As we head out of Pauillac, you feel the register change. It takes a heartbeat to adjust, but then you start to see the beauty of a different style of 2010, a little more elegant, a little more sculpted, with concentration that sits deep in the body of the wine but builds more slowly through the palate. This shows the beauty of the appellation of Margaux in the way that you always want and hope the First Growths will - a signpost towards the rest, showing why they should be celebrated. Here are violet aromatics, soft black truffle flavours and silky, elongated tannins. Extremely good quality; fairly savoury berry fruits. As with all of these, there's a long long life ahead of it, and best to be put away for another five years at least. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050
Tasted by Jane Anson (at BI London, 30 Jan 2020)
Part of Bordeaux 2010: The top rated wines tasted 10 years on

The 2010 is a brilliant Chateau Margaux, as one might expect in this vintage. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend hit 90%, the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and only 38% of the crop made it into the Chateau Margaux. Paul Pontallier, the administrator, told me that this wine has even higher levels of tannin than some other extraordinary vintages such as 2005, 2000, 1996, etc. Deep purple, pure and intense, with floral notes, tremendous opulence and palate presence, this is a wine of considerable nobility. With loads of blueberry, black currant and violet-infused fruit and a heady alcohol level above 13.5% (although that looks modest compared to several other first growths, particularly Chateau Latour and Chateau Haut-Brion), its beautifully sweet texture, ripe tannin, abundant depth and profound finish all make for another near-perfect wine that should age effortlessly for 30-40 years.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #205, Feb 2013)

Quality 984 | Brand 998 | Economics 951 | buzz brand
Quality: Predicted life of 19 years, one of the longest drinking windows in its peer group for the 2010 vintage, which averages 11 years Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 44 of the world's top wine lists, including Lung King Heen Economics: More traded at auction than its peers, its top 5 vintages having seen 4,675 75cl equivalent bottles traded in the past year Production: Higher production than its peer group average of 112,956 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

Liquid velvet, with stunning length and a caressing mouthfeel, as layers of creamed plum, blackberry coulis and steeped black currant fruit glides along, seamlessly intertwined with black tea, mulled blood orange, incense and lilac. Hints of mesquite and alder hang subtly in the background, and the structure, evident and massive, has melded wonderfully.—Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Best from 2018 through 2040. 10,830 cases made.

– James Molesworth (WineSpectator.com, Web only 2014)

Reminding me slightly of the 1996 (and maybe the 2019) with its purity and precision, the 2010 Château Margaux offers a classic bouquet of red and black currants, green tobacco, sandalwood, spring flowers, and lead pencil shavings. Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully concentrated on the palate, with ripe tannin and integrated yet notable acidity, this is as classic and regal as Margaux gets, and while it has a terrific sweetness of fruit and ripeness to its tannins, it needs another 4-5 years to hit true prime time and is going to evolve for another 30 years or more.

The 2010 Château Margaux performed far better at this horizontal than at Farr's blind tasting a few days later. It has a beguiling bouquet, highly perfumed with crushed violets infusing the blackberry and crushed strawberry scented, hints of pencil box and cedar emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. There is a wonderful sense of symmetry here with a silky elegant finish that is amazingly persistent. It is one of the best wines that Paul Pontallier ever made. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.

1st Growth Margaux (36% harvest,13.1%) [90CS/7M/1.5CF/1.5PV] A heady presence of freshly ripe, sweet black fruit and fresh almost smoky aromas; richly constituted, perfectly balanced, so gently fresh, so fine in its firm tannins; an impression of density and mass without weight, sweet and pure and (the tannin index notwithstanding) with a tannin texture so fine as to be almost imperceptible; an effortlessly rich yet effortlessly fresh sweetness of taste alongside a mouthcoating fragrance, As prolonged to finish as it is to taste. A very burgundian style of power and delicacy, density and lightness, extraordinary transparency. The perfect image of great quintessential Margaux. 1953 (in particular) and 1959 are the closest I can think of in terms of style and quality. Magnificent, certainly one of the wines of a (largely) very great vintage. It doesn’t feel as though it will close up either.... 2025-55+ The 2009 and 2010 will make a quite magnificent pair. Absolutely beguiling. [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2011]

This was phenomenal from barrel and remains so. The aromas are spellbinding. It smells like a bouquet of pink roses and then goes to currants, berries and citrus. Full body, with wonderfully refined tannins. It starts discretely and then grows to different levels and dimensions like a slow but big high tide. The texture is so beautiful. Try it in 2020 or beyond.

– jamessuckling.com, November 2013

The perfume teases you with its depth and intensity of what’s to come with its aromas of violets, smoky oak, licorice, earth, vanilla and mélange of dark berries. From the first sip, the wine coats your palate and taste buds with pure, fresh, rich, thick, polished blackberries, silky tannins and a finish that builds and expands for close to 60 seconds! The wine continued to build and expand in the glass for the two hours we spent with the wine over lunch. Tasted May 2013