Overall 2010 not as rich and sweet in feeling as 2009 but there seems more elegance here and maybe it is bit more akin to 2007 but with more strength. The best wines had great balancing acidity which makes them extremely fresh. I’d also imagine that the wines will be pretty long-lived. The wines are listed below in terms of how I’ve marked them. Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau Climens are the important exceptions here and were not tasted.

Chateau Coutet

Pale gold with hint of green; full bodied nose; powerful; botrytis and honey; palate fresh and stromg with good acid; feels fresh and not wallowing in sugar. Wonderful. 94-96+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Rieussec

Pale gold; some honey, thickness and some wax; quite sweet, rip and unctuous palate; nice balance and waves of flavour; sweetness but with bite at the back. 93-95/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Rabaud-Promis

Pale gold; nice botrytis here; thicker on the nose; wax and butter too; fresh palate, good acid and feels balanced; this is very good. Complex, sweet and fab. 92-94+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey

Pale green/gold; clean and attractive, quite fresh and some grass here; palate elegant but with intensity and concentration; sweetness; really very good. 91-93/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Doisy Daene

Palest gold; quite waxy, fresh; cut grass and flowers; quite rich palate, sweet with some degree of unctuousness; quite good bite on the finish. Plenty of acid. 90-92/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Guiraud

Palest gold; wax, butter, some freshness and honey; sweet and unctuous on the palate but also with race; a little more elegant than the Rieussec. Very good mouthfeel. Excellent 90-92+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau de Rayne Vigneau

Pale gold; fresh, some grass and hedgerow; honey at the back; nice and firm palate with good acid and life. Feels really good 90-92/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC [Second tasting] Golden straw; butter and wax, some botrytis; cream and honey; attractive; sweet palate, ripe and creamy with butter and honey notes; good density and richness. Excellent 91-93/100 Tasted 8 April at Chateau Meyney

Chateau Suduiraut

Pale gold; fresh and honeyed; very clean, some floral tones; palate mid-weight; very elegant but also acid to balance. Feels very fine. 90-92+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau La Tour Blanche

Pale gold; fresh, some grass and hedgerow; honey; nice and elegant feel here; full palate, some wax and butter but pretty good; nice length; attractive; bite at end. Very good 90-92+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau d’Arche

Pale gold; fresh, wax, good; feels fresh and alive; palate racy with good acid; feels lively and not at all ponderous. Lively and nice balance. Very good. 89-91+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Doisy-Vedrines

Pale straw; some green tinges; fresh; some grass and candy; alive; feels elegant and racy; lively palate. Quite fat, sweet and full on the palate. 89-91+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau de Malle

Pale straw gold; some wax, quite fresh, some oak; sauvignon notes – herbs and grass; very floral and pretty; nice mid-weight style and elegant and racy palate. 89-91/100 [Semillon 78%, Sauvignon Blanc 22% with tiny fraction of Muscadelle] Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Nairac

Pale gold; butterscotch, wax; full on the nose; positive palate with some candy, butterscotch, heather honey. Nice wine 89-91/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey

Pale gold; quite full, lacks the sophistication of some; palate bold, full and quite sweet; big wine with lots of flavour; maybe lacks a bit of zip and complexity but pretty big 88-90+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Lamothe Guignard

Pale gold, some honey and butter; nice palate, some sweetness and weight; quite clean and pure. Nice attractive wine. Mid term 88+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Romer

Pale gold; some wax and cream and honey notes; more bite and with gooseberry on the palate; honeysuckle too; quite rich; real sweetness here with nice bite on the finish. Good. 88+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Filhot

Pale straw; little reductive and wet dog, wool; attractive palate with good balance and nice acid. Nicely done. 88+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Lamothe

Pala gold, honey again; bit creamier and quite fat, full style; mid sweetness and some grassy tones; fresh 87-88/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Caillou

Pale straw/green; some wax, quite full nose, honey; mid weight palate, nice balance; sweet, some ripe waxy notes. Good 87-88/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Broustet

Pale gold; some wax, some hoiney; little more straightforward on the palate; full and rich; lacks complexity but good. 86-87+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau Bastor Lamontagne

Pale gold; some cream and butter but quite simple; quite full but lacks complexity; waxy, full and simple 86-88/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC

Chateau de Myrat

Pale gold; slightly richer and more oily here; ripe; attractive; some weight; fatness – big simple but quite big 86+/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 UGC