2010 Stag's Leap Artemis

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's that first Saturday of the month that prompts me to raid the cellar and find something at least a decade in the making to enjoy.  Tonight I am enjoying one of my favorite Napa Valley Cabernets, Stag's Leap Artemis, in this case the 2010 vintage which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (88%) and Merlot (12%).  This wine has certainly been in the cellar for a while, as it still has price stickers on the bottle from back when Michigan used to require price tags on everything.  At least I don't have to guess what I paid for this bottle!  So let's see how this wine has developed over the teens.

The wine is an inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a rush of sweet fruit aromas, black cherry, marionberry and blackberry intermingled with hints of nutmeg and dried flowers.  The taste is very old world in style, very reminiscent of a nice Pomerol, with ripe black fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and plum that transition easily to some notes of dried herbs and dusty limestone midpalate.  The fine grained tannins are still well built, providing for a smooth and supply dry finish.  

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just drinking beautifully now (and even though everyone has rated 2010 as a not so great vintage).  This wine would be ideal for a lot of hearty dishes, from lamb and beef tenderloin to mushroom risotto, but I think more than anything this wine begs to be enjoyed with a big steak.  And it just so happens I have a big, thick ribeye which I've grilled rare along with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and some baby red potatoes with butter and parsley.  Cheers!