2010 Margaux, Margaux

“This was phenomenal from barrel and remains so. The aromas are spellbinding. It smells like a bouquet of pink roses and then goes to currants, berries and citrus. Full body, with wonderfully refined tannins. It starts discretely and then grows to different levels and dimensions like a slow but big high tide. The texture is so beautiful.” (02/2013)

“A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1.5% Cabernet Franc, and 1.5% Petit Verdot, the 2010 Chateau Margaux is deep garnet in color. It needs a shake or two before it erupts from the glass with powerful notes of crème de cassis, baked plums, and licorice, followed by sparks of redcurrants, mocha, black olives, and tar, plus a fragrant waft of jasmine tea. The medium-bodied palate maintains its elegance and grace with a refreshing backbone and firm, yet fine-grained, tannins supporting the generous fruit, finishing with an array of beguiling spice, floral, and fragrant earth nuances. A masterpiece! (LPB)” (11/2024)

“The 2010 is a brilliant Chateau Margaux, as one might expect in this vintage. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend hit 90%, the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and only 38% of the crop made it into the Chateau Margaux. Paul Pontallier, the administrator, told me that this wine has even higher levels of tannin than some other extraordinary vintages such as 2005, 2000, 1996, etc. Deep purple, pure and intense, with floral notes, tremendous opulence and palate presence, this is a wine of considerable nobility. With loads of blueberry, black currant and violet-infused fruit and a heady alcohol level above 13.5% … its beautifully sweet texture, ripe tannin, abundant depth and profound finish all make for another near-perfect wine that should age effortlessly for 30-40 years. (RP)” (02/2013)

“resh and youthful aromas of understated curranty fruit with cedar, smoke, and spice accents lead to a silky, archetypical Margaux texture with silky tannins, perfect weight, balance, and impressive length. The edges of this wine - so evident en primeur - are now pleasantly rounded and supple, but there is no mistaking the power and ageability of this triumphant vintage. (CC)” (07/2023)

“The remarkable thing about the tannins of this 2010 Château Margaux is that they feel more plush and velvety than the 2nd wine at this stage - almost more ready to drink. A brilliant wine, dense yet light on its feet, aromatic and seductive, soft leather, cedar, sandalwood, Christmas spice and blackberry notes, with violet notes and a gunsmoke curl. Margaux du Château Margaux was in its second vintage at this point, and by adding this 3rd wine, they tightened up selection across the board even further, with 38% of grapes making their way to the 1st wine. 100% new oak. Paul Pontallier director.” (06/2022)

“The 2010 Château Margaux is still relatively youthful, but it clearly has rounded out since release. Still a vivid purple, with powerful aromatics of cassis, green tobacco, cedar pencil, underbrush, and spring flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness as well as incredible purity and precision, and it blossoms with time in the glass. It's a structured, focused, elegant yet concentrated 2010 that will have another 40 years of overall longevity.” (05/2024)

“A great wine that is just starting out. The high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend gives the structured, black currant character. Dark chocolate and layers of wood are forward, revealing how young the wine is. And then the fruit, so rich and powerful, brings deliciousness to the firm, dense structure. Age for many years. *Cellar Selection* (RV)” (03/2013)

“Liquid velvet, with stunning length and a caressing mouthfeel, as layers of creamed plum, blackberry coulis and steeped black currant fruit glides along, seamlessly intertwined with black tea, mulled blood orange, incense and lilac. Hints of mesquite and alder hang subtly in the background, and the structure, evident and massive, has melded wonderfully. *Collectible* (JM)” (11/2014)

“The 2010 Château Margaux continues to deliver the goods, but like the 2005, it is a wine that demands patience. Backward on the nose, this vintage offers black fruit, crushed violet petals and mint, graphite and cedar joining the chorus line. This bouquet is only in its first chapter. The palate is one of the most structured in recent years, gripping the mouth like a Latour, the tannins perhaps having firmed up a bit in the last couple of years. But this has a crucial line of acidity that counterbalances the payload of fruit concentration with a bravura finish that is like a brass section going full pelt. Wonderful. Tasted at the château. (NM)” (09/2023)