Every Bordeaux vintage is given 2 sets of scores by Robert Parker – the first is given when he tastes the wine in barrel and the second is given when he tastes the wine in bottle a couple of years later.
Wine develops as it matures so the scores don’t always stay the same, some rise and some fall. Parker’s scores for the Bordeaux 2010 vintage now it is in bottle have thrown up 2 surprises – he has awarded 100 points to two chateaux for producing a perfect wine that have never been given 100 points before: Chateau La Violette (Pomerol) and Le Dôme (Saint Emilion).
These two estates produce very small amounts of wine and now join the ranks of the other 2010 vintage 100 pointers, which are:
Chateau Latour
Chateau Beauséjour-Duffau-Lagarosse
Chateau Cheval Blanc
Le Pin
Chateau Haut Brion
Pétrus
Chateau Pontet-Canet
Chateau Pape-Clement
La Violette is a tiny vineyard owned by Catherine Péré-Vergé (who also owns Chateaux Le Gay and Montviel in Pomerol, La Graviere in Lalande de Pomerol). La Violette sits on the top of the Pomerol plateau between Chateaux Le Pin and Trotanoy. The estatecovers 3 hectares but the wine only comes from 1.8 hectares and is called “La Violette” because it is characterised by strong aromas of violets.
La Violette 2010 – 100 points – Robert Parker writes:
“Sadly, there’s not a whole lot of production to this microscopic estate in Pomerol, but the name says it all. The awesome aromatics include not only raspberries, black cherries, and blackberry, but also the floral perfume of an haute couture house.
Its terrific aromatics are followed by a wine with quintessential elegance married to almost unbridled density of fruit, all presented in a flawless and seamless concoction of full-bodied power, elegance and purity.
This is a riveting wine and certainly one of the great classics to ever be produced by this tiny estate. Kudos to proprietress Catherine Pere-Verge. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.”
Le Dôme is a “super-cuvée” produced by Jonathan Maltus in Saint Emilion. Maltus’ wines have reached cult status and in addition to Le Dôme and the Grand Vin Chateau Teyssier the estate produces the super-cuvéesVieux Château Mazerat, Les Astéries, Le Carré, Clos Nardianas single vineyard wines and the estate wine Château Laforge as well as the generic Bordeaux appellation line Pezat.
Le Dôme 2010 – 100 points – Robert Parker writes:
“A full-bodied wine, but ethereal in its elegance and finesse, the wine has a strikingly provocative bouquet of camphor, blueberry jam, violets, new saddle leather, white chocolate and spice.
Extremely full-bodied, but again, not showing any weighty fatigue or any type of aggressiveness, this wine has extraordinary purity and richness as well as a blockbuster finish of close to a minute, yet is so flawless, seamless and compelling, it’s hard to believe the wine is this concentrated and rich. It will be interesting to see how it evolves, but it certainly can be drunk in 3-4 years and, I’m sure, cellared for as long as 25-35 years from now.
There are 1,000 cases of this wine, which has one of the highest percentages of Cabernet Franc of any wine in Bordeaux (80%). The balance is Merlot. The 2009 from Le Dome flirted with perfection, but this wine swallows the entire scoring system, and rightfully so.”
