Blended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2010 Cos d'Estournel is deep garnet with a touch of purple and comes at you like a variegated scent wall with profound notions of blackcurrant cordial, chocolate-covered cherries, spearmint, cigar box and hoisin plus suggestions of praline, charcoal and espresso. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with layer upon layer of black and red fruits plus tons of savory accents and a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing very, very long, carrying great freshness and a beautiful spearmint lift. It's a lot like the 2005 but with the volume turned up here. These 2010s are truly locked in a time capsule.

Lifted nose of dried flowers, walnuts and dark fruits. Intense nose. A full-bodied wine, with powerful flavors of blackberries, coffee, dried herbs and spices. Super silky tannins and a long, long finish. Layered and flashy. Try in 2018.

The 2010 Cos d’Estournel has long been my preference over the 2009. That vintage kowtowed to the crowd and yes, to critics. The 2010 is less compromising but more intellectual. It has a scintillating, pixelated bouquet with intense black fruit, asphalt and mint aromas – vivid and bright, much more focused and certainly less flamboyant than the 2009. The palate is medium-bodied with a huge chassis; a Saint-Estèphe clearly built for the long-term with enormous grip and enthralling tension. As before, there is a liberal sprinkling of white pepper towards the finish and is exceptionally long. The 2010 is the finest Cos d’Estournel until the more finessed 2016 comes along. It is a deeply impressive wine but it will appeal more to those that prefer classic Bordeaux to one boasting tons of fruit, as pleasurable as that might be. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical in London.