Artisan Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
By Artesa Winery
By Jonathan H. Newman*
Artisan by Artesa Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
UNIT SIZE: 750.00 ml
VARIETAL: Cabernet Sauvignon
VINTAGE: 2010
GRAPE: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec
COUNTRY: United States
REGION: Napa Valley
ALCOHOL CONTENT: 14.60%
POINTS: 93
I have sampled wines from Artesa Winery and I believe this is one of the best wines they have made. Their Reserve wines are gorgeous and very well made with nice complexity and depth of flavor. I recently visited with winemaker Mark Beringer to sample this wine and he was quite proud of it. This was aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak barrels. It was specially selected from their top lots in Rutherford, Carneros, Atlas Peak and Mt. Veeder. A dark purple hue. An arousing nose of dark fruit including black raspberries and dark cherries with dark chocolate and toasty vanilla oak. A beautiful taste profile of blackberries, currants, spearmint, black cherries and mocha with vanilla oak and a spice box. Sampled in January and March 2014 with consistent tasting notes. Pair this gem with Ribeye steaks in a red wine reduction, Steak Diane, Coq au Vin, Short Ribs, Veal Chops in a rich gravy or stuffed Portobello mushrooms. I especially like the intensity, depth of flavor and the long savory finish. It is drinking nicely now, but will get even better over the next several years and has aging potential through 2021.
By Artesa Winery
2010 Artisan by Artesa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Technical Details
Varietal Composition: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Merlot
Appellation: Napa Valley
Harvest: October 2010
Alc by Vol: 14.60%
RS: 0.02
TA: 0.73 G/L
pH: 3.23
Cooperage: 100% French Oak (50% new) for 18 months
Vineyard Notes
The Artisan Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is blended from several great vineyards, located in some of the great sup-appellations of the Napa Valley. The areas of Oakville, Mt. Veeder, Carneros, Atlas Peak, and Rutherford all lend their distinct nuances to this layered and complex wine. The valley floor grapes bring black fruit and chocolate to the blend, while the mountain grapes bring power and structure. They all come together to create a complex and layered Cabernet Sauvignon.
Winemaking Notes
This wine is a tribute to the stunning diversity of the Napa Valley. After the grapes were hand picked and brought to the winery, they were placed in separate stainless steel tanks for fermentation and a short extended maceration. The juice was pressed off the skins and the wines were placed in small French oak barrels (50% new) for 18 months of aging. All of the lots were kept separate until our winemaker made his final blending decisions. This is a complex wine blended from four of the great Bordeaux varieties.
Tasting Notes
Aromas of anise, light sage, and unsweetened chocolate, along with a dash of black pepper. Flavors of dark fruits such as blackberry, black cherries, and cassis are up front with a nice layer of chocolate on the mid-palate. Has nice balanced tannins with plenty of strength to age, but very drinkable now.
[Information provided by J.H.N]
*Jonathan Newman was Wine Enthusiasts’ Man of the Year. He also was Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and received national recognition in Marvin Shanken’s Market Watch Magazine and many other international wine publications. He was also awarded the Guild of Sommeliers highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Newman's reviews have been published and quoted extensively online and in print. He travels extensively to many of the major wine growing regions and evaluates many of the wines we source from smaller and boutique wineries. We interact closely with him and the result is his rejection rate of over 96% of the wines evaluated.
