L'Eglise Clinet 2010

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 L'Eglise Clinet begins unassumingly with gentle notions of fragrant dried flowers and wild sage leading to savory nut and meat characters over an expanding core of preserved plums, blueberry compote and black cherry coulis plus a waft of menthol. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully decadent, the palate is absolutely packed with rich, ripe black fruit preserves and loads of spicy sparks, framed by super ripe, super plush tannins, finishing very long and decadent. I love the interplay of subtly and power here - this is truly a WOW wine! 2020 - 2060.

The 2010 Eglise Clinet continues to deliver in bottle. Deep ruby colour in the glass, the nose is powerful and expansive, layering the dense red and black fruit synonymous with the vintage with notes of dark chocolate, wood spice, smoked game and cigar leaf. Despite the weight of structure at the core, this is a 2010 that you can (and we did) drink now. Powerful cassis, plum and dark cherry notes wash over the plentiful, chalky and ripe tannins that form the spine of this wine. The fruit is both broad and deep, yet never spills over the edge in this precise powerhouse. The accents of spice, incense and cocoa are all measured and subsumed by the sheer weight of fruit, which has the slightest edge of maturity now the wine is 14 years old. 2010's brilliance at the top is in its balance and surprising freshness, and it shows here. Despite the oily, ripe and concentrated fruit, the wine is never heavy. Minutes long and multi-dimensional on the finish, this is one of Denis Durantou's greatest vintages, and one that will continue to age for decades. Outstanding.

Sweet berries with hints of incense and spices on the nose with black truffles. Very ripe but not over-the-top. This is full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a smoky wood and mushroom undertone. It's dense and impressive yet very balanced. I like it, slightly better quality than the 2009. Give the wine five or six years of bottle age to soften before opening.

In 2009 it was easier to present primeur samples.' Very dark and glowing crimson. Savoury and dense and lively. Lip smacking. Lots of sweetness and nerve. Well done! A very firm thread and great integrity. Lovely texture. Much more sweetness than I would expect for a 2010. Racy and charming but with real density. 'The most complicated thing was to decide how many pumpovers to do each day. We reduced the number and the length of the macerations. Alcoholic fermentation was at less than 28°C. Because we were so afraid to extract tannins we couldn't age in barrels.'

Undoubted power and concentration. Rich, dense and profound but reserved. Layered fruit on the palate. Bigger structure than '09 although a touch awkward at this youthful stage. Drink 2020-2040.