Longtime SommSelect subscribers may remember the story of Bernard Magrez, owner of a multitude of classified-growth châteaux in Bordeaux and all-around wine-world conqueror—in addition to his Bordeaux holdings, which include Château Pape-Clément in Graves, Magrez now makes wine in 39 different countries, with the help of famed Bordeaux-based ‘flying winemaker’ Michel Rolland.
Of course he makes Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley. How could he not? And of course the wine that bears his name is sourced from a premier vineyard site (in this case the Dr. Crane vineyard in St. Helena, part of the Beckstoffer family portfolio of historic Napa parcels) and crafted by a hand-picked star winemaker (Benoit Touquette, perhaps more famous for his work at the critically acclaimed Realm Cellars). Now with some bottle age under its belt, this Bernard Magrez 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolute steal in relation to other wines from this important vineyard; when we were given the chance to offer some, we jumped at it. This level of depth and sophistication regularly costs twice as much. If you’re a Napa Cabernet aficionado, this is an opportunity not to miss.
Over the years, Magrez and Rolland have utilized different vineyard sources and winemakers to craft the Magrez-labeled wines. The 2010 vintage was the first for Touquette, who made the wine at the Hartwell winery in the Stag’s Leap District (recently purchased by Realm, in fact). This was also the first vintage for which the Dr. Crane site was the source: Planted in 1858 by Napa trailblazer George Belden Crane, a country doctor originally from New York, the 25-acre vineyard was acquired in 1997 by the Beckstoffers, who farm some 3,600 acres of prime vineyards in Napa, Mendocino, and Lake County. The Dr. Crane site is on a mix of volcanic material and alluvial gravel, and it has become one of the more sought-after sites for high-quality Cabernet grapes, with more than a dozen producers now including the vineyard designation on their labels.
In 2010—a long, cool growing season by Napa standards, and one that produced wines that took a few years to come around—Touquette fermented the wine in 100% new oak barrels, macerating the grapes on their skins for 30 days (a fairly lengthy period that gave the wine a firm tannic structure that is still evident today). It spent nearly two years aging in French oak before bottling.
And if this wine is any indication, 2010 produced wines of great harmony: there’s not even the slightest hint of flab or sweetness here. In the glass it is still an opaque purple-black, with just a hint of garnet at the rim betraying its bottle age. The aromatics meld sweet and savory beautifully: black plum, black currant, cassis, violets, dark chocolate, tobacco, coffee grounds and a kiss of vanilla. These sensations carry through to the rich, savory palate, where the tannins are sandy and gripping and there’s enough acidity to keep the wine focused. This acid, combined with the wine’s considerable extract, keeps the alcohol heat in check, and the finish is aromatic and clean—no syrupy residue whatsoever! I would say this wine has a solid 10 years of peak drinking still ahead of it, but it is immensely enjoyable now after 30-60 minutes in a decanter. Serve it just above cellar temperature in Bordeaux stems, and pair it with something you might pair with a classed-growth Margaux or Pauillac: The attached recipe for roasted leg of lamb should do nicely.
