Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2010 Mouton-Rothschild is a modern-day benchmark for the First Growth and here, side-by-side with the 2009, it certainly has its nose in front. It is in possession of quite breathtaking delineation and precision, a crystalline bouquet with black fruit laced with minerals, potent pencil shaving notes, a touch of cold slate. It is totally entrancing. The palate has beguiling symmetry, but for me what really distinguishes this Mouton is its effortlessness. Like watching Usain Bolt in his prime sprinting to another world record, this wine is almost self-effacing in terms of its brilliance. Will Philippe Dhalluin ever better this Mouton-Rothschild? Keep it in the cellar for 15 years, if you know what's good for you. Tasted May 2016.

Just about pure perfection, the 2010 Château Mouton Rothschild is a concentrated, massive, concentrated effort that offers everything you could want from a wine. Almost all Cabernet Sauvignon (94%), its deep purple/plum hue is followed by a gorgeous bouquet of classic Mouton cassis, spicy oak, chocolate, and graphite, with more tobacco and leather nuances developing with time in the glass. With flawless balance, ripe yet substantial tannins, and a monster of a finish, this flat-out great Pauillac is still on the early slopes of its prime drinking plateau. Give bottles another 4-5 years and enjoy through 2085.

This strides in with distinction, starting off with a showy but integrated layer of espresso-infused toast, followed by plush tiers of crushed currant, plum and blackberry fruit interspersed with cocoa and well-roasted cedar notes. The long, tobacco- and loam-filled finish shows lots of heft, but stays polished. An impressive display of unadulterated, muscular Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2020 through 2045.

– James Molesworth (WineSpectator.com, March 2013)

1st Growth Pauillac (49% harvest, ca 35hl/ha, 14.2%) [94CS/6M] Ripe blackcurrant and clear mineral to smell, real depth and density; rich, elegant, fairly concentrated wine with a fresh acidity and very fine, dry tannin, noticeably cabernet in flavour and style; fresh, cassis cored, fine gravel scented flavour, a sweet, generous fruit of great complexity and minerality, but presented with remarkable delicacy; a subtle richness and flesh, very long and complex to taste, with a marked Pauillac spice, great freshness, definition, and tremendous, spicy, fruit fragrant length. A most beautiful Mouton, a sort of super 1996 in style. 2025-50+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2011]

The enormously endowed, backward, ferociously tannic, massively extracted 2010 Mouton-Rothschild exhibits an opaque blue/purple color as well as a tight but promising nose of incense, licorice, lead pencil shavings, vanilla, blackberries and cassis. Full-bodied in the mouth, extremely young, and tasting like a barrel sample, this remarkable effort requires 10-15 years of cellaring. It should age well for half a century or more.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #216, Dec 2014)

Deep ruby-red. Great soil-driven aromas of cassis, licorice, graphite and loam. Hugely dense, seamless and concentrated, but with ripe, harmonious acidity giving definition to the plush flavors of creme de cassis, bitter chocolate, minerals and loam. Most impressive today on the mounting, palate-staining finish, which is almost painful yet manages to convey a light touch. Endlessly complex and vibrant wine with decades of positive evolution ahead of it. One of my favorites of this outstanding vintage.

Quality 993 | Brand 999 | Economics 861 | buzz brand
Quality: Predicted life of 30 years, one of the longest drinking windows in its peer group for the 2010 vintage, which averages 13 years Brand: #1 Most sought after wine globally, with 93,283 searches on Wine-Searcher per month Economics: #1 most active wine at auction, its top 5 vintages having seen 5,632 75cl equivalent bottles traded in the past year Production: Higher production than its peer group average of 151,058 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017