Californian Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 panel tasting results

The freshness that characterised this vintage on release is still evident eight years on. Stephen Brook and his panel report on a tasting of enjoyable wines just hitting their stride...

45 Californian Cabernet Sauvignons from 2010 tasted with 2 Outstanding and 26 Highly Recommended

The tasters: Stephen Brook, Alex Hunt MW and Piotr Pietras MS

Scroll down to see the tasting notes & scores

Summary by Stephen Brook, Decanter contributing editor:

Our panel was familiar with this vintage, thus predisposed to enjoy the wines. And for the most part we did. It was interesting to reflect on whether the vintage entailed a loss of Californian typicity.

Piotr Pietras MS was adamant it did not: ‘The wines have a refreshing character, but they are still fruit-driven and recognisable as Californian Cabernet. What I find admirable is that they have a real consistency of style. They’re fresh and balanced, and thus have good ageing potential.

Nor was the oak obtrusive.’ He particularly admired the two wines from Santa Cruz Mountains and, among the Napa wines, those from Oakville.Alex Hunt MW agreed. ‘Yes, the oak use and the extraction seemed proportionate. Often with a tasting of big reds like Californian Cabernet, the tannins build up on the palate and that can distort one’s appreciation of the wines, especially those at the end of the flight. That wasn’t the case here.

‘In part that’s because the alcohols were on average a bit lower than usual.’ Indeed, they ranged from 13% to 15%, though the lax US labelling laws mean it’s hard to be certain what the true alcohol level is in any wine. But there were fewer wines than usual with discernible alcohol on the palate.

Hunt was not entirely satisfied by the styles of some of the wines. ‘I find the character of the vintage is under-represented. For me the least satisfactory wines were those that tried to subvert the fresher style that the vintage delivered. There were wines that were both high in alcohol without tasting fully ripe.

‘I suspect that’s because those wineries pushed the ripeness levels excessively, hoping to end up with a big, rich, overly Californian style that wasn’t true to the conditions in 2010. If you’re known for a certain style, then it’s tempting, if not wise, to try to impose it, whatever the vintage. The best wines were made by producers who were comfortable with the hand nature had dealt them.’

There is often said to be a clear divide in Napa, and parts of Sonoma, between wines produced from vineyards on or near the valley floor and those from mountain sites at higher elevations where climatic conditions tend to be different. However, we broadly found quality to be evenly divided between the two locations. It was also agreed that most wines were at that attractive stage when they could be drunk soon or cellared for a few more years – even for another decade. There was little of the blowsiness and jamminess that can cause an initially appealing wine to collapse after a few years in bottle.

American wine lovers – and those, Pietras reminded us, from countries more recently captivated by fine wine such as Russia – tend to drink wines such as these too young. They relish the beguiling exuberance of a young Cal Cab, but may miss out on the complex nuances that come with age.

Hunt took up the theme: ‘Napa tends to play safe by making wines that are enjoyable on release, for which there are sound commercial reasons. But with 2010 I applaud those who didn’t opt for immediate accessibility, and were happy to let the wine gradually acquire more complex notes, and to allow the natural balance of the vintage to emerge with time.’

It’s clear that 2010 won’t appeal to all Cal Cab lovers, as it is far from stereotypical. But those who enjoy freshness, elegance, and balance will find a great deal to relish, and the best wines will go the distance.

The scores

45 wines tasted

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their 2010 vintage Californian Cabernets. Up to three wines per producer were permitted.

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 2

Highly Recommended 26

Recommended 14

Commended 2

Fair 0

Poor 0

Faulty 1

The judges

Stephen Brook

Brook has been a contributing editor to Decanter since 1996 and has won a clutch of awards for his wine writing. The author of many books, his works include The Wines of California (Faber & Faber 1999), which won three awards. Brook also fully revised the last two editions of Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion.

Alex Hunt MW

Hunt is purchasing director for Berkmann Wine Cellars, which he joined in 2006. He became a Master of Wine in 2010, writing his dissertation on ripeness trends in California and winning the Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in the tasting exam. He has judged at the Decanter World Wine Awards since 2005.

Piotr Pietras MS

Pietras is a wine consultant who was most recently at the Michelin-starred Hide in London. He became a Master Sommelier in 2017, winning the Amorim Scholarship for the highest blind tasting score, and placed second in the Best Sommelier of Europe 2017 and Best Young Sommelier of the World 2017 competitions.

About Californian Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

This was a vintage that divided opinion at the time it was released. This was because the growing season had been unusually cool, which slowed the ripening in Napa and Sonoma. Sudden extreme heat in late August caused some sunburn and shrivelling, and there was more to come in late September.

Some estates bunch-thinned to speed up maturation. But the vintage was 10 to 20 days later than usual, and heavy rain in late October caused big problems for those estates that hadn’t finished the harvest. However, this was not an issue for most properties.

The Cabernet grapes were deep coloured, thick skinned, kept high acidity and attained moderate sugar levels. The question being asked at harvest was whether the grapes were fully ripe by the time they were picked, or whether they had a greenness that most American palates would dislike.

Europeans, weaned on clarets, usually accept a measure of herbaceousness, as it gives the wines cut and verve, but US drinkers are used to high levels of ripeness – something California usually has no problem fulfilling.

Divided opinions

Not surprisingly, the young 2010s proved controversial. Stateside, many tasters and consumers – the domestic market is crucial for Californian Cabernets – did indeed find many of the wines too stringy and herbaceous, although there were some dissenting voices.

When Decanter tasted a wide range of the 2010s in 2013, we were for the most part enchanted by the freshness and elegance of the wines. But there were some green and underripe examples, and also some wines that had an overripe profile as growers sought to override the character of the vintage.

In Napa many of the best wines came from the valley floor, as they tended to be ripe and less overly tannic than those from mountain vineyards. Again, there would be many exceptions, depending on local conditions and the quality of the farming, as well as the date of harvest. Cabernet was broadly successful across Sonoma, and Santa Cruz Mountains benefitted from a hot October that fully ripened the fruit.

After nearly a decade in bottle, the best wines seem to be on a plateau – certainly approachable now or very soon, but likely to cruise along for a decade or so more, without losing their freshness and balance.

Cal Cabs: the facts

Total plantings for Cabernet Sauvignon across California Approximately 29,000ha in 2010 compared with 36,740ha in 2016

Breakdown in key regions Napa 7,217ha (8,400 in 2016) Sonoma 4,345ha (4,980ha in 2016)

Santa Cruz Mountains 133ha (similar in 2016)

Cal Cabs: know your vintages

2016 A cool year with even ripening, completed by a warm September. An average crop of well-balanced wines.

2015 Some losses at flowering, but the summer was hot and dry with a little raisining. But fine concentration and quality across all regions.

2014 A moderate growing season, giving small berries of excellent concentration and early ripening. Rich wines with some overripeness.

2013 Normal growing season, giving small berries with thick skins, leading to powerful, tannic wines. Some wines show overripeness or over-extraction, but overall a fine, structured year.

2012 Consistent growing season and even ripening. Produced elegant Cabernets with supple tannins and moderate alcohols. But some wines lack structure and are too forward.

2011 A small crop with rain at harvest. The best Cabernets were picked before the early October rains. Selection essential.

See all of the wines tasted here

Top Californian Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 from the panel tasting:

See all 45 wines from this panel tasting

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