The Bordeaux en-primeur week is now underway and the "Twittersphere" is buzzing with the fine-wine trade’s initial impressions of the 2010 vintage. A handful of critics – such as Suckling and Molesworth – were early out of the blocks with their tasting reports this year. However, the majority of journalists opted to hold off until the official start of the trade tastings and have been sharing their thoughts on Twitter since early this morning. A few hours and many 2010s later, here is a snapshot of the feedback so far.
@Will_Lyons (Wall Street Journal)
“@Will_Lyons: Le Pin 2010. Vibrant, fresh, unctuous on the nose but oh so elegant. More energy than 2009. Magical.” #bdx10
@borbordoverview David Bolomey
Freshness for Latour & Forts: beam of acidity + gravelly character open these ripe wines. More depth & darkness for Latour. Precision #bdx10
@Will_Lyons (Wall Street Journal)
Château Bellevue equisite again this year. Wonderful terroir, one to watch #bdx10
@Decanter
Highs, and lows, at this afternoon's big Sauternes & Barsac tasting. #bdx10
@Timatkin
Heretical perhaps, but slightly disappointed by Lafite. #bdx2010
@antrose33 Anthony Rose
Mouton Rothschild a big improvement on last year #bdx10; Clerc Milon looking terrific.
Jancis Robinson has added her first impressions of 2010 to the Purple Pages. Whilst she admits that “Bordeaux really does have two very good – let's reserve the word great for a while – vintages in a row” – stylistically the vintages are miles apart.
"Tasting 2010 and 2009 side by side, you are struck by how sweet the 2009s look next to the 2010s, mainly, I suspect, because of their very different acid levels. Although Stéphane Derenoncourt was warning in Bordeaux 2010 – tannin alert of this primeur vintage's demanding tannin levels, I have so far been far more struck by relatively high levels of acidity in the 2010s.”
Molesworth is among the camp that was not averse to the early publication of scores and late last week he published his reviews for the biggest names from the Right Bank and Sauternes. Having assigned 96-99 points to all but one of the First Growths, the critic awarded both Cheval Blanc and Petrus 95-98 points. Yquem received 93-96 points.
The all-important question, of course, is how will Robert Parker respond to the wines? The critic is usually one of the last to pronounce judgment, but he has tweeted a taste of what’s to come:
"Bordeaux 2010-this is the most widely known thing…already…it is a great, great vintage-not greater than either 2005 or 2009…"
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