Cabernet Sauvignon, Top 100 - 2015
#5: The 2010 Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Dec
Wine Spectrum’s #5 Wine of 2015
2010 Mascot (Available Online)
Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley
Wine Spectrum Rated 96+: The Mascot began early on as an experiment, after talking the family and winemaking team into sparing a few barrels of wine – produced from our younger vines – to explore a blend of my own. In the first few years, before it had a label or a name, it was just a wine shared with friends and family. It wasn’t until the 2008 vintage, our first official release, that we had enough to share with new friends. This cabernet is a hedonistic blend of power and balance; expressive and approachable early in its life, with potential to evolve well into the future. Ready to drink upon release, it will age for decades given the opportunity.
The 2010 vintage was one of the coolest years in recent memory and one that provided a nurturing backdrop for these young rooted vines to express themselves. The growing season began late, with budbreak occurring in mid to late April. Extra diligence and care were required of the team at every stage during leafing, fruit thinning, and harvest. Nature was benevolent during the long, measured harvest, allowing our team to pick each lot as it ripened. Notes of graphite, cedar, and forest floor are ever-present on the nose. On entry the wine is brought into focus seamlessly through a fine lens of acidity, lending energy and freshness to power and structure. Soft yet supple tannins expand out horizontally on the palate, resolving into an extremely long finish.
Wine Spectrum has been personally selected to handle this special wine from Will Harlan! Our long-standing and productive relationship with Harlan Estates has afforded us this one-of-a-kind opportunity to offer this new, exciting project created by Will, with encouragement from both his father, Bill Harlan, and winemaker Bob Levy.
Specifications
VARIETAL: Cabernet Sauvignon
LOCATION: Napa Valley
PRODUCTION: 2,000 cases
Although I grew up running around the winery, hand-turning de-stemmers, and eating grapes off the vines in our backyard, I never thought I’d discover my own passion in making wine. My family has been in the business longer than I’ve been around, but it was only a handful of years ago that curiosity led me beyond the event horizon of this world. It began with the experience of learning the complexities of blending wine in 2008, and progressed steadily until I found myself working in the cellar, handling barrel fermentation throughout the harvest of 2012.
Made from the younger vines of Harlan Estate, BOND, and Promontory, The Mascot shares a unique glimpse into the evolution of our winegrowing estates.
The Mascot began early on as an experiment, after talking the family and winemaking team into sparing a few barrels of wine – produced from our younger vines – to explore a blend of my own. In the first few years, before it had a label or a name, it was just a wine shared with friends and family. It wasn’t until the 2008 vintage, our first official release, that we had enough to share with new friends.
Vines that have all the pedigree of the land, and would one day be considered for the “grand vins” of our estates
This cabernet is a hedonistic blend of power and balance; expressive and approachable early in its life, with potential to evolve well into the future. Ready to drink upon release, it will age for decades given the opportunity.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF “PRINCE”, THE DOG ON THE LABEL?
The engraving of “Prince” was commissioned over one-hundred years ago, by the president of the Farmers Deposit National Bank of Pittsburgh, for the bank’s stock certificates. The dog, an english bull-terrier, lived at the bank (greeting customers and employees alike), and became a beloved symbol of their down-to-earth, loyal, and personal customer service values.
2015 wines of the year release schedule
December Schedule
12/10: #10, #9, and #8 ranked wines
12/11: #7, #6, and #5 ranked wines
12/15: #2 ranked wine
12/16: #1 ranked wine
12/18: #11 – #25 ranked wines
12/21: #26 – #50 ranked wines
12/21: 2015 Winemaker of the Year
12/22: #51 – #75 ranked wines
12/23: #76 – #100 ranked wines
January Schedule
1/4: Top Chardonnay’s of the Year
1/7: Top Pinot Noir’s of the Year
1/11: Top Cabernet Sauvignon’s of the Year
1/14: Top Other Domestic Red’s of the Year
1/18: Top International Wines of the Year
1/21: Top Wines of the Year under $60
