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Dear Friends,
If you like your Cabernet rich, dense, and chewy, I’ve got the wine for you. If you like $70+ Cabernet for $25, I’ve really got the wine for you. But, before we talk about today’s release, I wanted to offer you a quote about the 2010 vintage. As I have said before, the 2010 Napa Cabs (with rare exceptions like our Lot 400) are fantastic wines but have taken forever to open up in the bottle. Antonio Galloni (who formerly covered Napa, Italy, and Champagne for Bob Parker’s Wine Advocate) writes the following about the 2010 Napa Vintage in his new publication Vinous:
“Fans of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will find a lot to get excited about with the 2010 vintage. The 2010s are magnificent, viscerally thrilling wines loaded with character and personality. To be sure, the 2010s – the product of a long, cold growing season – are going to require a few years in bottle...there is no question 2010 is the greatest vintage for Napa Valley in the 2008-2011 time period.”
Today’s release, Lot 338 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, as Mr. Galloni predicted, has finally come out to play after 13 months in the bottle and is showing incredibly well now (our only 2010 Napa Cabernet that showed well with only a few months in the bottle was Lot 400). We took the main component into our hands shortly after fermentation and put it through elevage in our barrel program for approximately 16 months before bottling in April of 2012 (cooperage is 100% French oak, 35% new Remond and Taransaud barrels). Sourced primarily from Yountville and Rutherford, the final blend is rounded out with some of the best barrels of Merlot we obtained from Haven’s and Petit Verdot from Stagecoach Vineyard on Atlas Peak. I anticipate further development, of course, and it’s partly the reason I include the Galloni quote. These 2010s are phenomenal wines that are finally approachable, but patience will be rewarded. Source vineyard retails are $75 and $50 per bottle (with their main source 2009 Cabernet receiving a 95 score from the Enthusiast), and the only reason we got our hands on the wine was the producer’s cash flow considerations post-recession.
There are only 500 cases of Lot 338 available online. I'm so confident you'll love this wine that if you buy now through Thursday, I'll knock 10% off case purchases and 15% off two cases. This is a great Cabernet to stock up on from one of Napa's great vintages for aging.
Here are my notes: Almost black in color with a reddish, purple rim – you can see the tremendous structure. The aromatics are classic Napa Valley - high-toned and complex, showing cassis and raspberry backed by black olive and bay leaf notes. There is also a pink floral/blossom component here, and plenty of black peppercorns punctuated by fruit compote and plenty of well integrated new French oak. I can’t wait to see this in a couple of years – I think after about 3-4 years in the bottle this wine will be singing. The palate is just unwinding, with a pretty red and black fruit core showing black cherry, hints of eucalyptus, and classic Rutherford dust in a long, savoury finish. This is a seriously collectible and sophisticated Cabernet with excellent impact, depth, and complexity.
As always, if you have any questions, comments, or need assistance with your order, please do not hesitate to email us or call 800-805-1971. |
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