2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Opaque purple. Cherry-vanilla, blackberry, floral oils and oak spices on the highly perfumed nose. Fleshy and expansive, offering appealingly sweet dark berry flavors that pick up spice and herb nuances with air. Shows very good energy on the finish, which features supple tannins and a hint of sweet chewing tobacco.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley wraps around the palate with mocha, chocolate, violets and new leather. Despite its explosive personality, the straight Napa Valley bottling is pretty approachable for the vintage. I especially like the focus of the finish. In 2010, the Cabernet Sauvignon includes 6% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sources are State Lane, Stagecoach and Mast.
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley wraps around the palate with mocha, chocolate, violets and new leather. Despite its explosive personality, the straight Napa Valley bottling is pretty approachable for the vintage. I especially like the focus of the finish. In 2010, the Cabernet Sauvignon includes 6% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sources are State Lane, Stagecoach and Mast. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. One of the greatest attributes of the Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignons is their ability to deliver incredible pleasure throughout their entire lives. I tasted a wide range of wines this year with Paul Hobbs and winemaker Megan Baccitich, including several past vintages of the flagship To Kalon, which confirmed that view. In particular, the 2001 and 2002 To Kalon Cabernets remain stunning, and the straight 1999 Napa Valley Cabernet was equally impressive. Tel. (707) 824-9879
Hobbs describes 2010 as a very late harvest that was especially hard on cooler, more marginal regions for Cabernet Sauvignon. There will be no 2010 (or 2009 for that matter) Cabernets from Stagecoach or Hyde. The best fruit from those sites may end up in the 2010 Crossbarn or the Napa Valley bottling, but the selection will be severe. The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is another gorgeous, totally striking wine laced with dark fruit, licorice, mint, new leather and sweet spices. It has quite a bit more tannin than the 2009. The 2010 is a gorgeous, brooding wine, but it will require further time to fully come together. Still, even at this early stage, it is shaping up to be magnificent. This is a very serious wine for the money.
About the producer
Paul Hobbs is one of California wine’s biggest names. Twice named Wine Personality of the Year by Robert Parker, he joined Robert Mondavi in 1977, worked at Opus One and Simi before setting up his eponymous winery in 1991.