2010 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

Good ruby-red. Tight, high-pitched, very subdued aromas of cassis, licorice, espresso and fennel. The most backward and youthfully imploded of this set of 2010 cabernets, hinting at intense black fruits and licorice but coming across as uncompromisingly dry today, with rather tough tannins. This will need another look in a few years. Incidentally, assistant winemaker Laura Diaz-Munoz describes the 2009 Lokoya cabernets as bigger wines. "The 2010s are more elegant and will age well," she adds. "They have higher acidity but similar pHs."

Chris Carpenter's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is super-impressive from start to finish. A rich, dark wine, the 2010 saturates the palate with endless layers of huge fruit. Violets, menthol, tar, plums and blueberry jam all flow from this striking wine. Clean veins of piercing, saline Mt. Veeder minerality run through the 2010. Although just bottled, the 2010 is shaping up to be a jewel of wine.

Chris Carpenter’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is super-impressive from start to finish. A rich, dark wine, the 2010 saturates the palate with endless layers of huge fruit. Violets, menthol, tar, plums and blueberry jam all flow from this striking wine. Clean veins of piercing, saline Mt. Veeder minerality run through the 2010. Although just bottled, the 2010 is shaping up to be a jewel of wine. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. Longtime winemaker Chris Carpenter crafts the Lokoya wines from mountain sites across four Napa Valley appellations. These Cabernet Sauvignons from Lokoya show four very different facets of the vintage. Tel. (866) 462-4641