2010 Bryant Family Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1x750ml

Vinous 93+

Good full ruby-red. Sexy aromas of cassis, black raspberry, licorice, pepper and sage, plus a whiff of sweet butter. Broad, sweet and deep, with a layered richness to the expressive flavors of black raspberry, toffee, sage and wild herbs. Finishes with broad, suave, dusty tannins. Attractive already, but will show greater definition once it has had several years in bottle to absorb some of its baby fat. (I retasted the 2009 next to this wine and gave the earlier vintage the edge for its combination of almost exotic richness and minty lift. With its full-blown, Pomerol-like aromas of black raspberry, tobacco and truffley underbrush and creamy texture, the ’09 is balanced to give immediate pleasure, but it has the firm tannins and fresh acidity for a long life in bottle. I rated it 94 back in Issue 162; my recent bottle merited 95 points.) [Stephen Tanzer, 01/05/2013]