The 2009 Napa Valley Cabernets at Age 10

BY STEPHEN TANZER | JULY 25, 2019

My extensive tastings of 2009 Cabernets this spring made clear, once again, that virtually any well-made Cabernet from a decent vintage should gain in drinkability and complexity with bottle aging. In fact, for the better examples it’s really a shame if they’re consumed during their first ten years, when they can be a bit overassertive. And 2009 was a much better than “decent” vintage, with a temperate growing season that featured slow ripening and a larger-than-average harvest. Most growers were able to nurse their red Bordeaux grapes to full phenolic ripeness without raisining of their fruit or skyrocketing sugar levels, all the while retaining healthy levels of natural acidity. This is a formula for making elegant, ageworthy wines.

Rolling hillside vineyards at Blankiet Estate, Yountville

A Brief Recap of the 2009 Growing Season

The first quarter of the 2009 calendar year was chilly, and April was as well, with the exception of a short heat spike to 90 degrees in the middle of that month. Rainfall was generous in February but sparse in January and March. In short, 2009 was the third consecutive year with below-average precipitation, although October rainfall would eventually be a serious issue for some growers.