrafted varietals. The unique 2010 vintage is crafted using age-old vine training and vinification techniques and is produced entirely from pre-phylloxera vines, offering a genuine taste of terroir.

On tasting, the Liber Pater 2010 captivates with a mesmerising bouquet of ripe fruit, exotic spice, and earthy undertones. The palate commands attention with velvety tannins and an intriguing blend of blackberry, licorice and graphite nuances, leading to an unforgettable finish. This experience is encapsulated in the meticulous work of wine visionary, Loic Pasquet. Purchase Liber Pater 2010 and indulge in an unparalleled Bordeaux wine experience.

Wine Advocate (96)

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain opens with provocative dark chocolate and black cherries notes with underlying notions of tilled soil, plum preserves, spice cake, cracked pepper and yeast extract plus a waft of truffles. Big, concentrated, full-bodied and muscular in the mouth, the palate offers a very firm backbone and wonderful freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing on a persistent mineral note

Wine Advocate (96)

Following the appreciation of the 2007 vintage from María José López de Heredia, the red 2007 Viña Tondonia Reserva is showing great, revealing unusual finesse and elegance. The nose is a little reticent but nuanced and complex, a little shy rather than explosive. The palate is medium-bodied, and the tannins are very refined. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Viña Tondonia Reserva of recent years. 200,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2015.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2010 Viña Tondonia Reserva has all I expect from a Reserva from Tondonia, complexity, elegance and evolution, a developed nose with notes of forest floor and wild berries, herbs and flowers, a touch of iodine, brick dust and very fine, polished tannins. It has the seriousness and elegance of Tondonia. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho (they use the masculine form of the name of the grape) and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in the ancient oak vats from when the winery was created 144 years ago and matured in well-seasoned, American oak barrels for six years. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity. 260,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2017.

Vinous (97+)

Long-time Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has produced yet another in a string of superb Champagnes with the 2007 Cristal. Rich, powerful and enveloping, the 2007 takes hold of all the senses and never lets up. The aromatics alone are captivating, but then the wine opens on the palate, revealing layer after layer of flavor to match a multi-dimensional, kaleidoscopic personality that will leave Champagne lovers weak at the knees. The 2007 is 58% Chardonnay and 42% Pinot Noir, which is to say a bit more Chardonnay-leaning than is the norm. The 2007 is striking today, but it should also age effortlessly for several decades. It is also without question one of the very finest new releases of the year.

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

The perfume teases you with its depth and intensity of what’s to come with its aromas of violets, smoky oak, licorice, earth, vanilla and mélange of dark berries. From the first sip, the wine coats your palate and taste buds with pure, fresh, rich, thick, polished blackberries, silky tannins and a finish that builds and expands for close to 60 seconds! The wine continued to build and expand in the glass for the two hours we spent with the wine over lunch.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Smoke, leaf litter, black cherry, very fine, misted tannins. Dry and stately. Lots of structure and not so much fruit power as some other vintages. Lovely expressive nose though – a really delicate example.

Wine Spectator (96)

This is smoky, with tobacco- and mineral-tinged cherry and strawberry flavors. Quickly gives way to firm, mouthcoating tannins, yet finds equilibrium overall, lingering well. Best from 2019 through 2035. 150 cases imported. -BS

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2010 Barolo Parussi hits its stride with an amazing bouquet that is as generous as it is complex and compelling. The wine boasts a dark ruby color with delicate amber highlights and shows a deep level of color saturation and richness. Its perfumes are redolent of sweet cherry, black fruit, dark licorice, cigar ash and wet earth. There’s a bright floral note of pressed red rose that lifts delicately as the wine warms in the glass. The meeting of the wine’s acidic component and its tannic firmness is absolutely seamless. Drink: 2017-2030.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2010 Montrose is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to bring out notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, warm cassis, and licorice, followed by hints of mocha, tapenade, crushed rocks, and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate has a formidable structure of very firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the voluptuous black fruit and mineral layers, finishing long, long, long.

Vinous (92)

(made from two-thirds grenache and one-third syrah): Opaque ruby. Heady scents of red berry preserves, lavender, anise and sandalwood, lifted by a peppery topnote. Offers intense, palate-staining raspberry and cherry-cola flavors that gain weight with air. Impressively lively and pure on the persistent finish, which features gentle tannins and a late note of bitter chocolate.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

The 2010 Opus One is on another level and is a deep, concentrated, full-bodied, flawlessly balanced beauty. From a cooler vintage that saw significant heat spikes later in the year, it has incredible purity in its cassis and darker fruits as well as leafy tobacco, flowers, and background oak. With a great mid-palate, ripe, building tannins, and full-bodied richness on the palate, it’s a brilliant wine that has another two decades or more of prime drinking.

Among the remarkable barolos, the Oreste Stefano Barolo Perno 2007 signals a prestigious blend of artisanal winemaking and high-quality Nebbiolo grapes. This exquisite bottle traces its origins to the sunny vineyards of Barolo, nestled into Italy's renowned Langhe region. Prestigious Italian winemaker Oreste Stefano is lauded for his meticulous vinification techniques, effectively marrying Barolo's distinct traditional style with others of greater finesse.

Structured with 24 months ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels and a further six years bottle ageing, this Oreste Stefano Barolo Perno 2007 offers an extraordinary complexity of aroma, with extraordinary flavours of dark fruit, spice, tobacco leaf and dark chocolate woven through a robust structure and enduring finish. Its expressive layers sing on the palate, revealing why it is adored amongst connoisseurs.

Another reputable performance from Oreste Stefano, the 2007 Barolo Perno perfectly defines why this vineyard is rated so highly in the Barolo sub-region. Stock is limited; secure your bottle of Oreste Stefano Barolo Perno 2007 while supplies last.

Wine Enthusiast (93)

92-94 A gorgeous, opulently surfaced wine. The freshness cuts through the tannins to give the ripest of plum juice fruits. Powerful, while also deliciously juicy

Decanter (98)

One of the great years of Bordeaux now at 10 years old and showing why this is such an unusual vintage in terms of the depth of structure and muscular concentration that was achieved. In fact, I am upping the drinking window from the last time I tasted this, as there is such a pulse of life and grip that shows no signs of going anywhere. The initial layers are starting to be peeled back, but this retains primary black and blue fruits that are still full of flesh alongside baked earth, tons of liquorice and black chocolate with a grippy tannic structure, fresh acidities and a serious attitude. Brilliant stuff, that is clearly going to power on for decades. Harvest September 22 to October 20.

Decanter (98)

One of the great years of Bordeaux now at 10 years old and showing why this is such an unusual vintage in terms of the depth of structure and muscular concentration that was achieved. In fact, I am upping the drinking window from the last time I tasted this, as there is such a pulse of life and grip that shows no signs of going anywhere. The initial layers are starting to be peeled back, but this retains primary black and blue fruits that are still full of flesh alongside baked earth, tons of liquorice and black chocolate with a grippy tannic structure, fresh acidities and a serious attitude. Brilliant stuff, that is clearly going to power on for decades. Harvest September 22 to October 20.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2007 Barolo Riserva Ginestra is born in extremely difficult conditions. Fruit is sourced from a hillside plot with impossibly steep inclines and shallow soils (with white tufo and clay) for limited root penetration. These factors help curb the natural vigor of the grapevine and result in high quality fruit. This wine sees a long maceration period (up to 40 days) and almost six years of barrel aging in botte grande. The results are spectacular with rich floral and menthol aromas folded within the wine’s silky texture. This 2007 Riserva feels much younger than it really is. Drink: 2016-2035.

Wine Advocate (97)

Wow, this is really quite a wine. The 2010 Barolo Riserva Ginestra is guided by three lucky stars: First, it is made by an excellent producer. Second, it comes from an excellent vintage. And third, it comes from an excellent vineyard site. This is a stunning achievement that is teeming with life, intensity, elegance, pedigree and sheer excitement. The bouquet achieves impressive balance with fruit, spice, mineral and tertiary tones that are all played forward with equal intensity. There is a spot of sweetness on the close (with 15% alcohol) that adds to the volume and fullness of the mouthfeel. This wine merits a special place at the back of your cellar where it can age undisturbed for the next decade or two. Only 4,000 bottles exist.

Wine Advocate (92)

The 2010 Barolo is sourced from five or six vineyards in Castiglione Falletto and Barolo. This is a gorgeous wine with a silky entry and loads of elegant fruit, cassis, licorice, tar and cola. There’s a real sense of energy and zest in the mouth that is not just due to the freshness of the acidity. It comes from the pristine quality of fruit in 2010. Drink: 2016-2028.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2010 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio bursts open with an immediate whiff of fresh flowers and crushed roses. Paolo Scavino bought the four-hectare, south-facing vineyard in 2001 the same moment he saw the listing. Crushed mineral tones appear at the back but those delicate fruit and floral tones take center stage. The wine is smooth and silky, although the tannic presence and acidity are very much in play. Drink: 2017-2030.

Vinous (96)

Scavino's 2010 Barolo Carobric stands out for its focus and clarity. Sweet red berries, mint, crushed rocks and rose petals are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. The 2010 Carobric is bright, aromatically lifted and gorgeous in its precision. Today the 2010 is an infant, but it has gorgeous intensity and length. All the elements are in the right place. This is one of the best vintages of Carobric I can recall tasting. As a reminder, Carobric is a blend of fruit from Cannubi, Rocche di Castiglione and Bric del Fiasc.