2010 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Winery Direct Library Release)

After the mild and relatively straightforward 2009 vintage, 2010 was a roller coaster. Heavy rainfall in January and February pushed budbreak back by two to three weeks, and additional rains in May disrupted flowering, leading to a lighter crop with varied cluster and berry sizes. Very cool conditions persisted through June and July, with very little summer heat. Some grape growers, concerned by the slow ripening curve, began pulling leaves to expose clusters directly to the sun. This proved to be a costly mistake when a serious heat wave arrived in late August, causing some fruit to suffer from sunburn and raisining. Those who stayed the course with a steady hand were rewarded with a long Indian summer, with temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s stretching well into September and helping make up for the cool start to the growing season. Overall, the vintage is characterized by intense, dark-fruited wines with serious concentration and a somewhat brooding personality. That vintage character is certainly on display here in the remarkable 2010 Freemark Abbey Napa Cabernet. Darker-fruited than the 2009, with a little more structure, power, and moodiness, this wine shows rich mulberry, cassis, graphite, and crushed rock at its core. Hints of leather and subtle bottle development are beginning to emerge, but in general the wine remains impressively fresh, dense, and youthful as it approaches 15 years of age in bottle. This is a powerful, deeply expressive Napa Cabernet with plenty of life still ahead.