3 | Wine | New Arrivals, Cabernet Sauvignon, 86 or higher

"Combines plushness of texture and depth of flavor (dark berries, tobacco, chocolate) with welcome vivacity and saliva-inducing salinity. It should offer fine value over the next half dozen or more years."

"Montelena’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate wraps around the palate with serious depth. Even with all of its intensity, the 2009 has a silkiness that makes it incredibly delicious at this early stage. Red berries, flowers, tobacco and sweet herbs all flesh out on the generous, radiant finish. While many 2009s are a bit tight today, Montelena’s 2009 Estate is showing very nicely, although it is keeping some cards close to the vest. I imagine the 2009 will start to enter its prime drinking window around age 8-10 and drink well for at least another decade beyond that."

"The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon flows from the glass with plums, black cherries, graphite, grilled herbs and smoke. This fleshy, up-front Cabernet Sauvignon shows fabulous overall balance and harmony in a style best enjoyed over the next decade or so."

"Sweet red berries, flowers, mint and licorice all come to life in this fleshy, generous and totally inviting Cabernet".

"Beautifully proportioned, with a rich mix of currant, blackberry, dried herb, mocha, cedar and tobacco flavors. This is also very tightly structured, worthy of a long decant or short-term cellaring."

"Rich and meaty, with a dense, gutsy core of loamy earth, dried herb and berry, and tobacco. Firm and structured, harboring compact mountain-grown fruit that will reward cellaring."

"Good bright, deep red. Cool aromas of black cherry, licorice, tobacco and tar. The palate shows a restrained sweetness to the flavors of cherry, spices and loam (I got a note of Rutherford dust here). Broad and fairly full, finishing with substantial tongue-dusting tannins and a slight dryness."

"The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is brighter, fresher and more vibrant than the 2009. Black cherries, mocha, violets, licorice and graphite all jump from the glass. The 2010 is quite typical of the vintage in its verve, cut, focus and minerality. This is a terrific showing."

"Smoke, tar, incense and licorice are some of the many notes that emerge from the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an especially dark, brooding vintage for Bryant. Cassis, pencil shavings and melted road tar emerge later, adding further complexity and nuance. Unlike the 2009, there is little in the way of early appeal. On the other hand, I see the 2010 drinking beautifully for many, many years. There is an underlying vein of minerality that gives the 2010 a sense of energy and focus."