Mitchell Rabinowitz

9.5

Producer
David Arthur Vineyards. Family estate founded by David Arthur Long, with roots on Pritchard Hill dating to the Long family’s land purchases beginning in the 1950s. The winery began in 1980 and released its first vintage in 1985. Elevation 1147 Cabernet and a Napa Valley Proprietary Red sit at the core of the portfolio. 

Region
Napa Valley, with estate vineyards high on Pritchard Hill above St. Helena. The site is a rocky, iron-tinted hillside that has become one of Napa’s most coveted neighborhoods. 

Grape Variety
Bordeaux-style blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the mix. Component percentages vary by vintage. 

Terroir
Hillside blocks on Pritchard Hill with thin, stony volcanic soils and significant elevation. Fruit for the Proprietary Red is drawn from the estate and select Napa Valley parcels, then aged about 20 months in French oak. The goal is supple structure and near-term approachability without giving up cellar potential. 

Characteristics
Color
Deep ruby with a slowly forming brick rim consistent with a 2010 Napa red of hillside origin.
Nose
Black cherry, cassis and baked plum, with notes of anise, cocoa and dried herbs that this cuvée often shows. 
Palate
Medium-plus body. Dark cherry and blackberry at the core, framed by fine oak spice and a lift of savory herb. Tannins are resolved but still present. The cooler 2010 season adds brightness and line. 
Finish
Long, with lingering cassis, cocoa and a graphite echo typical of Pritchard Hill Cabernet blends. 

Terroir–Characteristic Connection
The rocky, low-vigour Pritchard Hill soils concentrate small berries and tannin, which read as density without excess heaviness. Elevation and afternoon exposure give ripe black fruit, while the 2010 vintage’s cooler arc preserved acidity and lifted the finish. 

Vintage Variation
2010 in Napa Valley was long and cool with brief heat spikes, producing Cabernet-based wines of freshness, slightly lower alcohols, and classical proportion. Many show strong aging trajectories. 

Decanting Advice
For a sound bottle today, decant 45 to 60 minutes to clarify sediment and open the mid-palate. If particularly youthful on opening, extend to 90 minutes.

Drinking Window
Now through 2030, with the best bottles holding longer given the vintage’s structure. 

Tier/Assessment
Excellent. The combination of estate pedigree on Pritchard Hill, the house’s balanced oak regime, and the 2010 vintage’s poise produces a Napa Valley proprietary red that is complete and ageworthy. — 5 days ago

Dean

8.9

Light, pleasant, paired nicely with seasoned shrimp and roasted. potatoes — 4 years ago

Karyn Fricke

9.0

Lite florals with citrus and minerals. Crisp and clean. Delightful! — 5 months ago

Max Gottesfeld, FWS, CSW

9.0

It’s like almost every Napa chard from a high end producer. It’s good but not amazing. It reminds me of a warm hug. — 10 months ago

Kurt Schuster

9.0

Do you know I keep trying it and I’m just not a fan of Gewurztraminer. There’s too much of a perfume flavor to it but it’s sort of reminds me of like chewing those fake fruit gummy‘s. This is delicious, it just sort of gets overwhelming after a while. — 4 years ago

Collier S. Wiese

9.1

Previously had the 2015. This was slightly more off-dry than dry but still excellent. — 5 years ago

Michael J Holroyd

9.2

Vey floral and spiced. Cold almond extract flavor as well, delicious — 8 months ago

Kaitlyn Wi

9.3

A nice full body medium tannin. Robust with a bit of jam and earth. — 3 years ago

Riccardo Arrigoni

9.3

Ultima bottiglia bevuta 30 aprile 2022. Molto morbido ancora tannino si sentiva bene ma levigato molto elegante. Purtroppo ha perso in serbevolezza, una beva da contemplazione. — 4 years ago

Janica Ingves

9.5

Stor dag för chj! — 5 years ago