Dear Friends,
For those of you who have any children or grandchildren born in 2010, today’s release, Lot 399 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, would be a suitable wine for them to open on their 21st birthday. Assembled one barrel at a time over the course of several weeks of trials, this meticulously chosen 20-barrel blend is certain to prove itself the best Cabernet we offered out of 2010. Comprised of Cabernet lots representing some of the finest blocks of Stagecoach Vineyard, the final blend saw approximately 90% new French cooperage (Taransaud, Remond, Sirigue, and Francois Freres). If you aren’t familiar with Stagecoach, it is an amazing property on Atlas Peak that serves as a source for Icon wines like Caymus Special Select, Paul Hobbes, Sequoia Grove, and Chappellet, amongst many others. This is a monumentally structured Cabernet with the stuffing for 20-25 years in the cellar.
To be quite honest, I had begun to worry a little about the wine earlier in the year, but after watching so many of the 2010 Cabernets blossom over the past few months, I knew it was only a matter of time. As classically proportioned and well-knit a Cabernet as we have ever released, this wine is simultaneously dense and chewy, yet pure and pristine, with all the stuffing and structure to go a decade easy and 20 years if properly cellared. I see no need to wait any longer to release the wine, and I think you’ll “get it” when you try a bottle before laying the rest down a bit to shed some more baby fat.
It showcases a black core and a crimson rim, with a wonderfully pure nose of crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur), cassis, hints of mint, graphite and toasty oak notes. On the palate, rich blackberry fruit and cassis are well supported by supple and very well integrated tannins. No, let me correct that – incredibly well integrated tannins. You really have to work the wine around in your mouth to even know they are even there. Fantastic purity and tremendous length are apparent, with the aforementioned “ghost tannin” structure and pitch-perfect balance indicating more complexity to come. Archetypal Napa Valley Cabernet here, people. Juicy, rich, and damn fine.
(Please note that the descriptions in the tasting video don’t perfectly sync up with my notes here, which are more accurate as I shot the video a few months ago and the wine has evolved considerably since.)
This is truly an opportunity to cellar one of the most age-worthy Cabernets you’ll find in California, and you may do so at a fraction of the price - other meticulously made wines from this vineyard typically retail from $85 to well over $150/bottle. Lot 399 is an incredible value at $29/bottle. Less than 500 cases were produced, so you’ll want to move quickly on this one.
I'm so confident that you'll love this wine, if you buy before midnight on Saturday night, I'm taking 10% off a case and 15% off two cases.
As always, if you have any questions or need help placing your order, please don't hesitate to email us or call 800-805-1971. |
