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2010 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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2010 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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| Vintage: | 2010 | ||||
| Wine Style: | Bold Red Wine | ||||
| Varietal Composition: |
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| Appellation: | Napa Valley | ||||
| Barrel Aging: |
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| Alcohol %: | 13.9 | ||||
This wine is not massive. It's not opulent. It's not powerful, jammy, extracted, oaky nor does it have 100 points.
This wine is none of those things. Why? Because it's for dinner.
Winemaking is not NASCAR. It's not about making things that crash into your palate. It's about crafting wines that make the experience of your dinner, better, more complete.
Complete. This is the word that most comes to my mind when I taste our 2010 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a complete experience that starts with the mouthwatering bouquet that seamlessly flows from the first sip to a long and lifting finish that lingers and lingers. This refined cabernet sauvignon gives birth to a new generation of wines at Cornerstone Cellars. Our vision of crafting harmonious, balanced wines that grace your table with elegance is perfectly reflected in this new release. Cabernet sauvignon from the same vineyards that bring you our critically acclaimed Cornerstone Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 7% merlot, which broadens and rounds the textures and flavors into a harmonious whole. Indeed our 2010 is a complete experience and an amazing value. It also tastes and smells distinctly like cabernet sauvignon. A rare thing these days.
Worth noting is the 13.9% alcohol level, which is moderate by modern Napa Valley standards. It is our belief that wines with excessively high alcohol levels obliterate the breed and personality of the vineyards and varieties that gave them birth. It is not our goal to have a specific alcohol level, but to achieve a natural balance, which, of course, naturally changes with the character of each vintage. It is our aim to pick our grapes when they are perfectly ripe, not over-ripe as many producers do who are aiming for power over balance. Picking before the grapes become overripe not only gives you lower alcohol, but higher acidity and preserves the more delicate flavors and aromatics. With more moderate alcohol levels and higher acidity wines can sing on your palate and dance with your dinner. In music and wine it’s all about the harmony.
In our 2010 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon you will find this harmony. Right now it’s a lovely concerto, give it a few years and you’ll have a whole symphony.
This wine is none of those things. Why? Because it's for dinner.
Winemaking is not NASCAR. It's not about making things that crash into your palate. It's about crafting wines that make the experience of your dinner, better, more complete.
Complete. This is the word that most comes to my mind when I taste our 2010 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a complete experience that starts with the mouthwatering bouquet that seamlessly flows from the first sip to a long and lifting finish that lingers and lingers. This refined cabernet sauvignon gives birth to a new generation of wines at Cornerstone Cellars. Our vision of crafting harmonious, balanced wines that grace your table with elegance is perfectly reflected in this new release. Cabernet sauvignon from the same vineyards that bring you our critically acclaimed Cornerstone Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 7% merlot, which broadens and rounds the textures and flavors into a harmonious whole. Indeed our 2010 is a complete experience and an amazing value. It also tastes and smells distinctly like cabernet sauvignon. A rare thing these days.
Worth noting is the 13.9% alcohol level, which is moderate by modern Napa Valley standards. It is our belief that wines with excessively high alcohol levels obliterate the breed and personality of the vineyards and varieties that gave them birth. It is not our goal to have a specific alcohol level, but to achieve a natural balance, which, of course, naturally changes with the character of each vintage. It is our aim to pick our grapes when they are perfectly ripe, not over-ripe as many producers do who are aiming for power over balance. Picking before the grapes become overripe not only gives you lower alcohol, but higher acidity and preserves the more delicate flavors and aromatics. With more moderate alcohol levels and higher acidity wines can sing on your palate and dance with your dinner. In music and wine it’s all about the harmony.
In our 2010 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon you will find this harmony. Right now it’s a lovely concerto, give it a few years and you’ll have a whole symphony.
Balsamic-Glazed Pork Chops
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Caramelized shallots and a dark vinegar glaze turn chops into an extremely flavorful sweet-and-sour dish.
Ingredients
- 4 (3/4-inch-thick) center-cut pork chops (about 2 lb total)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 oz small shallots (about 8), quartered and peeled, leaving root ends intact
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Preparation
Pat pork dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pork (in 2 batches if necessary) along with shallots, turning pork over once and stirring shallots occasionally, until pork is browned and shallots are golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes total. Transfer pork with tongs to a plate and add vinegar, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to shallots in skillet. Cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved and liquid is thickened slightly, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to moderate, then return pork along with any juices accumulated on plate to skillet and turn 2 or 3 times to coat with sauce. Cook, turning over once, until pork is just cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Transfer pork to a platter and boil sauce until thickened and syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour sauce over pork.
Sourced from 4 outstanding vineyard sites each adding a unique personality to the wine, our Stepping Stone by Cornerstone 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley highlights the complexity and diversity of winegrowing in the Napa Valley, which is the secret to its silky textures and vibrantly rich balance. The muscular, dense and concentrated fruit of Howell Mountain, the refined clarity and elegance of Rutherford to the lively aromatics and lush, vibrant sophistication of Oak Knoll, which are all balanced with a little lift and mid palate richness from our Carneros and Oakville Merlots, bring a unique harmony to this wine.
Our Stepping Stone by Cornerstone 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a wine of balance and depth, emphasizing restraint and finesse. A gorgeously vibrant nose of red berry fruit, subtle spice with hints of dried herbs combine with a lush, silky, mouth watering palate with a smooth, subdued tannic structure. Surprisingly refreshing, this wine exhibits a beautiful texture all the way through to an expressive, lingering finish.
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