A benchmark for what constitutes a perfect wine, the 2010 Château Haut-Brion is absolute perfection in a glass, and you won't find a better wine. Sensationally complex aromatics of red and black currants, scorched earth, cold fireplace, smoke, tobacco, and subtle iron notes all define the bouquet. This carries to a full-bodied, deep, rich, incredibly powerful Haut-Brion that has building tannins, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. If I had to pick one wine to describe perfection in wine, this might be it. The 2010 is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, which came in at 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.83. Drink 2025-2100.

As for the 2010 Haut-Brion, it does not have the power of Latour’s 2010 or the intense lead pencil shavings and chocolaty component of Lafite-Rothschild, but it is extraordinary, perfect wine. It has a slightly lower pH than the 2009 (3.7 versus the 2009's 3.8), and even higher alcohol than the 2009 (14.6%). The wine is ethereal. From its dense purple color to its incredibly subtle but striking aromatics that build incrementally, offering up a spectacular smorgasbord of aromas ranging from charcoal and camphor to black currant and blueberry liqueur and spring flowers, this wine’s finesse, elegant yet noble power and authority come through in a compelling fashion. It is full-bodied, but that’s only apparent in the aftertaste, as the wine seems to float across the palate with remarkable sweetness, harmony, and the integration of all its component parts – alcohol, tannin, acidity, wood, etc. This prodigious Haut-Brion is hard to compare to another vintage, at least right now, but it should have 50 to 75 years of aging potential. (RP)

Sappy, tongue-coating pastis, blackberry coulis and loganberry fruit starts this huge wine off, followed by a parade of licorice snap, violet, tar, black tea, roasted alder, wood spice and steeped black cherry fruit notes. A beam of pure cassis drives through this version, and the finish pulls everything together with a mouthwatering brambly edge that should soften slowly over time. A riveting display of brawny power, unbridled energy and high-level terroir. Best from 2020 through 2040. *Collectible* (JM)