TN: 2010 Congruence Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville)

mike_pobega · January 30, 2020, 12:22am

2010 Congruence Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (1/29/2020)
What an amazing expression of pure Napa Cabernet this is. Steve must be quite proud.
Dark and ominous without much brown edges, this has a nose of pure black cassis and cardamom with just a bit of pencil shavings. Deep and precise, the pakate shows amazing balance that just sort of glides across your tongue with ease and finesse; no awkward edge and nothing to stub your toes on, this is just a delight. Love the black currant and black raspberries in a pillowy manger of loveliness. lol Finish is long and focused and just amazing.
Real deal this be. Glad I have 4 more. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Michael_Martin · January 30, 2020, 12:32am

Reading this makes me sad.

Dan_Hammer · January 30, 2020, 12:41am

I miss the '08, '09, and 2010’s. I wish I had bottles in my cellar. Good juice.

Steve_Eisenhauer · January 30, 2020, 12:50am

Think about how I feel.

Thanks for the note, Mike. Proud I am.

I remember having this in a flight with the 2010 MacDonald and 2010 Caymus SS at a CLONYC dinner back in 2014 (the Congruence got WOTF). This was your note then:

2010 Congruence Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville Reserve- Pure and black, this showed some of its depth through the wall of structure and tannins. I have had this a few times and find it consistent with all other notes I have written. What it suffers from tonight is many of the others previously commented on wines aromatics and stage presence. Still youthful. Drink the regular Congruence in 2010 and revisit this in 3-4 years. That’s my plan. 92.5

mike_pobega · January 30, 2020, 1:12am

Consistent that Pobega. Lol

Albert_R · January 30, 2020, 1:22am

Thanks for the note Mike as we have one left. We have thoroughly enjoyed multiple cases of 08’s & 09’s over the past few years. Steve, I hope all is well!

PHuff · January 30, 2020, 2:50am

I bought a bunch of the 2009 Cab’s when Steve was winding down his business, I think I have like 9 bottles left…All have been really tasty, with just the right amount of fruit (not overdone), great balance, and with no sign of fading. I am looking forward to many more years of enjoyment. Nice job Steve!

Nate_Simon · January 30, 2020, 3:10am

Don’t have this one, but a good number of the ‘11 Cabernet, and I’ve been loving it.

Steve_Eisenhauer · January 30, 2020, 3:32pm

Thanks, Nate and Paul. On the 2011, one of my best customers emailed me today and told me it was still on the “improving” part of the curve. The 2011 vintage gets a lot of flak, but I’m very happy with my final results and look forward to following them.

Nate_Simon · January 30, 2020, 6:12pm

No question that the '11 is still evolving upward. Someone (can’t recall…perhaps Steve himself) recommended decanting it a full 6 hours ahead of service. I thought that sounded extreme, but tried it any way, and it is spot-on. This wine needs and can take the aeration, which to me predicts it will go the distance with grace and ease.

mike_pobega · January 30, 2020, 6:33pm

'11 was always the odd bird in Steve’s flock.
To me, it was atypical Coombsville and it was probably due to a few things happening all at once the largest influence was vintage and maybe oak treatment, but what do I know. He has always kept it close to his heart.

Ian_H · January 30, 2020, 11:55pm

Nice to see a Congruence TN. I met Steve for the first time last year and Steve I think you brought your 09 Cab to that dinner. Rocking at 10 years and stood out to me against an '05 GPL and a 15 or 16 Quilceda Creek CVR that we also shared.

Steve_Eisenhauer · January 31, 2020, 12:03am

For one thing, I did probably 6 blending sessions to get the wine as “right” as I could. It was soooo green at first (one Oak Knoll vineyard, two Coombsville, including the one Paul Hobbs bought and named Nathan Coombs Vineyard). Then the greenness popped up again at bottling. But I always felt it acted more like an old school bordeaux than a Napa cab. One thing I did was give the base wine a shot of new oak after the first racking until the second racking (which led to a sort of iconoclastic view on the use of new oak).

My thoughts/hopes was that the wine would age like an old school bordeaux and take a while for the wine to smooth out but age gracefully. I believe the wine is on that track.

Nate - That was probably me on the long-decant advice.

Albert_R · January 31, 2020, 12:28am

I have two cases of the 11 in the cellar which I also believe is on the correct path to being one heck of a wine. Already pretty good now with the long decant. I will continue to try one or two a year.

Steve_Eisenhauer · February 3, 2020, 10:19pm

Yes. It was the 2009, Ian. Thanks for the thumbs up.

Josh_Grossman · October 26, 2020, 3:12pm

I just opened a '10 Reserve and this was up there with my best wine of the year. I brought it to a friends campfire and had to disappoint many people when they asked where they could get more. Just singing right now.

Albert_R · October 27, 2020, 12:12am

Tell us more… I have one left!!!

Josh_Grossman · October 27, 2020, 1:15am

Raspberries and eucalyptus. Still a bit of oak but has integrated as more baking spices. A nose that could stand up to smoke and roasting chestnuts. Nice mid and long finish.