Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2010

The 2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon displays elegant aromas of raspberry, sage and dried flowers. On the palate, the flavors intermingle with black cherry and chocolate creating a mouthful of silky, well-integrated tannins. With some airing, the wine fleshes out even more providing dimension, depth and length. The finish lingers on for more than a minute with fine tannins that are very elegant and structured. Simply delicious! - WineryBLEND: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet FrancAPPELLATION: Dry Creek ValleyHARVEST DATES: September 15 - October 3, 2008ALCOHOL: 14.4%BRIX Average: 23.9FERMENTATION: 17 days; pumped over twice dailyPH: 3.76TA: 0.55BARREL AGING: 20 months in French, American and Hungarian oak; 35% new oakSOILS: Mainly hillside fruit with both eastern and western facing sun exposureVINE AGE: 15 - 20 years on averageYIELDS: 3-4 tons per acre

The 2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is classic Dry Creek Valley Cabernet. At first swirl, deep aromas of raspberry, sage and dried floral elements come forward. On the palate, these aromas combine with black cherry and chocolate creating a mouthful of silky, well-integrated tannins. With some airing, the wine fleshes out even more providing dimension, depth and length. The finish lingers on for more than a minute with fine tannins that are very elegant and structured. Truly a blockbuster wine from an incredible vintage! - Winery

Rating: 86/100 - As reviewed by Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine (www.cgcw.com) in the August 2010 issue. We like this wine's insistent black-cherry fruit, and we like its impressions of both vitality and fine depth, but it wanders a little too far to acidy stiffness as it crosses the palate and ends with a faint, close-to-subliminal sourness that winds up costing it higher ranking.Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine aging recommendation: Cellar for future drinking. Wine will improve with bottle aging.

"Rating: 86/100 - As reviewed by Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine (www.cgcw.com) in the August 2010 issue. We like this wine's insistent black-cherry fruit

Lots of rich, extracted blackberry, cherry and currant flavors in this wine, with nuances of sweet, smoky oak and considerable spices, especially toward the finish. The distinguishing feature is the tannins. They're dry and pretty astringent, although a well-marbled steak will rise to the challenge. - S.H.

WE: 88 Points

Sonoma Harvest Fair 2008 - Gold Medal