2010 Levy & McClellan Red

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon rivals the best Levy & McClellan offerings they have made to date. Its opaque blue/purple color is followed by gorgeous aromas of graphite, wet rocks, blackberry and blueberry liqueur, a distinctive floral note, background oak and hints of white chocolate and charcoal embers. Full-bodied with spectacular concentration, this layered wine reveals a vibrant structure and freshness despite its enormous size and richness. While slightly more evolved than the 2009, it is a much bigger, richer wine that will require 3-5 years of cellaring. This classic Napa Cabernet should age effortlessly for three decades or more.

Drink Dates: 2016-2046

Author: Robert Parker

(basically 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% cabernet franc, with a bit of co-fermented merlot): Good deep medium ruby. Superb lift to the aromas of cassis, blackberry, bitter chocolate and licorice, complicated by sexy soil tones and a hint of olive oil. Denser and sweeter than the young 2011, offering pure, complex flavors of dark berries, flowers, minerals and forest floor. Just a hint of herbs on the finish, along with some edgy tannins that call for five or six years of cellaring. Bob Levy noted that these vines, planted in 1999, are just starting to come into their own.

Author: Stephen Tanzer

Issue: May/June 2013