2010 Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Quintessential Graves notes of smoked tobacco, scorched earth, truffle, and lead pencil shavings backed by an incredible core of darker fruits all define the 2010 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, a ripe, broad, voluptuous beauty that continues to drink amazingly well. This powerful, full-bodied, deep, layered wine builds with time in the glass, has sensational purity, ripe, polished tannins, and a heavenly finish. It might ultimately match the 1982, and despite the more structured style of the vintage, it's ripe, sexy, and impossible to resist. Drink bottles over the coming 50 years. Drink 2026-2076.

Vibrates with life, still barely unfurling at 14 years old, with evident muscular construction to the tannic frame. A little subdued on the first nose, quickly opening to show notes of black pepper, cinnamon and black truffle alongside liquorice, baked raspberries and blueberry fruits, concentrated, vivid and sculpted, architectural as all the best 2010s are. Drawn out finish, riven with spiced cocoa beans and pulses of fresh acidity, and the drumbeat of interest is going to keep playing for decades. 75% new oak for ageing, harvest September 8 to October 8.

The 2010 La Mission Haut-Brion is a terrific wine. Evoking aromas of prune, blackberries, flowers, pencil shavings, cedar, cassis and licorice, it’s layered and concentrated with a deep, elegant mid-palate and powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, penetrating finish, this sumptuous wine can age for another 15-30 years, thanks to its mineral structure and incredible freshness.