3 | Wine | 2010 | Page 147

"exudes perfumes of cherry, blackberry, tobacco, and vanilla. Upon entry, the soft mouthfeel reveals flavors of black cherry, truffle, and subtle black olive which unfold into a succulent finish. The 2010 Napa Valley grape growing season presented fickle weather conditions due to the relatively cool spring coupled with unexpected heat spikes in late summer. The outcome was a lower-yielding harvest that produced supple wines with European-style texture and great complexity."

"The greatest Cantenac Brown I have ever tasted, the 2010 is one for the ages. Dense purple, with an extraordinary nose of sweet forest floor, blackberry jam, pen ink and graphite, this wine soars from the glass, giving it an aromatic dimension and intensity I have never seen from this estate. The tannins are present, as they are in most Cantenac Browns, but the wine’s sweetness, broad, skyscraper-like mouthfeel, dense, purple color and spectacular length (close to a minute) make this a giant classic and a fabulous sleeper of the vintage that still remains under-priced, considering how great its potential may be. This is a wine for those with cold cellars and youthful DNA. It is going to need at least a decade of cellaring and should last for 20-40 years. A classic!" -Robert Parker

"The wine displays plenty of licorice, Christmas fruitcake, black currants, licorice, truffles and some espresso notes. Full-bodied, viscous and somewhat reminiscent of many 2009s, given its blast of fruit, glycerin and heady alcohol, this is a beautifully rich St.-Emilion for pleasure seekers. Don’t discount its ageability, as I am sure it has two decades ahead of it." -Robert Parker

"It has a lifted, feminine bouquet of ripe black currant, red currant, rose petals and violets that is beautifully defined. The palate has very fine tannins, crisp red berry fruit and a poised, understated finish that has a crystalline purity."