[wine] 2010 Napa Cabs

By Jon Bonn� June 9, 2013 It feels like it's been years that we've been talking about the trials of the 2010 vintage. Now, finally, the wines, in the iconic form of Napa Cabernet, are upon us. The controversy over 2010 in Napa Valley is diminished only by the fact that nail-biting 2011 is sitting out on the horizon, with wines that required even more diligence - or, in many cases, salvage work. To 2010: Napa does not smile much when cooler vintages come along, and not only was this cool, but it was also what can best be described as "complicated." Cold and wet early on, and cold through the summer, it was marked by several heat spikes that made for uneven ripening and a lot of sunburn (although thick-skinned Cabernet was better positioned to endure than most). Add to that more cool weather that prolonged harvest through the better part of October - with some dastardly rain to boot. Who in this most scrutinized of California appellations stood to win in such a hope-dashing year? Those who picked on the early side of rain, and a few on hillsides who managed to tough it out until it was dry again. More than that, it was those vintners who thought ahead and decided to adjust their expectations given the year - to pick early, perhaps, to trade their usual definition of ripeness for the security of fruit in the cellar. It has been a while since we've seen so many wines in the lineup under 14 percent alcohol. Hence what shone in the tasting were more traditionally styled wines, bottles from those who picked slightly early and aimed for a sleeker, more subdued approach. That didn't mean the wines were shy; bottles from Dominus, Snowden and Larkmead have no shortage of amplitude. But even these show a relative restraint in their fruit, a focus that Napa doesn't always embrace. It is no surprise that some wines we often look forward to tasting, such as those from Cathy Corison, only recently made it to the bottling line. Here was a year that nodded back to the aging beliefs of old - that a proper Napa Cabernet might require an extra stay in the cellar before its debut. Mastering the year Now for the grand "but." California winemaking being as programmatic as it can be, I also encountered a number of wines that hinted at nature overwhelming a vintner's savvy. Wines that displayed the jam- and raisin-like characters to which we've grown familiar, along with a thin or hollow texture that hinted at plans gone awry. Wines that displayed both overripe characteristics and the green tinge of under-ripeness - a mix not inherently unpleasant, but a hard one to master and in many cases, one not mastered. Wines that seemed to jam the square peg of a cold year into the round hole of Napa Valley abundance. This isn't to throw water on the 2010s across the board. Among the top wines there was a deliberate effort to sort out successful lots. At that top level, it's worth noting that some of the best wines are absolutely ravishing - including bottles long since sold, like the 2010 Kapcsandy Estate Cuvee. Uneven playing field But looking broadly, it is an uneven playing field, which is why my recommendations include a balance of affordable and successful choices, in the interest of crediting good work at modest prices. The battle over Napa's preferred style, and its approach to ripeness, has always begun among its elites - but it can no longer be that way. Is Napa bound to the lavish style that has brought it recent fame and spiraling prices? Or can it be more nimble in its approach? This is why 2010, and 2011 as well, was a decisive year for the valley, one that stood to define how Napa represents itself to the world. The best wines are exceptional, and they offer lessons to the valley as a whole. 2010 Dominus Estate Napanook Yountville Red ($59, 14.5% alcohol): Dominus' second wine was almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon (98 percent) in this vintage, and with just 20 percent new oak, it's a great snapshot of mid-valley Cabernet. (The regular Dominus has yet to arrive.) Fully fleshed and complex, with green olive and wet stone and a sleekness of blackberry fruit. Particularly focused for the Napanook style, and worthy of a cellar stay. 2010 Larkmead Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75, 14.7%): In the cellar, Andy Smith and Dan Petroski managed a true success for the vintage at this historic Calistoga property. It's big, dense, surprisingly lush for a 2010, with almost chewy black fruit and a deep, burnt-herb complexity matched by just enough savory oak. The tannins are forward enough to require time, but it's got that mix of tension and opulence that marks Larkmead's ability to bridge classic and modern styles. 2010 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette Spring Mountain District Red ($125, 13.8%): Although this historic property has kept a low profile, the 2010 vintage brought a number of shifts, including more Cabernet Franc (up to 36 percent) and a consulting hand to winemaker Jac Cole not usually in the Napa roster: Patrick Leon, ex of Mouton-Rothschild. (Bernard Hervet of Burgundy's Faiveley is also helping.) Their work yielded an Elivette, available later this summer, markedly different than recent vintages, one that nods to an earlier Napa style without giving up its Californian bones. Great ancho chile and pencil-lead aromas underscore the pleasure of the fruit. It's a great modern Napa expression, as is the fragrant, nutmeg-scented 2010 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon ($75, 13.6%). 2010 Snowden The Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($42, 15%): Diana Snowden Seysses brings her talents with another grape (she also works with her husband at Burgundy's Domaine Dujac) to her family's longtime Napa property. Their second wine may not have the tannic depth of the 2010 Snowden Reserve ($80, 15.5%) but it manages to be similarly spicy and robust without losing the freshness to its black currant flavors. Its suppleness shows a very thoughtful eye toward finessing tannins. 2010 Stony Hill Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($60, 13.5%): The McCrea family's second vintage in the Cabernet realm, after 60 years in Napa, delivers beautifully. Set for release in a few months, and again grown from a dry-farmed parcel on their Spring Mountain site, it's subtle and pleasingly leafy, with eucalyptus and roast-coffee accents to vibrant red currant fruit. 2010 Antica Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($55, 14%): It was the sort of vintage to favor skilled hands like the Antinori family and Antica's manager, Napa veteran Glenn Salva. A precise, mineral-edged effort, with rosemary accents, inky plum flavors and tea-like tannins. Still young, but an excellent example of a focused higher-elevation expression from their Atlas Peak site. 2010 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50, 13.9%): For those who view Montelena in the "stalwart" category, here was a year to reward Bo Barrett's long experience. This larger-production blend is tight-knit and spicy, with fleshy cherry fruit, nutmeg and a dusty tannic aspect. It might not hit the highs of a more even vintage, but those classic Cabernet bones are on full display. 2010 Hess Allomi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($30, 13.7%): Hess' large planting near Howell Mountain remains a great source for affordable Napa bottles, and no different this year. The wood tannin (25 percent new American oak) shows through, but it's perfumed and sleek, with black currant and peony. 2010 Quintessa Rutherford Red ($145, 14.5%): A true success of the year, with the Huneeus family and winemaker Charles Thomas finding perfumed, almost delicate overtones to a wine that's still lush with Rutherford fruit. Cassia, dried thyme, violets and subtle, silken cherry flavors that brighten up toward the finish. Beautifully stylish, with 85 percent new oak that's deftly integrated. 2010 Turley Wine Cellars The Label Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($42, 14.5%): The famed Zinfandel house has tossed its hat into the ring with a more traditional approach to Napa. Made from an organically farmed parcel near Larry Turley's estate north of St. Helena, this is a tribute to the more modest 1970s Napa Cabs - even if its label is an exploration in sans-serif modernity. It's Cabernet without pretense, full of dried-mint brushiness, fresh flowers and dried cherries. There's a dryness to the tannins, too (hence the '70s homage) and a chicory-like bite. If not the most complex of the lot, it serves its purpose precisely. 2010 Terra Valentine Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon ($45, 14.9%): Another win from Spring Mountain. There's ample mountain tannin, but also a fantastic definition and relatively little (20 percent) new oak, which allows a distinct graphite aspect and tarry undertone to match fresh blue fruit and raspberry flavors. 2010 Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon ($70, 14.8%): Lede taps one of those all-star Napa teams - Philippe Melka and David Abreu - in addition to winemaker Chris Tynan for a robust, fashionable effort that balances jammy fruit with warm oak (54 percent new), pencil lead and black tea accents. A kirsch-like warmth fills the end, and ties the style together deftly. 2010 Buehler Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($25, 14.1%): The Buehlers and winemaker David Cronin continue to defy the wonders of Napa economics. This latest effort, mixing 30 percent estate fruit with valley floor grapes, has enough body to be full and complete, with a slightly forward oak presence but also great black currant flavors and chewy tannins that rival its Estate ($36, 14.1%) bottling. 2010 Charles Krug Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon ($29, 14.5%): The Peter Mondavi side of the Mondavi family certainly has the long know-how in Napa to finesse a vintage like 2010. The Yountville entry from their appellation series is ripe and plummy, a no-pretense Napa Cab accented by mace, dried juniper and a winning valley-floor dustiness. 2010 Stags' Leap Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($53, 13.9%): This longtime name now owned by Treasury Wine Estates used a mix of estate and purchased fruit for its latest effort, which shows a focused approach for the vintage: lots of plum, and a black-olive aspect, and dusty if slightly rough-edged tannins. Give it a year. Panelists: Jon Bonn�, Chronicle wine editor; Joshua Haberman, wine director, Harris' Restaurant; Kelli White, sommelier, Press. Jon Bonn� is The San Francisco Chronicle's wine editor. Find more of his coverage at sfchronicle.com/food/wine. E-mail: jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jbonne -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 5219 Elliot Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55417 * * james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *