Wine Specs
Vintage
2010
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation
Mount Veeder, Napa
Vineyard Designation
Paratus Vineyards
Harvest Date
October 23, 2010
Acid
.6
pH
3.86
Aging
22 months, new French oak
Fermentation
14 day, plus 21 day maceration
Alcohol %
14.5
Wine Enthusiast
91
Robert Parker
89
Stephen Tanzer's
90
2010 Paratus Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon (.750L)
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In Stock
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
- Chris Blanchard, Master Sommelier:
"A brooding nose of black olive, cedar and blackberry. Slightly leafy, which a touch of mint and eucalyptus, atop brambly, dark wild fruit. Grilled meat, black pepper and roasted peppers.
Black tea, tobacco leaf, cedar and olive. This wine is structured and compact, so youthful and tightly wound, with ripe blackberry and currant, black plum and espresso. Rich earth, smoky, focused and finishes with power and medium fine tannins. I love how serious this wine, and I'm excited to see how this will open up over the next few years."
Vineyard Notes
2010 was a wetter and cooler than average year, with late rainfalls pushing fruit development farther into the fall than usual. The summer remained relatively cool, but an Indian summer ushered in warm days for final ripening in mid-to-late October. Yields were low, but the fruit proved to be richly flavored with striking aromatics and excellent balance.
Production Notes
Winemaker Massimo Monticelli employed a 14-day fermentation followed by a
21-day extended maceration with three punchdowns daily before pressing into 100% new French oak barrels. The wine was aged in barrel for 22 months and in bottle for 20 months before release.
Winemaker Notes
“Dark fruit and spice are introduced on the nose of the 2010 Paratus, emphasizing the characteristics of its terroir. Intense and complex, the bramble gives way to hints of nutmeg, graphite, and wet granite. This serious, structured, mouth-filling, and concentrated wine is elegant, but carried by old-world tannins that finish with espresso and notes of cocoa powder and a final hint of clove. The full-bodied finish yields to soft violets and rich baking spices.”
- Massimo Monticelli
Production
475 cases