Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting

Publishing Bordeaux 2010 – our plans

• 1 min read
Image

Well, there is no doubt that Bordeaux has another very good vintage languishing in its cellars – much more classic in nature than the voluptuous 2009. As you know from my cri de coeur about the relationship between wine commentators and the Bordeaux fine-wine market, Primeurs 2010 – when to publish?, and my analysis published on Saturday of just how different primeurs samples can be from the finished, bottled wine, Bordeaux 2010 – what are we really tasting?, I do have doubts about the whole primeurs circus.

However, I canvassed the views of Purple pagers about this issue, and in particular when and whether to publish descriptions and scores, in this thread on our Members' forum and the majority of members are in favour of having as much information to hand as early as possible. This thread, incidentally, was viewed nearly 6,000 times so I think the subject got a fair hearing. So, thanks to sterling work on the part of Tamlyn Currin, to whom I sent off my batches of tasting notes every evening after tasting, we are able to begin publishing my tasting notes on these embryonic wines – for better or worse.

We begin today with a category that was exceptionally exciting in 2010, dry white bordeaux, and will try – Tam's brain and fingers withstanding the pressure –
to continue to publish a major commune (eg Pauillac) or region (eg Médoc and Haut-Médoc) every day until two weeks today. You can see how we divided up the wines geographically in our reports on the 2009 vintage here. Keep following Bordeaux 2010 – guide to our coverage to see what else is new.

I will, as usual, be publishing an overview of the vintage on Saturday. In the picture, by the way, is Denis Durantou of Église-Clinet in Pomerol with a novel solution to the problem of what to do with all the volume of 2010 that was expectorated last week. His special spittoons comprise two bits of unrelated equipment. The stainless steel bins with a hole in the top come from IKEA and the giant green plastic funnels are inverted tomato plant protectors. Perhaps someone better informed than me can suggest the correct name for them and the usual use for the bins. Dirty laundry? Surely not.

Choose your plan
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 294,795 wine reviews & 16,082 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 294,795 wine reviews & 16,082 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 294,795 wine reviews & 16,082 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 294,795 wine reviews & 16,082 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Free for all

female urban hands each holding a glass of wine - Shutterstock
Free for all Pauline Vicard asks, can wine still justify its cultural relevance? The answer to this question, rather than economics, may become...
Thomas Walk Vineyard in Kinsale
Free for all Jancis is put in her place, by the hybrid grapes of the Emerald Isle. A shorter version of this article...
Ungrafted monastrell vines in Jumilla
Free for all 4 June 2026 In advance of the 2026 Old Vine Conference on 8 June, we’re republishing this overview of our...
Institute of Masters of Wine logo
Free for all As our Sam Cole-Johnson and 216 others prepare for next week’s MW exams, we look back at the very first...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Ballymaloe House May 2026
Nick on restaurants An international institution in the southern Irish countryside. In 2011 I travelled to Ballymaloe House, a 40-minute drive from Cork...
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier bottle and glass of wine outdoors, on table with books
Wines of the week A summer-ready, silky white wine that’s widely available from just $8.99, £20.90 . The sleeper hit of Napa winery Pine...
Split Rail vineyard
Tasting articles Part 4 of an exploration of California’s westernmost vineyards. Above, the Split Rail vineyard in Corralitos (credit: John Benedetti)...
Fernando Mora MW and Mario López of Bodegas Frontonio
Tasting articles A close look at three of Zaragoza’s most important projects. Above, Fernando Mora MW (left) and Mario López of Bodegas...
Acered vineyard
Tasting articles To celebrate Aragón’s new map in the upcoming World Atlas of Wine , Ferran explores the wines of Zaragoza. Above...
Alexandre Delétraz's (Cave des Amandiers) vineyards in Valais @ Leif Carlsson
Tasting articles Red, white, young, old – there’s no shortage of diversity or deliciousness available in Swiss wines. You just need to...
Mt Ararat overlooking vineyards
Tasting articles Reasons to drink more Riesling; best buys; and far-flung finds – highlights from a month of tastings. Above, Mount Ararat...
Dar Sinclair, Tangier
Don't quote me Foreign parts feature heavily this month but that’s far from all. The villa pictured above overlooks Tangier. I hope you...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.