Premier

The 2010 Clos Du Val Cabernet Sauvignon wine has is smooth, rich and generous. A Stags Leap District wine that offers multiple layers of the well-known Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove. This Clos Du Val Cabernet Sauvignon wine has classic aromas of raspberries and cherries, dried black figs, hints of oak and minerals and fresh cinnamon leaves create an expectation of flavors. On the palate this wine is big in every way. Sweet black cherries, chocolate, clean earth, hints of bay leaves and a balanced lingering finish reminds us of what we mean when we say Napa Valley Cabernet.

From 100% estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grown in the heart of the Stags Leap District. The aging in 100% French, 60% new, for 18 months only enhances this balanced wine.

93 points James Suckling
91 points Wine Enthusiast

The Second Wine of the prestigious Premier Grand Cru Classé – Château Lafite-Rothschild – the Carruades de Lafite 2010 reflects the identity of the great terroirs of Pauillac.

The 2010 Carruades de Lafite wine offers a smoky nose and a fleshy sensation with dark plum, charcoal and coffee notes. These are the characteristics of a nice grip on the finish which reveals a sensation of persistent plum skin in this second wine from Pauillac. The Carruades de Lafite wine displays much of the same lead pencil, charcoal and black currant notes of its bigger sister, although it is forward, precocious and far less structured than the grand vin. Nevertheless, this wine, which can be drunk now, will cellar beautifully for at least 20-25 more years.

This 2010 Carruades De Lafite has a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42.5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot.

95 points James Suckling
94 points Wine Advocate
93 points Wine Spectator

A splendid showing, much stronger from bottle than it was from barrel, the 2010 Chateau Leoville Barton wine is one of the spectacular wines of the vintage. This Chateau Leoville Barton has inky purple to the rim, its huge tannin gives this wine real potential for 30-50 years of longevity. It is a classic, powerful Bordeaux made with no compromise. A superstar of the vintage, the wine has notes of pen ink and creme de cassis, good acidity, sweet, subtle oak, and massive extraction and concentration. I thought it was one of the most backward wines of the vintage two years ago, and nothing has changed in the ensuing upbringing of the wine in cask except that the wine now seems even richer, denser and fuller than I previously thought. The beautiful purity, symmetry, and huge finish of nearly a minute make this one of the all-time great classics from Leoville Barton. Anticipated maturity: 2028-2065+.

The 2010 Chateau Lynch Bages wine has a great beauty and finesse, such elegance and ethereal quality for this estate. This 2010 Chateau Lynch Bages is full-bodied, deep and muscular, it’s rich and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit that’s framed by firm, powdery tannins and lively acids. The most brooding, backward Lynch-Bages of the decade and one of the real successes of the vintage, this is a vibrant. This 2010 Chateau Lynch-Bages wine is a Cellar Selection with such a combination will make this impressive wine a delight to drink. The 2010 Chateau Lynch Bages wine is one of the stars in the Left Bank this year, as the Cazes family has fashioned a superb and perfectly balanced example of the vintage.

98 points James Suckling
97 points Decanter
97 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2010 has marvelous aromas of crushed berries, tobacco, cedar and mushrooms. Some dried cheese. Then turns to flowers. Very complex. Full and intense with fantastic depth and power. It goes on for minutes. It is a wine that exudes tradition but gives a sense of modernity with precise winemaking. Two years in oak, one in concrete and three or four in bottle. Drink on release and age onwards. –

It has greatness and finesse and is a very attractive wine with all the stuffing and balance that is needed for a long (and positive) aging in bottle. This is one of the finest modern day vintages of Castillo Ygay. This is going to develop in the direction of the classical bottlings from yesteryear.

Ygay these days is a blend of Tempranilo and Mazuelo, the later making up 15% in this vintage. 2010 will be remembered in the great vineyards of Europe as a classic year, elegant restraint and wonderful harmonious balance, even in youth, its key characteristics. The Ygay fits this template perfectly; plums and sloes, hints of blueberry and cassis, then figs, cocoa and sousbois, a distinct balsamic note to underline provenance. The Mazuelo etches fresh acidity and a powerful finish, leaving the Tempranillo the opportunity to dance flamboyantly on the mid-palate, the bringer of joy and harmony. – Simon Field, Decanter