Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. This is a great La Tour Martillac that must be one the finest releases from the estate in recent years. It has quite an elegant understated bouquet with autumn leaves infusing the black fruit profile, later tobacco and cigar box. Good vigour and class. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity on the entry. It is underpinned by good structure, with plenty of red and black fruit and an engaging delineated finish brimming with energy. There is some high quality terroir and fruit here.

A darker feel overall than the 2009 - bilberry, cassis, blackberry notes, shot through with the sharper acidities of redcurrant and raspberry to add lift. The tannins remain just a touch austere at 11 years old, but you can begin to drink this with a good carafe, or wait for things to relax and soften a little more over the next two to three years. 40% new oak.

This is an austere, structured wine. Its tannic framework currently dominates, giving the impression of a firm wine. It feels like classic Bordeaux, upright and dense. This makes for a wine that will need several years' aging.

Dense, but supple along the edges, offering a packed core of cassis, blackberry and black cherry fruit. The lovely licorice, dark tobacco and violet notes glide to the finish, which shows solid, latent grip. Best from 2015 through 2025. – JM