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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.9 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 42 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by wineappreciation on 4/20/2024 & rated 92 points: Blackberry, blueberry, gravel, leather; smooth, long, balanced, fairly elegant, showing some development, not especially complex but classic and very good (359 views) | | | Tasted by CMSPN on 12/9/2023 & rated 91 points: Very good. Ready to drink. Balanced alcohol. Integrated oak. Black fruit and jam. (679 views) | | | Tasted by Doc Blinet on 3/31/2023 & rated 92 points: Smooth with a lingering finish. Bouquets of faint leather and tobacco with velvety opulence. It was as good as 2009 vintage and will improve in the next few years. The (1279 views) | | | Tasted by Chateau-de-Plonk on 3/13/2022 & rated 88 points: Somewhat disjointed. Tannins slightly underripe, and slightly sappy. Lots of plush black fruit and well integrated oak spice
Pleasant but not worthy of price (2259 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 1/23/2022 & rated 92 points: First bottle from a full case purchased en primeur in 2012. A blend of 60% Cabernet-Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, harvested between 29 September and 19 October, 13.5% ABV. Jacques Boissenot consulted. Energetic, fresh, youthful, crunchy fruit, firm structure but with a modicum of feminine Margaux elegance, toasty but well integrated oak, finely grained but still grippy tannins, good resonance and length. Early maturity, needs 3-5 years to loosen its tannic grip. The flawless balance ensures a good career, how much complexity it will develop, remains to be seen. It is still not easy to read, but it may surprise us. Score assumes positive development. Revisit 2025, drink until 2040+. (2946 views) | | | Tasted by mikered on 1/2/2022 & rated 83 points: Nose of very ripe blue, black fruit with nice hints of mint, tobacco and damp earth. But the mouth doesn't deliver, dull cooked blue, black fruit, stewed tomato and stale tobacco, leading to an almost empty middle and a slightly bitter, muddy and dull finish. Medium body, low acid, ripe intergraded tannin.
OKish, if dull, wine, that is a little past it's prime. Very disappointed and a terrible value. (1997 views) | | | Tasted by peterchoy on 12/14/2021 & rated 90 points: Appearance: Bright and clear, the wine is of deep ruby colour, with fading rim and legs.
Nose: Clean, with medium aromas of black fruit of cassis and dark cherries, kernel notes of coffee, oak notes of cedar, animal notes of leather, pungent spice of liquorice, sweet spice of clove, maturity notes of forest floor. The wine is developing.
Palate: Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and velvety texture, medium in alcohol with medium (+) body, with medium concentration of flavours, exhibiting black fruit of blackberry and ripe cherries, oak notes of toast, kernel notes of chocolate, sweet spice of clove. The wine has a medium finish.
Conclusion: Good quality Margaux with a reasonably intense nose showing good complexity, with plenty of black fruit and good leathery notes, supplemented with liquorice and sweet spice, with some coffee and cedar aromas wrapping up the development characters of damp earth. On the palate it is well-structured, good in balance with robust tannin of velvety texture, fair concentration of flavours and decent length on the finish. It is ready to drink now but can further develop for another 4-6 years. (1890 views) | | | Tasted by flussier on 11/5/2021 & rated 89 points: Robe bourgogne foncée. Beau nez, décanté 1h. Vin sec sur les fruits noirs et les feuilles d’automne. Vin d’entrée de gamme pour un Margaux. Manque légèrement de profondeur. (1600 views) | | | Tasted by Psdycp on 9/18/2021 & rated 86 points: A subtle nose of blackcurrant, savoury grilled tomatoes, river stones and earthy spices. Palate is dry and chalky with tobacco, blue fruits and spices. Lacking some density and depth. Quite surprising for a 2010 vintage. Transition from entry to finish is uneven. Finish is austere, rough and over extracted. Disappointing for the vintage. (1098 views) | | | Tasted by glassofhans on 9/13/2021 & rated 91 points: More structure than I'd have expected from a typical Margaux, good backbone of tannins and acidity, a little less lush and fruity than what one would expect from Margaux, and very green (which I enjoy). Tastes like a watered-down Pauillac (again, not a bad thing), with cigarbox etc. (1009 views) | | | Tasted by HG1xGinnel on 7/28/2018: Still a bit on the young side but open enough to be enjoyed. Deep aroma with spice leather iron and lead. Black fruits are pushed down under the primary minerals. The tannins are still a bit edgy and dry but will smooth down. Good length and complexity with a slightly spicy tar note on the finish.
Personally I like my Bordeaux older and more elegant than this but in its semi youthful phase I think its got all the potential to age gracefully for another five years easily.
Stick in a jug for a good three hours and enjoy with a meal. (3916 views) | | | Tasted by Superoreo on 3/31/2018 & rated 88 points: Some unpleasant green notes. (3813 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 9/3/2017 & rated 90 points: Medium bodied, soft, subtle and silky, with freshness in the sweet, ripe, dark red fruits and a hint of floral characteristics on the nose. Nice now, but this will be better with just a few more years of bottle age. (5940 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 5/5/2017 & rated 92 points: Roland's birthday party (Bilthoven): Tasting, brief note. Firmly structured, still quite tannic, all the component parts are in place, needs more time even if its innate Margaux elegance is starting to show itself. (5588 views) | | | Tasted by Sotto325 on 11/5/2016 & rated 89 points: A wonderful early glimpse at the 2010 Bordeaux, this 375 was wonderfully complete and, while not complex, consistently rich and Bordeaux fragrant throughout. As the bottle aired, the body developed greater clarity, with some underlying brush and lots of soil accompanying the dark not-very-sweet cherry/cassis and some horse leather notes. Dark garnet color and a full palate experience. (5494 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundio on 8/11/2015 & rated 90 points: Excellent QPR. (771 views) | | | Tasted by CamWheeler on 4/19/2015 & rated 85 points: MW Institute 2010 Bordeaux Tasting (Sydney, Australia): Stalks and undergrowth with some oak showing through. The palate has biting acidity that isn't covered by the lean fruit profile. (5936 views) | | | Tasted by lumpyelbow on 1/25/2013: Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2010 (Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON): Bitter. Could do better. (8481 views) | | | Tasted by KeithAkers on 1/23/2013 & rated 90 points: 2010 Bordeaux UGC Chicago (The Drake Hotel, Chicago IL): Nose: Well balanced and aromatic with tones of cedar, leather, spice box, and dark red cherries. There is nice depth to it and it certainly speaks of margaux.
Taste: Very nice medium body with medium acidity and good chewy tannins. The tannins don't fully overpower and support very good tones of cedar, spice box, and dark red cherries.
Overall: This was a real nice young margaux. While it won't ever be great, it can develop into a real quality wine with some age. (7311 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 1/18/2013 & rated 89 points: 2010 Bordeaux at 2012 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (Palace Hotel, San Francisco, California): Very dark ruby color; menthol, tart currant nose; menthol, tart currant palate; medium-plus finish (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot) (3058 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 11/25/2012 & rated 92 points: Annual Grand Cru Tasting (Wijnhandel De Gouden Leeuw, Voorschoten, NL): Hard to fathom initially, very closed, seems well-balanced but there is some back-end heat. Needs time to open up but then shows excellent purity of fruit, energy and style. (7484 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 10/30/2012 & rated 89 points: UCGB tasting Bordeaux 2010 (Brussels): Dark forest fruits, sweet spices, beautiful oak and some green herbs in the bouquet. On the palate juicy dark fruits and beautiful oak as well. Beside that some bell peppers and sticky tannin. Try again around 2020. Score 89 for now but it could be a few points more around 2020. (5141 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/5/2014)
(Ch Desmirail Margaux Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/7/2011)
(Ch Desmirail Margaux Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2011
(Chateau Desmirail (Margaux)) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Mar/Apr 2011, Issue #32, The 2010 Bordeaux Vintage: Very Ripe, Very Tannic and With Just A Few Great Successes
(Château Desmirail) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/18/2013)
(Château Desmirail) Very dark ruby color; menthol, tart currant nose; menthol, tart currant palate; medium-plus finish (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot) 89 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and View From the Cellar and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Desmirail Producer websiteRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Margaux Read more about Margaux and its wines As with a large part of the Bordeaux vineyards, vines first appeared in Margaux during the Gallo-Roman period.
In 1705 a text mentions Château Margaux . But we have to wait for the end of the eighteenth century and the coming of the earliest techniques in aging for the concept of wines of high quality to develop. The confirmation of this was the famous 1855 classification which recognized 21 Crus Classés in the Margaux appellation. One hundred years later, the Viticultural Federation and the Margaux appellation of controlled origin were born. The appellation, which stretches out over five communes, is actually unique in the Médoc in that it is the only one to contain all the range of wines, as rich as they are vast, from First Great Cru Classé to the Fifths, not forgetting its famous Crus Bourgeois and its Crus Artisans.
In Margaux there is a predominance of Garonne gravel on a central plateau of about 4 miles in length and one and a quarter wide. To the east-south-east, it overlooks the low lying land by the estuary. Its east side is marked by gentle, dry valleys and a succession of ridges.The layer of gravel in Margaux was spread out by a former Garonne in the early Quaternary. Rather large in size, it is mingled with shingle of average dimension and represents the finest ensemble of Günz gravel in the Haut-Médoc. It is on this ancient layer on a Tertiary terrace of limestone or clayey marl that the best Médoc crus lie. All the conditions for successful wine are present : a large amount of gravel and pebbles, poor soil which cannot retain water and deep rooted vines.
It is customary to say that Margaux wines are the "most feminine" in the Médoc, thus stressing their delicacy, suppleness and their fruity, elegant aromas. This does not affect their great propensity for aging; just the opposite, for the relatively thin terroir imparts tannins which give them long life. The other characteristic of these wines which combine an elegant vitality, subtlety and consistency, is their diversity and personality. Over and above the flavour which is their "common denominator", they present an exceptional palette of bouquets, fruity flavours which show up differently from one château to another.
Production conditions (Decree dated August 10 1954)
In order to have the right to the Margaux appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Margaux, Cantenac, Soussans, Arsac and Labarde, "excluding the land which by the nature of its soil or because of its situation, is unfit to produce wine of this appellation".
- satisfy precise production conditions: grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare).
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot
Soil: Gravel and silt plateau on a layer of limestone or silt on clay
Surface Area: 1,530 ha |
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