Chateau Haut Brion 2010

JEB DUNNUCK: "Pure perfection and one of truly legendary wines out there, the 2010 is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc that hit a whopping 14.6% natural alcohol, with a healthy pH of 3.7. This deep rich, opulent beauty is just now at the early stages of its prime drink window and has an incredible array of blackcurrants, chocolate, truffly earth, graphite, and hints of tobacco. A massive wine in every sense, it still somehow stays weightless and graceful, with silky, building tannins, flawless balance, and just everything in the right place. It needs an hour or two in a decanter if drinking any time soon, and it's going to have upwards of 75-100 years of ultimate longevity."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, dunkelbeerig unterlegte schokoladige Nuancen, reife Zwetschken, ein Hauch von Dörrobst, zartes Karamell und Honig, ein Hauch von Trockenkräutern im Hintergrund. Elegant, ­seidig und weich, extraktsüße Textur, delikat und leichtfüßig, man spürt kaum etwas von der innewohnenden Kraft dieses Weins, feines Nougat im Abgang, nahtloser Stil, sehr lange anhaltend, großes Potenzial."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Intense, deep aromas of earth, burning wood, truffle, hot bricks, tar, licorice, espresso, smoke and blackberry. There is an incredible sense of purity in the fruit. The wine is rich, concentrated and multifaceted. Each layer of the finish delivers something new, making it one of those rare wines you want to keep going back to. Frightfully expensive, but if you have the money, coupled with the patience to age the wine for more than a decade, and probably closer to 20 years, along with a cold cellar to keep it in, this is a wine for the ages. The finish kept building and expanding for close to one minute."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Haut-Brion charges out of the gate with exuberant notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and baked plums followed by nuances of dark chocolate, licorice and cloves. Full-bodied, the palate has lots of subtle earth and mineral accents with a firm, finely grained texture and great freshness lifting the long finish."

WINE SPECTATOR: " 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, 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. 7,800 cases made."

DECANTER: "This magnificent wine has lost some of the almost frightening intensity it had en primeur (15% alcohol), but it is still far too young to drink, even at 13 years of age. The profuse, youthful aromas of ripe plum, fig and blackberry fruit are accented with smoke and mineral notes. The texture is rich and substantial, with a significant tannic grip, but plenty of crisp acidity helps bring the wine into line. While it still needs a few more years in the bottle before it is ready, this should last for generations."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "A firm and serious wine, complex and complicated, one of the finest wines from 2010 vintage. It has a rich undertow of black fruits, while the tannins dominate at this stage. To add to the powerful range of flavors, the wine has an edge of severity that bodes well for its long-term future."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is very spicy with dried mushroom aromas with dark fruits and plum undertones. Sweet tobacco as well. This is full-bodied, with lots of tannins that are chewy and firm. This is muscular for HB and flexing it."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Deep greyish garnet. Very sweet with strong vanilla aroma and mocha. Youthful and sweet in its dark-red fruits. Distinctively sweet fruited on the palate. Silky tannins are a treat in this vintage. Lovely tannic structure. A little bit sweet and sour on the finish."