Nose
The effusive 2010 Cabernet has an animated nose of red and black fruits emboldened by a rich, resin-y undercurrent of tar, liquorice with a camphor and rosemary herbal life.
Palate
The palate turns darker, dominated by black raspberries, blueberries and ripe Damson plums with ribbons of baker's chocolate dusted by espresso roasted coffee beans and hints or creosote and fresh ground cloves that drive the wine to its substantial yet fine-grained and mineral-driven finish.
Growing Conditions
The 2010 growing season was challenging, uneven and hard to predict with a wet and cool spring, a beautiful June, a foggier and cooler than normal summer that culminated in the seismic heat-spike of late August followed by two additional spikes in late-September and mid-October. As always, Richard and the crew were up for the challenge and presented me with fruit of a superb quality that earlier in the year I doubted was possible. The one casualty of the vintage was yield - 2010 turned out to be the smallest crop ever.
Aging
21 months 100% French, 89% new, 11% used
