N°10 Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews

Another majestic effort from Boisset is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB No. 10. This is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville and 10% Petit Verdot. The wine shows terrific floral notes intermixed with blackberry and blueberry fruit, blackcurrants as well, subtle earthiness, a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel and a terrific finish of close to 50 seconds. This is a stunner and there are 235 cases of this unfiltered classic. Drink it over the next ten or more years.

This broad-shouldered, full-bodied wine shocks and awes with its clove and black pepper notes that are as savory as a fine steak, with which it would pair brilliantly. Oak and tannin form a shield of power that girds the black fruit for further battle.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB No. 10 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, mostly from the westside of St. Helena. This wine spent 19 months in 50% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. There are only 210 cases of it, but it is a sensational effort. With an inky black color, notes of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, licorice, graphite and incense. It is full-bodied, layered and a big, juicy, succulent mouthful of Cabernet Sauvignon to drink now and over the next 20+ years.

This is a massively dense, extracted and dry wine, entirely varietal and brooding in style. Tobacco and leather form its core, with the fruit elusive and pushed backward. Smoky oak penetrates the thick walls of tannin, forming a combustible, lengthy finish.  — V.B.

There are fewer than 100 cases of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon JCN No. 10, a tannic, muscular, dense effort made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Clone 4. A backward, muscular wine built for long-term aging, it is more structured and masculine than most 2012s. It was difficult to evaluate because of its massive structure.

A solid wine with currants, mint and berry character. Medium to full body, soft tannins and a juicy finish. Opens on the palate with air. Drink or hold.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB No. 10 reveals a strikingly pure, black currant-scented nose with lots of high quality wood in the background, and good framework, structure and intensity. Young and exuberant, it shows lots of upside potential, but it is currently closed with high tannins as well as wood. However, there is a lot of impressive raw materials evident.

The word massive barely begins to describe this Cabernet Sauvignon. It aims to compete with anything from Napa Valley, and does so largely successfully. The palate offers waves of ripe blackberries, black currants, dark chocolate and smoky oak flavors. What’s harder to put into words is the elegance and balance. Despite its serious heft, the wine feels comfortable…