The color is a deep violet-hued opaque ruby-red. Aromas of espresso, ripe black cherries abound, with just a touch of herb de Provenance in the background. The wine is full-bodied on the palate, with medium-grained tannins and considerable viscosity. Black cherry and blackberry emerge during the long, lingering finish. The 2010 Instant Napa Cabernet Sauvignon was not fined or filtered, thereby preserving its seamless texture and flavor intensity. Optimum drinkability for this wine: 2015 – 2022.

90 Point Review - Wine Enthusiast It’s not clear what Swanson means by the word “instant,” although this blend, which contains some Merlot and Petit Verdot, is rich enough in blackberries, cherries and mocha to enjoy now. It’s also a complex wine, layered withNapa tannins and an opulent overlay of new French oak. Give it a good, long decanting and drink over the next six years.

Vineyard Notes Long-term relationships with a number of Napa Valley growers enabled us to carefully select small blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot for this inaugural release of Instant Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet sources are: George Schenecker’s Manley Lane vineyard, adjacent to our winery in Rutherford, Swanson Oakville Cross Road Estate, and Larry Bettinelli’s Sleeping Lady Vineyard, at the base of the Mayacamas range in Yountville.

The Merlot grapes were grown at Ron Taddei’s Vineyard and our Oakville Cross Road Estate, both in the heart of Oakville. The Petit Verdot is from a small parcel at the La Monica Vineyard in the Oak Knoll appellation.