2010 Pessac Leognan in Bottle Tasting Notes from Tastings with UGC in Los Angeles

The wines of Pessac Leognan are sublime in 2010. Most are showing better in bottle than in barrel! Having tasted these wines multiple times, along with Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion, 2010 give serious competition to 2009 and at some estates, the wines are even better! 2010 Pessac Leognan wines have style, substance, character, ripe fruits and the ability to age and evolve for decades! Several of these estates have probably produced the best wines in the history of their estate! I’m looking forward to comparing 2010 Pessac Leognan with 2009 Pessac Leognan over the next few decades. It’s going to be a fun comparison. The following 2010 Pessac Leognan wines were tasted in bottle, with the UGC in Los Angeles in January.

2010 Bouscaut – Light in the nose and body, with some red berries, spice, coffee bean and a soft textured, oaky finish. 85 Pts

2010 Chateau Carbonnieux – On the light, elegant side of the style range with ripe, fresh cherries and black raspberries, earth and tobacco characteristics. The wine finishes with fresh, spicy, red berries. 89 Pts

2010 Les Carmes Haut Brion – This medium bodied, finesse style of Pessac Leognan offers smoke, tobacco, black cherry, earth and spice notes in the nose. Refined tannins and fresh, red and black fruits are found in the elegant finish. 92 Pts

2010 Domaine de Chevalier – This wine pops with an exotic array of scents, spices, mint, smoke, earth, and ripe berries. Silky, soft and polished, the wine ends with a long, polished, refined display of kirsch and black raspberries. From a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, this has the structure to age and develop into something special for decades. 94 Pts

2010 de Fieuzal – Licorice, black cherries, earth, smoke and spicy aromatics open to a polished wine, with a soft textured, black raspberry finish. 90 Pts

2010 Haut Bailly – This has truly developed well since bottling. The wine is deeper, richer and more polished since first tasted in 2011. The complex nose pops with caramel, espresso bean, blackberries and earth. Intense, polished, lush and deep, the wine finishes with a beautiful sensation of purity and silk. It’s going to be fun to compare this blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc with the 2009 over the next few decades. 97 Pts

2010 La Louviere – Red berries, earth, tobacco open the nose. Medium bodied, fresh, lively and soft, the wine ends with refined, spicy red fruits. 90 Pts

2010 La Tour Martillac – Black raspberry, earth, smoke and tobacco scents pop with little effort. Silky, fresh, plums and black cherries are found in the lively, round, finish. 92 Pts

2010 Malartic Lagraviere – With an aromatic display filled with espresso bean, licorice and black cherry liqueur, this rich, opulent, polished wine is a winner. From a blend of
45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine ends with a with a sweet, ripe, silky, pure finish. 93 Pts

2010 Olivier – This light, fresher, medium bodied style of wine is dominated by red fruits, earth and spice. 89 Pts

2010 Pape Clement – Fat, deep, intense and packed with licorice, smoke, fresh ground coffee beans, black cherries, fennel, blue fruits, earth and plums. Thick, rich, full bodied, lush textured and packed with layers of rich, dark berries, chocolate and oak, this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc produced a strong vintage for Pape Clement. 95 Pts

2010 Smith Haut Lafitte – What a nose! Smoky blackberries, exotic spices, blueberries, licorice, jam, tobacco, olive tapenade and forest scents are impossible to avoid. The wine is incredibly concentrated, balanced, polished, sensuous and sexy. This blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot should age and improve for decades. 98 Pts

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