Dana Estates Helms Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This is classic Helms with both red and black fruit, dried herbs and wet earth. There is a tight core of blackberry cobbler, vanilla and cedar enveloped in fine grained “Rutherford dust” like tannins. Dried leather and warm fruit finishes on the palate.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There are only slightly over 100 cases of the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon). A classic, mineral-laced Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, it exhibits lots of cedarwood, black currant, kirsch and licorice notes along with sweet tannin, full body and a beguiling, lush mouthfeel.
-
Wine Spectator
Features pure, ripe aromas of blackberry, blueberry and spice, deeply extracted and firmly tannic. The fruit pushes through, gaining depth as the tannins lend the berry flavors grip. Best from 2014 through 2025. 117 cases made.
Other Vintages
2019-
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator
-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker - Vinous
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
-
Robert
Parker
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
The Rutherford sub-region of Napa Valley centers on the town of Rutherford and covers some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyard real estate, spanning from the Mayacamas in the west, to the Vaca Mountains on the other side of the valley.
Inside of the Rutherford AVA, bordering the Mayacamas, is a stretch of uplands called the Rutherford Bench. (These bench lands technically run the length of Oakville as well). Mountain runoff creates deep, well-drained, alluvial soils on the bench, giving vine roots plenty of reason to permeate deep into the ground. The result is wine with great structure and complexity.
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvingons and Bordeaux Blends garner substantial attention for their enticing fragrances of dusty earth and dried herbs, broad and juicy mid-palates and lush and fine-grained tannins. The sub-appellation claims some of the valley’s most prized vineyards today, namely Caymus, Rubicon and Beckstoffer Georges III.
It is also home to Napa’s most influential and historic personalities. Thomas Rutherford, responsible for the appellation's name, made serious investments here in grape growing and wine production between the years of 1850 to 1880. Gustave Niebaum purchased a large swath of land and completed his winery in 1887, calling it “Inglenook.” Today this remains the oldest bonded winery in California. Georges Latour founded Beaulieu Vineyard in 1900, making it the oldest continuous winery in the state. Latour also hired the famous enologist, André Tchelistcheff, a man credited for single-handedly defining the modern Napa winemaking style.