Is 2010 Cantenac Brown the wine of the year?

[JimHow]

It's a potential for me, sipping on it tonight, a bruiser, very deep, will age 40+ years but true to Margaux.
It's getting to be that time of year. What is your 2014 BWE wine of the year so far?

[Rudi Finkler]

When it comes to the most impressive wines of this year, 2008 La Fleur de Gay immediately comes to mind...

[dstgolf]

Maybe not the most impressive of the year but right in a nice drinking window and very well priced 2003 du Tertre. Great value and providing loads of reliable enjoyment.

[Comte Flaneur]

I think it would be very fitting to choose a 2010 left bank in recognition of how it has achieved a new benchmark in Bordeaux.

In my opinion the 2010 left banks are extraordinary, better than any other vintage I have encountered.

I have tried Cantenac Brown twice and it is excellent.

However I would say that the two stand out communes are St-Estephe and St-Julien.

My wine of the year would be one of these 2010s: Calon Segur, Montrose, Leoville-Barton and Leoville-Lascases.

[Chateau Vin]

Picking a 2010 left banker -- I couldn't agree more with Comte...

For me, my first choice would be 2010 Lafon Rochet, which IMO has come a long way to deserve that honor, especially at its price point. Although 2010 SHL is also a worthy consideration (not that it does not deserve the honor second year in a row)...

[Comte Flaneur]

CV

I know or think it got a silly score but without wishing to to sully the waters I thought SHL went a bit 'off piste' in 2010...as did a few others, shamefully Palmer, and not surprisingly Cos D'Estournel - now converted to the dark side - off-piste as in cutting corners...as in making the wine puzzlingly and suspiciously accessible in such a big, tannic vintage when the the 2002-2006s - the golden era of SHL - were wonderfully taut, with superb precision, tension and nervosity - I didn't get that in the 2010 SHL - I got something more diffuse and unfocused. It was a rare left bank disappointment, IMHO.

[Chateau Vin]

Comte,

I tasted the 2010 SHL couple if years back and have to wait and see how it is developing now. When did you taste? Was it recently?

On a different note, will be opening 95 SHL for TG and see how this one is doing at almost 20...

[JimHow]

I will be curious to see how the 95 turned out, CV, I remember it being extremely tannic circa 1999 or so at a sidewalk cafe in NYC.

[tim]

Perhaps we should pick two 2010 left bank wines to face off for the honor, and arrange a virtual tasting thread. Then pick a day and do a face off between the two? (giving enough time to source the wines beforehand of course)

[Nicklasss]

Tough question. But The 2009 and 2010 Château Cantemerle are great! 2000 Lynch Bages was amazing. The 2009 Brane Cantenac is great too.

Year is not over yet. I might try the 2010 Cantenac Brown...

Nic

[JimHow]

I agree with Comte that 2010L may be the greatest vintage ever, but be careful, they are shutting down hard.

[Roel]

2009 and 2010 Cantemerle are still available for 25 Eur here. I picked up some for the next decade(s).

[robertgoulet]

This is great news Jim...this has been on my wish list as a birth year wine for my daughter Jett...it's local here for $69...I am going to wait until the sale price pops up and then it's mine...I have no worries for no one in Orlando would ever end up purchasing this wine except for a select few and there should be plenty to go around...just a waiting game