Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley - California

2010 - In some years, grape growers feel like baseball players in the batting cage, swinging at whatever Mother Nature throws their way. In 2010, rainfall returned after three dry years, pushing bud break, flowering and fruit-set back. Summer’s cooler temperatures resulted in a later-than-average veraison. Then a two-day heat spike coincided with harvest’s first day on August 24. With canopies thinned to adjust for the cooler season, grapes at various sites experienced some sunburn. Although the season’s swings resulted in a late and shortened harvest with lower yields, vintners were excited about what they were tasting from the vineyards—concentrated flavors that will hit elegant, structured wines out of the park.