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1st July 2011

It's clearly evident that Château Cheval Blanc has produced a sensational 2010 however, they also have absolutely no intention of selling much if any!

We are able to offer their 2010 at a mindboggling £10,150.00 IB per case! The higher scoring 2009 (Parker 98-100) flew out the door @ £7,950.00 IB per case...

96-98 Robert Parker
"2010 Cheval Blanc: The 2010 Cheval Blanc contains 13.8% alcohol, which is very high for this estate, and has an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the final blend (56% versus 44% Merlot). Yields were tiny, adding to the richness and intensity already instilled by the drought of summer and resulting tiny berries. In the style of some of the great Cheval Blancs of the late 1940s, this wine is rich, opulent, full-bodied, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, as saturated purple in color as any Cheval Blanc I have seen. Mulberries, black currants, fresh minerals, and floral notes jump from the glass of this full-bodied, dense wine. With its tannins, good acidity and surprisingly modest pH, this should be an exceptionally long-lived wine, more backward and delineated than the fatter, more opulent 2009. Drink it over the next 30+ years. Drink 2011-2041"

95-97 Neal Martin
"A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, the latter suffering a little coulure (so bunches were cut earlier during the season after veraison to increase homogeneity.) The Merlot were reaching around 14.5% alcohol and the clay/gravel soils inhibited the increased alcohol level at the end. The harvest began on 15th September and finished on 13th October with a major part of the vineyard picked on 7th October. Like many samples, the Cheval Blanc takes a long time to open but eventually reveals a very refined, tightly-knit bouquet with dark berries, espresso, underbrush, the Cabernet Franc dominating the Merlot at present. The palate is medium-bodied and much more masculine compared to the fleshier 2009 last year, like the nose, the Cabernet Franc defining the wine with touches of dried herbs, a little allspice and white pepper. There is a firm backbone to this Cheval Blanc, quite structured towards the spicy finish, fresh but obdurate and broody. This will need a decade to really open up. Very promising, but do not expect fireworks...yet. Drink 2020-2040+ Tasted March 2011".

99-100 James Suckling
"The blueberry and blackberry character and bouquet of violets is off the charts. Full body, the Cabernet Franc dominates the blend now, with so much dark fruits, minerals and flowers with hints of spices. It is a very powerful and linear CB and shows amazing length and purity. Zen-like focus"

18.5+ Jancis Robinson
"56% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot. Meaty and savoury. Almost austere on the nose relative to how young Cheval usually tastes. Very youthful but aromatic, then lovely lusciousness on the palate. Recalls great old Chevals with that seductive freshness. Lovely dry finish. (Blend for 2009 was exactly the opposite.) Coulure affected Merlot in 2010. Lost lots of volume on Merlot. Great structure but also lovely floral seductive aroma. Opens out in the glass in the most convincing manner. Presumably they think it would have been even better if vinified in the new cellar that is due for completion this summer. 14.5%"

James Lawther (Decanter.com)
"Sublime wine. Fresh, floral, perfumed. More elegant and sensual than the '09. Pure, sumptuous fruit. Refined texture and tannins. Lovely acidity for balance. Seamless. Drink 2020-2050".

Cheval Blanc's second wine, Le Petit Cheval is offered amazingly higher than some of the super-seconds @ £1,950.00 IB per case...

I'm pleased to report that this year's En-Primeur campaign is heading for a close today as the remaining Châteaux are all releasing their 2010 offerings. We are awaiting final allocations from Château Latour, and have absolutely no intention of buying /& or selling any Cheval Blanc even though we are now receiving discounted offers resulting in a GBP price of £9,700 IB per case. Château d'Yquem is superb however, I would prefer to buy their 'perfect' 2001 at exactly the same price. We are still waiting to receive Château Lafite & Margaux final allocations and prices and will revert as soon as we receive the same.

That just leaves the magnificent Château Ausone which Parker believes to be "unquestionably extraordinary". Unfortunately, Ausone only produced 1,500 cases therefore, we can only offer a limited quantity @ £13,500.00 IB per case.

98-100 Robert Parker
"Alain Vauthier's wines have been so remarkable since he acquired full control of Ausone that readers probably feel I have thrown my critical wits away. However, the proof is in the tasting, and the 2010 Ausone is unquestionably extraordinary. There are 1,500 cases of this beauty, which exhibits an inky/blue/purple color as well as an exotic, seamless bouquet of incense, Asian spices, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Full-bodied with a striking liqueur of minerality as well as a magical combination of complexity, substance and nobility, it reveals softer tannins than I expected for this vintage, so perhaps it will be more accessible in its youth than recent Ausone vintages have tended to be. It is another prodigious effort from Vauthier that should be drinkable in 6-8 years and keep for a half century".

19.5 James Lawther (Decanter.com)
"As pure as the '09 but a more emphatic structure. 55% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Fragrant fruit and floral nose. Dense, ripe fruit and an abundance of firm but finely knit tannins. Minerally freshness provides a classical edge. Great length and persistence. Huge ageing potential. Drink 2022-2060".

18.5 Jancis Robinson
"26 hl/ha. Dark crimson with a bright crimson rim. Very serious nose - so different from the Chapelle! 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. Lovely punch and scent on the nose and then real tight impact on the palate. Not the completeness of Pétrus but a very good vintage expression. Some warm berries triumph over terroir but this is sweet then tight and tough. Extremely youthful. Very drying on the end. Cabernet Franc has dominated since 2005. Very rich and exuberant overall. Vivacious and not too, too dry on the finish. Less exaggerated than some other recent vintages".

96-97 James Suckling
"There is something almost unnerving with Ausone this year. It has almost supernatural fruit character and earth shattering acidity. Full and tannic, it finishes with a dark fruit jam but then goes to citrus acidity and freshness. A tiny bit too much"

93-95 Neal Martin
"A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, picked between 5th and 15th October. The nose takes some coaxing from the glass; raspberry, a touch of Dorset plum, wild strawberry and with further aeration there are touches of orange rind developing. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins, very focused, hints of dark chocolate on the entry, wonderful mineralité and poise towards the seamless finish with a creamy veneer. Long in the mouth, this is a sensual Ausone. Drink 2015- tasted March 2011".

Château d'Yquem is also released @ £4,950.00 IB per case...

96-98 Neal Martin
"Picked predominantly over 10 days from October 14, the 2010 d'Yquem has 141gms/L residual sugar and pH 3.80. It is a slow-burner, the nose understated at first but unfurling with each passing moment with subtle scents of freshly sliced apricots, Clementine, clear honey and white flowers. There is an underlying minerality that really defines this bouquet. The palate is similar to the nose, revealing hidden facets with almost each swirl of the glass - orange blossom, limestone, white peach and honeysuckle. This is such a precise d'Yquem; it is after you have swallowed the wine that one comprehends just how brilliant it is"

18.5 Jancis Robinson
"'2010 was a cool year for us.' Winter and autumn cold, good dry, warm summer. Very healthy grapes, though quite a bit of rain on the flowering, A bit of coulure on Sauvignon so less than usual in the blend, just 13% compared to the usual 20%. Pale gold with slight greenness. Gorgeous, classic nose. Pear juice a go-go. Absolutely stunning freshness as well as all the botrytis. Classic. Real punchy perfect savoury Sauternes. Zesty and lovely with some chew on the end. No shortage of botrytis. Very distinctive and much less sweet than 2009. (155 g/l in 2009, 141 g/l in 2010). Refined finish. Finished 5 Nov. Five passes. Real punch and zest. Grapefruit peel. But not a massive sweet bomb. 13.55%"