2010 Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

(14.9% alcohol): Bright, dark ruby. Very dark, primary, restrained aromas of inky cassis, tar (from the Petit Verdot?), cocoa powder, crushed stone and scorched earth. At once fleshy and powerful, showing strong primary fruit for the vintage along with mineral and bitter chocolate notes. As dense and youthfully imploded as it is, this opulent Cabernet benefits from harmonious acidity and its firm, building tannins are not at all dry or hard. Finishes with outstanding thickness and length. This, too, will need time to reveal itself and is likely to be long-lived. Emerson described 2010 as "a big, structured, later-ripening year."

Bright, dark ruby. Very dark, primary, restrained aromas of inky cassis, tar (from the Petit Verdot?), cocoa powder, crushed stone and scorched earth. At once fleshy and powerful, showing strong primary fruit for the vintage along with mineral and bitter chocolate notes. As dense and youthfully imploded as it is, this opulent Cabernet benefits from harmonious acidity and its firm, building tannins are not at all dry or hard. Finishes with outstanding thickness and length. This, too, will need time to reveal itself and is likely to be long-lived. Emerson described 2010 as "a big, structured, later-ripening year." (ST)

(includes 4% petit verdot): Good deep ruby. Rich, complex aromas and flavors of cassis, black raspberry, mocha and truffle, lifted by mineral and violet notes. Rich, plush and fine-grained; wonderfully round and layered in the mouth. For such a lush, deep wine, this cabernet boasts outstanding grip and verve. Really echoes in the mouth and on the long, classically dry aftertaste, where the tannins coat the teeth without leaving any impression of dryness. Terrific cabernet, perhaps the most complete wine to date from Vineyard 29.