This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous
Dominus Estate
Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009
Bright, full ruby-red. Highly complex, thoroughly ripe scents of black raspberry, cassis, dark plum, tar, tobacco, mocha and minerals, lifted by a violet topnote. Wonderfully suave and fine-grained but still quite youthful, spreading out to coat the palate without leaving any undue impression of weight. Shows a distinct black cherry medicinal reserve. This very smooth wine finishes with a broad dusting of ripe tannins and steadily building length. Approachable now owing to its successfully integrated acidity and tannins, but I'd rather give this beauty a bit more time in the cellar. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Bryant Family Vineyard
Proprietor Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Good dark red. Expressive, complex scents of plum, black raspberry, cedar, tobacco leaf, mocha and minerals. Fine-grained and energetic on the palate, with its sweet plum and mocha flavors lifted by a floral element. There's something Pomerol-like about this wine, which is about much more than simply primary fruit and displays more energy than either the '08 or '07 Bryant bottlings. A youthful yet already impeccably balanced wine with great class and finesse, this beauty finishes with utterly seamless, noble tannins. (Stephen tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Ovid
Napa Valley Red Blend 2009
Bright, full, deep ruby. Very sexy, musky nose conveys liqueur-like ripeness to the aromas of black fruits, licorice, menthol and minerals; a faint leesy quality adds nuance without distracting from the fruit. Plush, sweet, highly concentrated and seamless; this wine was a bit strict in the early going but today it really captures the creamy side of this vintage. Perhaps most impressive on the slowly building finish, which features suave tannins and a firming touch of graphite minerality. Really expands on the palate with air. Utterly delicious today but capable of holding for at least another decade. (14.8% alcohol) (Stephen tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Heitz Cellar
Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Full bright ruby. Sexy if somewhat funky aromas of cassis, black cherry, leather, mint and eucalyptus, lifted by a note of black pepper. Deep and vinous, with its dark berry and mint flavors joined by slightly rustic pepper and leather notes. More savory than sweet; not squeaky-clean but has the energy to support slow evolution in bottle. Finishes with rather suave tannins that turn a bit dusty with air, perhaps due to the wine's savory herbal element. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Colgin Cellars
IX Estate Napa Valley Red Blend 2009
Full, deep ruby. Deep aromas of dark fruits, spices, smoky oak and flowers, plus a whiff of game. Utterly plush and mouthfilling but not at all heavy, showing serious thickness and high-altitude density to its sweet blue and black fruit, spice and chocolate flavors. And yet this wine's floral element gives it an almost light touch, if that's possible. Some subtle soil tones reminded me of the outstanding Syrah from this site on Pritchard Hill. Finishes with substantial but noble tannins and terrific length. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Bond
Melbury Napa Valley Red Blend 2009
Bright, dark ruby-red. Very suave scents of dark berries, black cherry, spices and licorice. There's a lovely density and silkiness of texture here but also surprisingly powerful, penetrating acidity and a firm tannic spine. This wine seemed rather delicate in the early going but today its very long, mounting finish conveys an impression of power, with its tongue-staining tannins coming across as a bit grittier than those of the supernal 2010 and thus giving the wine a spikier impression of structure. This very young wine should be long-lived. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Opus One
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009
Bright, dark red with ruby highlights. Very dark aromas of black cherry, cassis, blueberry and licorice. Then rather plush, sweet and full for Opus One, conveying a chocolatey ripeness to its dark berry flavors. Finishes with smooth tannins that build without going dry. This wine was broad and smooth from the outset. Today it's a generous mouthful but a bit clunky compared to some more recent vintages. This was reportedly the first vintage to include a significant percentage of Petit Verdot, and that may explain the wine's emphasis on black and blue fruits. (14.5% alcohol) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Kapcsándy Family Winery
Roberta's Reserve State Lane Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Franc 2009
Healthy medium ruby. Pomerol-like aromas of redcurrant, iron, tobacco and mocha torrefaction. Wonderfully pliant, fleshy and full, showing less complexity in the early going than the 2010 version but more obvious sweetness to its berry, mineral and floral flavors. This big, ripe, seamless wine boasts excellent vinosity. The very long, rising finish features ripe, granular tannins and lingering notes of mocha, dried flowers and tobacco. I'd love to throw this into a blind tasting of 2009 Pomerols. (14.1% alcohol; all French oak, 90% new) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Chateau Montelena
The Montelena Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Bright ruby-red. Penetrating aromas of black cherry, dried flowers and brown spices. Not as silky as the 2004 through 2007 vintages here but boasts noteworthy refinement and savory intensity, with fresh, harmonious acidity giving the wine good focus and finesse. Excellent depth here if not quite the flavor development of vintages like '07 and '04. Still, this conveys a thickness of texture and a faintly exotic quality and finishes with very suave tannins. The summer was rather cool but steady, and there was enough warmth in September to ensure ripe tannins without burning off needed acidity, noted Bo Barrett. A fairly elegantly styled Montelena Estate. (13.8% alcohol) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago
Delectable Wine
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Saturated red-ruby. Site-driven scents of black cherry, red- and blackcurrant, licorice, violet and sexy soil tones. Densely packed, youthful and rather elegantly styled, showing lovely inner-mouth lift to its slightly inky dark fruit, spice and graphite flavors. No easy sweetness here but this classically dry wine boasts excellent definition and inner-mouth tension. With its firm tannic structure this wine is still a baby, but it can still be enjoyed now with some decanting. More time in the cellar should bring greater complexity, though. This is one of Paul Hobbs's favorite vintages for this wine, from fruit picked on the later side. But he feels that the 2010 version is easier to drink in spite of its very primary character. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago