Very precise and focused with tight, sleek yet firm tannins, framing a fresh core of black fruit, gravel and tobacco. Crushed stones and tea leaves, too. Savory and medium-bodied. Driven and linear. Lots of cabernet character. Chewy tannins. Rather muscular. But polished texture. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 3% petit verdot.

Raspberry and fresh cherry abound on the nose with hints of mint and rich fleshy plum. A mixture of deep clay on hard limestone gives perfume and richness whilst retaining elegant acidity. The lifted fruit is delicious with savoury chalky tannins

The old school of the UK wine market have long loved the wines of Chateau Talbot, and the 2010 would have them purring. Chateau Talbot is a producer that occupies a large (102 hectares) swathe of land under vine in Medoc and makes wines that are set to a more traditional style, including rich wood scents, firm tannins, some rustic charm and a cassis-meets-violet fruit profile. This is a superb release of the wine, reminscent of classic Talbots that are sinewy when young, but still approachable, and for enthusiasts, glorious with cellar time.

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste produce some of the best value wines in the Pauillac region, if not simply some of the best quality in general. Cabernet based reds are their staple and generally produce wines of a robust and masculine nature. In recent years the wines are close to rivalling the famed Pichons .

From the smallest parcel of the Leoville estate, comes Chateau L?oville-Barton, a once mid-tier level 2nd Growth that has accelerated in quality and interest since the reinvigoration of current proprietor Anthony Barton in the mid 1980s. The rich, gravel-and-clay soils host a predominately Cabernet Sauvignon base of vines, though Merlot and Cabernet Franc also factor. New oak use is kept to around 50%, and the wines are notable for their purity yet power. 2010 is no exception, with a wine that drives with authority across the palate, while providing the baseline for a long time of pleasurable cellaring. Rightfully called one of the most exciting producers of St-Julien.

The Arômes de Pavie 2021 is the 2nd wine from Chateau Pavie and is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc. It matures in French oak barrels, 70% of which are new French oak. In the glass the wine is a deep purple-black color. Still closed in its early years, but with some waltzing comes the lush scents of stewed black plums, black cherry compote and red and black currants. The wine further has aromas of tar, baked herbs and charcoal. On the palate, the Aromes de Pavie is full body wrapped in layers of black fruit, framed by soft tannins and tons of freshness and finishes long and earthy.

This 25-hectare Premier Grand Cru Classe estate, perched on the highest plateau of St Émilion, is one of the jewels of the right bank. Made with the assistance of Michel Rolland, this opulent and generously proportioned Bordeaux, with dark plum praline flavours and chocolatey tannins, is one of the top wines of this vintage.

While the estate known as Chateau Haut-Bailly dates back to 1461, its wine production began in 1530, falling into the hands of the de Leuvarde and Le Bailly families in 1630. It was purchased in 1998 by Robert G Wilmers, a Harvard-educated banker, and his French wife Elisabeth and under their care, the estate has begun producing some of the best wines in its history. The cellars and production procedures were renovated and modernised and this year, the Chateau itself was awarded government recognition of its cultural and vinious heritage.