2010 Chateau Bellegrave Pomerol 750 ml

Typically Reserved for the Paris Elite

Château Bellegrave is one of the best-kept secrets in Pomerol. We first noticed it on the list at 3-Michelin-starred Arpège, then at Guy Savoy, and then at Pierre Gagnaire. But when we tried to secure even a modest allocation, our calls went unanswered. Finally, after banging on the door for years, owner Jean-Marie Bouldy let us in — and what we pried out of his cellars was better than we had hoped. 2010 was one the great vintages of the past 50 years in Bordeaux, with Wine Spectator rating the “superb” 2010s from Pomerol at a record-breaking 98 points. Despite keeping a discreet profile, Château Bellegrave couldn’t hide from the critics in 2010. The Wine Advocate highlighted Bellegrave’s “good definition and poise,” while Jancis Robinson praised the wine’s “good energy” and “flatteringly sweet,” dark-berry profile.

On Bordeaux's Right Bank, in the priceless southwest corner of Pomerol, you can find Jean-Marie Bouldy’s lovingly tended 27-acre estate just a stone’s throw from the hallowed ground of Châteaux Pétrus, Gazin, and Vieux Château Certan. Bellegrave shares the same perfect soil as its heralded neighbors — a mix of pebbles, sand, and red clay — planted to Merlot and Cabernet Franc by Jean-Marie’s father more than four decades ago.

In the monumental 2010 vintage, which most believe to be among the finest in 30 years in Pomerol, Jean-Marie and his family took advantage of the warm days and cool nights, minimal rainfall, and abundant sunshine that prevailed throughout Bordeaux. Everyone from Robert Parker to Jancis Robinson to Wine Spectator declared that 2010 was one of the region’s greatest years since the near-mythic 1961 vintage. Wine Spectator doled out a whopping 98-point vintage score for the “superb” year in Pomerol (a record for the magazine), and Parker added a 95. At Chateau Bellegrave, the result was no less superb. If you are looking for a gorgeous, finely delineated but structured Right Bank wine to lay down well into the 2020s without breaking the bank, look no further.