2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon

20130322:
Today I met up with my friends at Iggies Pizza, a pizza place, with BYOB (bring your own beer). Among the various alcohol shared, I had a little of this cabernet sauvignon. I also tried a bargain Cabernet Sauvignon by Double Dog Dare.

I wrote the following: "This Chateau is good. I take that back, I think it's simple. No wait, I'm going to call it standard." 8:24PM ET

[20130429 Edit][20180610 Post Date][20180707 Edit]

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2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon

Relevant Links:
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Chateau Ste Michelle Website)

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Website Information:

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
COLUMBIA VALLEY

Our goal with the Columbia Valley Cabernet is to highlight concentrated Washington red fruit in an accessible style. This is our inviting Cab with plenty of complexity and structure with silky tannins. It’s also very versatile with food–try it with beef, pork or pasta.

VINTAGE
- 2010 was one of the coolest vintages on record and a year that tested our winemaker’s patience.
- The ripening season was marked by a mild spring and cool summer, resulting in harvest starting three weeks later than normal.
- Fortunately, a warmer September and October allowed grapes to ripen to maturity.
- The cooler weather conditions resulted in grapes reaching optimum flavor ripeness to desired sugar levels.
VINEYARDS
- Sourced from Columbia Valley vineyards in eastern Washington including our Cold Creek, Canoe Ridge Estate and Indian Wells vineyards.
- Columbia Valley vineyards lie in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains and receive just 6–8 inches of rainfall annually.
- Warm, sunny days and cool evening temperatures create ideal conditions for intense aroma and flavor development in the ripening grapes.
- Sandy soils with low fertility and low water-holding capacity enable precise control of vine growth.
WINEMAKING
- Ripe grapes were destemmed and inoculated with various strains of yeast to maximize complexity.
- Gentle pumpovers during fermentation were used to extract color and flavor and produce soft, supple tannins.
- Aged 16 months in American and French oak, 31% new.

TECHNICAL DATA
Total acidity: 0.52g/100ml
ph: 3.86
Alcohol: 13.5%
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Syrah, 3% Merlot, 6% other varieties (Malbec, Petit Verdot and Grenache)

FOOD PAIRING
Foods: blue cheese, duck, beef, veal, dark chocolate
Herbs: mustard, paprika, rosemary, thyme
Spice: allspice, cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg

90 point rating 2010 Vintage WINE & SPIRITS June 2013