Bordeaux 2010 Primeurs: Pomerol Tasting Notes
Again, looking across these two vintages, which are destined to be compared and contrasted for decades to come, I think the standard in 2010 is extraordinarily high, with some super stand-out wines, but overall I perceived greater pleasure in the samples I tasted last year. Having said that, aside from a handful of estates which seem to have fumbled the ball in one vintage or the other, the differences are slim, and it is an issue of style as much as quality. And of course we must always bear in mind that these are barrel samples, not finished wines, and so assessments in bottle will be required. Unfortunately for me so few of the wines presented below participate in the UGC tastings in London, so it is unlikely I will be able to revisit more than a few of these wines again.
Looking at those properties that have eclipsed their 2009s, they seem to consist of two small groups. The first those who have turned everything up to eleven, building on an already very high quality level, such as Trotanoy and the other-worldly Vieux Château Certan. And then there are those which displayed too much of the warmth of the vintage in 2009, either in terms of alcohol or fruit character, such as Beauregard, La Cabanne and Petit Village, which have put on a much more focused, cleaner show in 2010. In fact Petit Village, which has seen a lot of AXA investment in the last few years, has the potential here to bottle one of its best wines ever, thereby displaying a complete turnaround from the 2009 vintage. Conversely, I should point out that in one or two cases the reason I preferred the 2009 was because the 2010 showed some deficiencies, in particular over-ripe fruit lacking freshness. Certan de May springs to mind here. Neither vintage is perfect.
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