The Thirty Bench Red, in those really good years: 2005, 2007 is one of those wine values that is hard to past up - even if you are one of those that puts the limit on their purchasing at $20. The 2010 joins the list of good years, not just because of the vintage but because of the pedigree behind it and of course, what is in the bottle. 57% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and only 14% Merlot make up the blend all aged 14 months in mostly French oak (30% new and 30% 1st fill barrels), with only a quarter of the Cabernet Sauvignon being exposed to American oak. The result is a wine you can easily lie down for a decade, but will have trouble keeping around that long. The nose lures you in deeply with the aromas of super rich dark fruit along with vanilla, cinnamon, plum and black cherry. The taste is also rich, smooth and almost hedonistic with crème de cassis notes, blackberry, black cherry seasoned with sweet herbs and spice. The tannins are silky and cross the tongue smoothly, they trek by almost un-noticed. I tasted both a decanted and straight-from-bottle version of this wine, and the only difference that was the spice and tannins seemed a little more powerful in the un-decanted version. Another beauty from the small lot folks at Thirty Bench. Price: $24.00 - Rating: **** 1/2+