Bordeaux 2010: what to expect?

Following the sales price records at the release of the 2009 vintage last year, lix ex hinted a few months ago that another bumper year – and another set of records – might be too much for even the most loyal Bordeaux buyers. Informal sources in the field (and on the web) confirm that the region's latest vintage could indeed turn out to be as good, if not better than the previous one.

In an interview with Jancis Robinson, Otto Rettenmaier of Chateau La Tour Figeac said the 2010 vintages still have more aging potential than the "seductive" 2009 vintages, although they won't be as approachable in their early years. He describes the style of this vintage as more 'masculine', with higher acidity levels, like their potential alcohol levels. (You can see the video here .) According to him, even if the 2010 vintage could be radically different, its quality is comparable to that of the 2009 vintage.

The exceptional potential of the vintage is praised everywhere. Simon Staples hinted on Berry's Wine Blog that his style might be "closer to the 2005 vintage than the 2009, fresher than the exuberant style of the 2009." Although some are concerned about potentially too high alcohol levels, this question remains open for the moment since critics will only taste and rate the wines from the beginning of April.

It's too early to draw any real conclusions on quality, but if the rumors hold true, what impact would another golden year have on prices? Most of the top rated wines for the 2009 vintages haven't changed much since their release. Will buyers' pockets be deep enough to support another year of outstanding wines? And if so, will the 2010 vintage be a profitable investment?

Source: live ex
Feb 9, 2011