(a blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon and 6% merlot; 80 IPT; 3.8 pH; 14% alcohol; a 49% selection for the grand vin Deep, bright ruby. Reticent nose hints at deep redcurrant, blackcurrant and plum complicated by aromatic herbs, cedar and lavender. Precise and pure on entry, showing very smooth flavors of red berries, dark plum and soy sauce. A refined Mouton-Rothschild that impresses through its grace rather than power; less exotic than usual at this early stage, it conveys a more serious, austere personality, even if it is still more expressive today than either Latour or Lafite. Director Philippe Dhalluin told me that although the merlot vats tasted perfectly fine this year, the variety endured plenty of problems ranging from coulure to heat stress (Mouton's famed gravel soils are an enemy of merlot in very dry years such as 2010), and this explains the preponderance of cabernet sauvignon in the final blend. An outstanding Mouton.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Tasted 17 Feb: Very youthful and very Cabernet and pretty spicy. Very correct and with an attractive dryness on the finish. Very snazzy.Tasted 8 Apr: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot. Burnished dark pruney crimson. Very opulent and heady on the nose. Lovely perfume. Lots of fully ripe black fruits. Amazingly polished – so much so that you are almost distracted from the huge tannic charge. Not quite as dense as some of the greatest 2010s but very well balanced. Hugely Cabernet. As in 2009, great care has been taken not to produce too heavy a wine. There is almost Lafite-like structure here. Very, very polished middle palate. Bone dry, pretty tannic finish. (Score: 18.5 30-45)

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Only 49% of the production made it into the 2010 Mouton Rothschild, which has a strikingly beautiful label by Jeffrey Koons. This is a truly great wine, with a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) and the other 6% Merlot. At 13.9% natural alcohol, Mouton's director, Philippe Dhalluin, has clearly produced another 50- to 60-year wine that has a chance at perfection in about 15 years time, when I suspect this wine will be rounding into drinking condition. It is dense, rich and full-bodied, with the classic Mouton creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice and floral notes, but also some blueberry and hints of subtle espresso and mulberry. The wine has more minerality and precision than the rich, extravagantly opulent 2009, and while that may please some, others will have their patience tested as they wait and wait for this compelling Mouton Rothschild to hit full maturity.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

This strides in with distinction, starting off with a showy but integrated layer of espresso-infused toast, followed by plush tiers of crushed currant, plum and blackberry fruit interspersed with cocoa and well-roasted cedar notes. The long, tobacco- and loam-filled finish shows lots of heft, but stays polished. An impressive display of unadulterated, muscular Cabernet Sauvignon.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio