I try not to get into the HSS’s until they’re at least 10 years old and was a good boy as tonight’s was my first 2010.
Opened 3 hours before dinner.
Dark, impenetrable garnet/purple to the rim. Fine sediment, but very little of it.
Huge wine! Red fruits, mocha & a bit of heat on the nose. Tastes of cherry, blackberry, chocolate. A bit extracted & rich. Stags Leap smooth tannins.
Just massive, never would guess it’s 12 yrs old, has plenty of time left. Very enjoyable.
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Love HSS and still have one 2010.
Timely, walked into a wineshop today and saw 2013 for $279 and mag of 2012 for $495.
Contemplating.
Thanks for the note! Have a couple in the cellar as its my sons birth year, so glad to hear you think it will run for a long time (that’s what I was planning on)!
I was trying to wait as long as I could on the 2010 guessing it would be a big wine and it was. The Hillside Selects in strong vintages are brutes while young, and this wine still seems in that young, heavy phase, even though the tannins are smooth. I thought last night that I don’t need to even think about getting into another for 5 years.
Rich- Reminded me of the 2001’s that while I enjoyed drinking one at 10 years old (the bottle, not me!) by far and away my favorite was the most recent 1+ year ago, it finally had reached a great spot for my palate. The 2010 seems like it has that same kind of full-bodied staying power, like it can easily make it to your son’s 21st BD if that’s what your shooting for.
Anyone have any thoughts on the '09? I have one bottle, and no real idea when these are best to drink.
Great report, thanks Tom. I too have a few of these but haven’t cracked one yet. Likely I’ll wait another 5 years at least. But I still have a couple of 2004s (which are amazing) and those should be pretty good to drink in the interim.
BTW I too had a few of the 2001s (the Sunspot, actually) and I loved them. They were really good in the 13 - 17 year range in which I drank them. Certainly a 95+ type wine, with the last one the best I think. Beauties!
Love it Tom! That’s definitley the goal!
Thanks for posting!
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I try to check in on these for the first time when they’re 10 years old. I had my first 2009 in 2019 and my recollection is that it was in a better spot for drinking (at 10 yrs old) than the 2010 I had last night (at 12 yrs old). That’s not to say I think the 2009 had already reached its pinnacle at 10 yrs, just that I think it might reach that pinnacle faster than the 2010. My note on the 2009 after I tried it in 2019 was to wait until 2024 for the next one, so there’s no rush imo.
That’s awesome! I really like the 2001s now after wondering how they could have gotten 100pts earlier in their lives. I have 2 Sunspot Mags and an '01 HSS Mag in the cellar and had been wondering what to do with them. Sounds like the Sunspots are more approachable than the HSS?
Tom, I haven’t had the ‘regular’ 2001 HSS so can’t speak to it. But the Sunspot is absolutely ready now (and they were only produced in mags AFAIK). Though these wines will likely be excellent for another decade or more.
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