Such a delicious wine. Not mind-bogglingly good, not heart-stopping gorgeous or layered beyond comprehension or anything like that: just flat-out delicious. And 2010, which brings with it decadence probably not long-lived. But it’s delicious. Nice even ruby glow throughout, slightly bricking at the far edge, but barely enough to even note: just a tiny slip of garnet at the extreme rim before clear. A little bottle-funk on opening, slight sediment, not decanted. Heavy dark cherry in the nose, supple and sweet, polished to near-peak, but a wine this delicious and balanced in blend can easlily go another 10 to 15 years. Not particularly earthy, no barnyard or distinct briar, just calm, perfect evenness across all planes. Beautiful licorice and oak compliment lush ripe fullness of spirit into chubby even-ness and, well… deliciousness.
Tasting it brings more calm rationalization. But with a few more things going on. Not particularly complex–or maybe it IS: such is the level perfection of this wine. Beautiful cinnamon spice attacks on entry, fruit wrapped tightly in folds of structure, mouth-filling and robust, a slight rusticity carried through onto the palate from the tertarious nose. Folds of berry and briar–all polished to elegant levels–deposit themselves on the tongue: peppery and alive, all distilled down into near-unexplainable perfection. Or: deliciousness. I know I’ve used that word too many times here already, but that is just what it is. Delicious. Not perfect. Not orgasmic. Not even that complex. Just delicious. Is that wrong? I suppose it could be argued it cheapens things but in this case I am not here to enforce dogma. Racy black walnut and blood orange definition mold the middle into a still-tannic finish, but everywhere the blend just screams DELICIOUS. Despite the search for something more substantial to credit the wine with, despite my wanting to crown it a glowing place-mark in finely-structured Napa-Sonoma Bordeaux blends, it just keeps coming up in my glass as delicious. Maybe it’s perfect and I’m not smart enough to see it.
2010 CLOS DU BOIS ‘Marlstone’ Cab/ME/Bec/PV 74/15/7/4 Alexander Valley Sonoma Co. 14.5
Stephen McConnell 