"(15.1% alcohol; a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Syrah and 5% petit verdot; aged in 90% new oak barrels whose staves were air-dried for 36 months; bottled in March of 2012; made by winemaker/estate manager Gilles Nicault): Deep ruby-red. Aromas of dark berries, graphite and sexy oak lifted by violet and licorice notes reminded me a bit of Napa Valley. Supple, broad and attractively gentle, conveying an impression of superb breadth without any excess weight. The flavors of black cherry, cassis and flowers carry through on the long finish, which features very fine tannins and excellent length. I never would have guessed the octane level here. - Stephen Tanzer."
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (December 2014), 92 pts
"Made by the Long Shadow's manager, Gilles Nicault, the 2010 Chester Kidder is a smoking blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Pure, voluptuous and rich, with fantastic blackberry fruit, crushed rock like minerality, lead pencil and graphite, it's a serious, age worthy red that will evolve gracefully for 10 to 12 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck"
"Bright, deep ruby-red. Brooding aromas of dark berries, espresso, violet and graphite convey a youthfully medicinal quality. Very smooth but very tight, with cassis and bitter chocolate flavors dominating. Tough, granular Petit Verdot tannins give the finish a slight toughness. This very concentrated, layered wine will need time to unfold. - Stephen Tanzer."
"The finest vintage for the cuvee to date. It’s a serious, age-worthy beauty that sports an inky purple color to go with notes of ripe black currants, toast oak, spice-box and espresso roast. Full-bodied, luxuriously textured and concentrated, it has ample underlying tannin and will see its 30th birthday in fine form!"
"The Long Shadows Chester-Kidder is a red blend from Winemaker Gilles Nicault, who changes his blend each year. In 2012 he opted for 66% Cabernet with 23% Syrah and 11% Petit Verdot. This is focused around herbaceous aromatics, with green bell pepper, black pepper, raspberry ganache and oak. On the palate this offers a lush texture with flavors suggesting cassis, anise, black cherry and boysenberry. Today, this is very appealing, but should be even better with another year or so of bottle age. (Best 2016-2025) - OB."