If Amy Thorn was worried during a challenging 2010 growing season, she shook off those doubts after sampling her vineyard”s grapes.
“I knew it would be big,” she said of the resulting Thorn Hill Red Rocks Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon vintage, set to release in September.
The wine is indeed voluminous, yet it is not overbearing. Produced from 100-percent cabernet and aged three years in French oak, it opens up with rich cassis and deeply ripened dark fruit and finishes with a muted crescendo of prickly spice and dark chocolate. In between there are whispers of something too often missing from California cabernets: a notion of dried leaves, twigs and traces from the field. These are gentle, of course. When allowed to breathe, even the surge of pepper evens out, leaving an overall impression of smoothness.
Thorn Hill generally ages its Red Rocks Reserve for two years in the barrel. But 2010 called for patience. Most producers started late. Rain pelted Lake County vineyards as harvest approached, following a cooler-than-average spell. Thorn decided to wait it out, allowing the grapes to sit on the vine.
“When I picked it I knew it was spot on,” she said.
However, the vintage refused to yield to the usual schedule, even in the barrel. Each time Thorn sampled the developing wine, the finish eluded her.
“I kept feeling it needed more time,” Thorn explained. “It”s important to respect what nature gives you. Why should I rush to get it in the bottle?”
She acknowledges chasing a character more “Bordeaux-like” in the finished product. Yet it hints at the assertiveness of those popular ”90s power-cabs, without losing all of the nuance. If she hit her target, she also reminded us just how interesting California cabernets can be when winemakers control the sugar.
Thorn appreciates more fruit in the flavor profile. But the 2010 Red Rocks Reserve was picked at 26 Brix, well within what many consider the ideal.
In short, Thorn Hill”s 2010 is a pleasing cabernet. It will pair nicely with red meat and game, of course. It will also stand up to full bodied cheeses.
Thorn anticipates that it will age well.
The Lower Lake winery produced 250 cases of the 2010 reserve. It will be released next month to the Pennsylvania market and will be available that same month at the local tasting room.
Contact Dave Faries at 900-2016
