Wharton Wines
2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
California: Napa Valley
Mission Briefing
98 Degrees of Awesome
Today’s Wharton Wines 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an under the radar wine that deserves your attention. It certainly got ours.
This classically-styled Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a truly elegant, boldly delicious and smoothly silky wine that is showing beautifully now. What makes this youthful wine even more exciting is the fact that it will only continue to improve with age. We can’t wait to try a bottle every few years - for the next decade or longer.
If you are looking for an impressive Napa Cab that drinks like its $50+ Napa brethren, this very highly recommended wine is sure to delight you.
Remember, the 2010 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon vintage earned a record-shattering 98 points from Wine Spectator. 2010 is a vintage to stock up on.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | A beautiful red ruby rim, with just a hint of rust, encircles a deep, foreboding crimson at its heart. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Well balanced and aromatic, with black cherry, dark plum, and black currant laid overtop leather, tobacco, espresso bean, eucalyptus, black pepper, and clove. |
| Taste: | Luxurious and soft, with a touch of lovely spice. Deep dark fruit notes of sweet plum, blackberry, and black cherry mingle with saddle leather, sweet tobacco leaf, freshly tilled vegetable garden, clove, black peppercorn, espresso bean, and a touch of fresh mint. |
| Finish: | A beautifully balanced wine, well structured with plenty of velvety tannins. The dark fruit note lingers, leaving you with a touch of spice at the tip of your palate. |
| Pairing: | Beef short ribs, braised in a full-bodied red wine with carrots, pearl onions, and sprigs of fresh thyme. |
What the Winery Says
This wine is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc from vineyards located in Oakville and Spring Mountain. Fermented in small open top fermentors and punch down by hand 3 times a day. Aged for two years in 85% French oak barrels and 15% American oak barrels, with 35% being new barrels. Abundant aromas of cherry, raspberry and layered with floral, cinnamon and vanilla notes. Full-bodied, elegant and integrated on the palate, the wine delivers an ample mix of concentrated black and red fruit. Silky tannins support a mid-palate that has many layers. An elegant finish echoes the notes of fruit and spice. Approachable now and will age gracefully. Enjoy!
94 Point Review - Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis With aromas of raspberry and strawberry jam, blackcurrant, black cherry, berry cobbler, warm baking spices, mocha, dark chocolate, dust, leather, Australian red licorice, cumin and coriander,it would be hard to tell this lively Cabernet is from Napa’s cooler 2010 harvest until it is on the palate. Here the wine is lighter than a traditional Napa Cab, but it is brimming with deep, dark berry fruit and has a touch of oak spice and tannins. Almost Syrah-like, it is very lively and juicy on the palate so be prepared to have your senses engaged. The wine is beautifully balanced and ready to drink now.
- Winemaker
- Geoff Wharton
- Accolades
- 94 Points - Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis
- Appelation
- Napa Valley, California
- Fruit Composition
- 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
- Cooperage
- 24 months in 85% French and 15% American oak
- ABV
- 13.5%
About the Winery
The Wharton Wines story is a love story ~ the love of life, wine and each other. It started in 2000 when Geoff and Rhonda Wharton began making frequent trips to visit his grandmother in the Napa Valley from their home in Carmichael, California. They fell in love with the natural beauty of the rolling vineyards and world class wines. Inspired by the wine country lifestyle, in 2003 Geoff left his job with a Fortune 100 company, and he and Rhonda moved to Napa. Rhonda has continued to work in Corporate America while Geoff has devoted his time to learning the art of wine-making and developing his skills for hand-crafting premium Cabernet Sauvignon.
In their spare time, Geoff and Rhonda take on do-it-yourself projects on their home which has been in Geoff’s family for generations. Geoff’s grandmother used to live in the house where she made wine from local grapes and honey from bee hives she maintained on the property. Geoff and Rhonda also love to spend time with family, friends and their 2 dogs, Bogey the Pug and Hogan the Miniature Dauschund.
At the end of the day, they find the greatest joy in living the wine country dream. Come be a part of the Wharton Wines experience.