19 WEINWISSER: "Extrem sattes Purpur mit violetten Reflexen. Süsses Bouquet, Amarenakirschen, Red Currant, Anklänge von Rumtopffrüchten, florale Cabernet- Noten. Schon fast samtener Fluss, stoffiges Extrakt, frische Beerenaromatik, mittlerer Druck im Finale."
93 WINESPECTATOR: "Shows a hefty dose of toast, but remains polished and well-embedded in a core of crushed plum, steeped blackberry and cherry compote flavors. The long finish picks up briary energy, with anise and violet notes checking in. Best from 2016 through 2028. 10,000 cases made. — JM"
94 WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Continuing its impressive series of wines, this red from Malartic-Lagravière has all the structure and density of the vintage, packed with plum and black currant fruits. The acidity is almost sweet in its richness, blending easily into the dark texture. Age for many years."
95 DECANTER: "The work that the Bonnies undertook in the vineyard following their arrival in 1997 had really started to pay off by this point, with newly planted vines having a decade of production under their belt. Add this to the fact that 2010 is a wonderful vintage anyway, and you can understand just why this wine is such a success. The manual soil work that sent the vine roots down to the limestone bedrock had, for example, nudged the pH down to 3.6 from the 3.75 average that they saw on arrival, giving a natural sense of freshness, and what you get is a wine that's rich and full of depth, with precision to the softly charred smoke and graphite notes. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend."
95 JAMES SUCKLING: "Impressive nose with leather, dark polished fruit and flowers. Wonderful mouthfeel with soft silky tannins and beautiful texture. Really well put together. Powerful and rich with loads of fruit and ripe tannins. Very ripe. Try in 2016."
91 ANTONIO GALLONI: "Good bright, dark red. Scented nose offers currant, licorice, dried flowers, cardamom and smoky oak notes. Then sweet, lush and easygoing, with excellent flesh to the flavors of dark berries, graphite and spices. With its velvety, plump texture, this wine may not have ultimate grip but it has more than enough energy and should offer great early appeal. My sample finished with sweet tannins and very good length."
94 THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "It's going to be fun tasting and debating the merits of 2009 vs 2010 Bordeaux. With many wines, I prefer the flamboyant style of the 2009. But that is not the case here. The 2010 has more depth, length and complexity. There is a beautiful, rounded freshness that makes you keep going back to the glass for another sip."
92 FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung, reife schwarze Beerenfrucht, ein Hauch von Lakritze, feiner Nougat, etwas Pfeifentabak, dezente Dörrobstanklänge unterlegt. Saftig, angenehme Süße, stoffig und elegant, schokoladige Textur, dezenter Säurebogen, Nougat auch im Abgang, zart nach Preiselbeeren im Rückgeschmack, noch etwas verhalten, hat Potenzial."
94 THE WINEADVOCATE: "Lead pencil shavings, soy and barbecue smoke as well as red and black currants characterize this brilliant effort, which has an expansive, full-bodied mouthfeel yet a sublime elegance and lightness of being. Dense ruby/purple, gorgeous purity and a long, long finish of close to 50 seconds characterize another brilliant effort from this classified growth in Pessac-Leognan. It should drink nicely for 25-30 years yet is surprisingly accessible even today."
