If Abreu has a core, it is undoubtedly Madrona Ranch. It was the first property David fell for, and developed, back in the 1980s. The canyons and curves that snake through the site, the soils that range from red Aiken to white tufa to dark clay and rocks—it’s a magical site. Harvest picks are meticulous, often spanning weeks, but the diversity makes for incredible complexity, and plenty of blending options. Madrona is a working ranch too. In fact, livestock have laid claim to more than their share of real estate. Cattle, goats, pigs, chickens—even honeybees, which live in one of the old barns on the property. “We tend the animals and leave the bees alone,” says David. “We do collect the honey though. We consider it fair rent.”

95 points Wine Advocate

 From the back hills of St. Helena, in the direction of Spring Mountain, comes Abreu’s first single-vineyard offering from vineyards planted in 1982, the Madrona Ranch. This cuvée usually contains at least 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and one of the highest percentages of Cabernet Franc, ranging from 33% to 45%. Tiny quantities of Petit Verdot and Merlot are also added, depending on how they fared in any given vintage. Last year I mentioned that the 2011 Proprietary Red Madrona Ranch was one of the rare Abreu wines that showed a little herbaceousness, but that has completely aged out. There is now a forest floor intensity to this full-bodied, opaque purple-colored 2011. After spending 26 months in 100% new oak, it exhibits great fruit, concentration and intensity. The fact that Abreu and Grimes do malolactic in their new oak barrels seems to integrate the wood better than at many wineries. It is certainly a key to understanding the wine’s complexity. It displays lots of Christmas fruitcake, coffee, chocolate and spice box notes, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and sweet tannin. (RP)  (10/2014)

95 points Vinous

 Abreu’s 2011 Madrona Ranch possesses remarkable textural depth and richness, especially for the year. Rich, layered and super-expressive, the 2011 graces the palate with a compelling interplay of bright fruit, expressive aromatics and lovely breadth. New leather, crushed flowers and mint add nuance on the close. (AG)  (12/2014)

When David purchased this Howell Mountain property in 2000 it came with an unexpected perk: first growth redwood stakes dating back over a century. Relics of an earlier era of agriculture. “When the college owned this site they’d burn all the underbrush, including the stakes, to keep it clean. When I came in we found them and set them all aside,” he says. At about 2000 feet elevation, Las Posadas sits above the fog line, surrounded by a protected forest of fir and pine. Red Aiken soils are layered over white tufa, and the rocks that littered the site before it was planted now form walls defining the property. The redwood stakes—collected, stacked, preserved—await their next life.

WA/RP 95
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Las Posadas Proprietary Red opens with tons of wild blueberry, mulberries and cassis notes over garrigue, sage, baking spices and dusty soil plus touches of Black Forest cake and cedar. The rich, full-bodied palate is rugged, muscular, lively and concentrated with firm, grainy tannins, finishing very long and earthy.

Thorevilos was one of David’s favorite haunts as a child. There were no vines then. Just pine trees, redwoods, an old olive grove. And a rusted hog wire hanging from a tree—“Hook Man” in Abreu family lore. These days it’s the dirt that engrosses him. White tufa that turns to fine powder when you grind it beneath your foot. Tannish soil peppered with orange-brown pebbles. Streaks of dry, red earth. Sitting 800 feet above the valley floor, wedged between the St. Helena and Howell Mountain AVAs, Thorevilos doesn’t belong to any sub-appellation. “It’s an outlier,” David says. When the AVA boundaries were being determined, he could have argued to have it included. “But it wouldn’t have made any difference to the vineyard. Or the wine.”

Sitting 800 feet above the valley floor, wedged between the St. Helena and Howell Mountain AVAs, Thorevilos doesn’t belong to any sub-appellation. “It’s an outlier,” David says. When the AVA boundaries were being determined, he could have argued to have it included. “But it wouldn’t have made any difference to the vineyard. Or the wine.”

Achával-Ferrer™ has one single passion: to craft world-class, terroir-driven red wines from Argentina. Achával-Ferrer produces the most critically acclaimed Malbecs from Mendoza, yielding, old ungrafted vines. Centennial vines | Low yield, high concentration | Minimum intervention, maximum expression.

| Joven, suave, fresco |
Young, smooth, fresh

Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2021

| Tim Atkin 91 | RP 91 |

Mendoza Malbec is an inevitable reflection of the variety that is emblematic to our country, the mountainous ranges of the Andes and the sun. Composed of various vineyards, located in the Cuyana province, this young wine, potent and velvety, smooth and soft is a very authentic, pure and intense expression of Argentina’s flagship variety.

2016 AMUSE BOUCHE NAPA VALLEY RED BLEND

Twenty years ago, Jim Laube of the Wine Spectator asked Heidi where our vineyard holdings for Amuse Bouche Winery were located. Heidi replied, “I would have to kill you if I told you!” A long silence ensued at our lunch table. This slightly awkward, tongue-in-cheek moment from our wine history is the inspiration for our Vintage 2016 artwork. Heidi Barrett herself painted “A Secret Vineyard,” a lovely image that perhaps may give further guidance to Mr. Laube. Heidi has been painting as long as she has been making wine, and we are thrilled to showcase both of her amazing talents in and on the bottle with our Amuse Bouche 2016. The lithographs are gorgeous, expertly produced on Rives paper by our Paris atelier using a 19th- century press. Each one is hand signed and numbered by Heidi herself.

THE WINE

Amuse Bouche 2016, made in the Pomerol style, is a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc from our vineyards on Rutherford’s eastern hillside in Napa Valley (hint, hint). We managed to produce 750 cases; and we believe this vintage will be remembered as one of Napa’s best.

2010 VINTAGE

95 Points
“The 2010 Au Sommet seems to bring together the best of qualities of 2008 and 2009. It has the fruit and depth of the former and the silkiness of the latter. Juicy dark cherries, plums, smoke, incense and tobacco are some of the aromas and flavors that take shape as this powerful, intense wine shows off its considerable pedigree. Hints of black olives, grilled herbs and licorice add complexity on the finish. This is a gorgeous wine in every way. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2030.”
—Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, December 2012 #204

92 Points
“Features a tight mix of currant, blackberry, cedar and loamy earth notes. This is dense, spicy and firmly tannic, with flavors that gain depth and expand on the finish. Promises to improve with age. Drink now through 2026.”
—Wine Advocate, Febraury 2014

93 Points
“The 2010 Au Sommet is bright, saturated red-ruby. Pure, aromatic aromas of currant, espresso and minerals complemented by mint and licorice nuances. Chewy, deep and mouth-coating, with noteworthy energy to its subtly expanding flavors of brambly mountain berries and spices. Finishes broad and long with ripe tannins nicely supported by the wine’s concentration of fruit. Drinkable now.”
—Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, May 2013

BLANKIET ESTATE MYTHICVS, PARADISE HILLS VINEYARD

A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon selection from the best lots. The darkest of all our wines. Extraordinarily deep with powerful yet refined tannins. A wine for extended cellaring.

“The goal to produce world-class wines at Blankiet Estate has been accomplished, combining the extraordinary power of the site with unbelievable elegance and definition”
– Robert M. Parker

Our Bordeaux Medoc blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This wine is sheer power in a silk glove.

100 points Jeb Dunnuck

Another magical wine from this property, the 2009 Château Cos D’Estournel reminds me slightly of the 2005 with its incredibly rich, powerful, opulent style married to stunning finesse and elegance. Still youthful yet with a touch of maturity, its deep ruby/plum color is followed by classic Saint-Estèphe notes of blackcurrants, dried tobacco, loamy earth, Asian spices, and licorice. Deep, full-bodied, and massive on the palate, it’s flawlessly balanced and has building tannins hiding under its wealth of fruit, with no hard edges and a great, great finish. This tour de force is still 5-7 years away from maturity and is a legendary wine to follow over the coming 40-50 years.

100 points Wine Advocate

One of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted, the monumental 2009 Cos d’Estournel has lived up to its pre-bottling potential. A remarkable effort from winemaking guru Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot (33%) and a touch of Cabernet Franc (2%) was cropped at 33 hectoliters per hectare. It boasts an inky/black/purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of white flowers interwoven with blackberry and blueberry liqueur, incense, charcoal and graphite. The wine hits the palate with extraordinary purity, balance and intensity as well as perfect equilibrium, and a seamless integration of tannin, acidity, wood and alcohol. An iconic wine as well as a remarkable achievement, it is the greatest Cos d’Estournel ever produced. It is approachable enough at present that one could appreciate it with several hours of decanting, but it will not hit its prime for a decade, and should age effortlessly for a half century.

98 points James Suckling

A very bold, ripe and complex wine with excellent concentration and a warm, engaging personality (cinnamon and allspice) that’s hard to resist. With aeration a hint of dried fruit character emerges. Massive, yet polished finish.

97 points Wine Spectator

This shows why everyone loves the vintage. Features a gorgeous display of perfectly melded plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that flows beautifully over very creamy tannins. Still nearly all fruit, with flecks of warm stone and iron on the finish. This could easily sit in this phase for some time, but will be hard to resist. Totally modern and beautifully done.

(koo dah foo drah) – The moment when “lightning strikes” or something unforgettable occurs that you want to capture forever.

Intense aromatics of fresh dark berries and deep, complex tannins comingle with melted chocolate and cassis to create a Bordeaux-esque palate profile. This wine will age extremely well.

The Kapcsándy (pronounced “Cup-chon-dy”) story is a unique amalgam of old-world values and American ingenuity, combining classic European grand cru-style with modern state-of-the-art technology.  Most of all, it’s the story of a family that’s simply passionate about wine.

Lou Kapcsándy emigrated to the U.S. from his native Hungary in 1956, pursuing a successful career in chemical engineering and manufacturing, first in the San Francisco Bay Area then in Seattle.  Through colleagues in the wine business, he began sourcing exceptional European wines for his cellar, while simultaneously mentoring an emergent group of local entrepreneurs who would become early icons of Washington State’s wine industry.

The 2009 Endre offers up hints of sage, rosemary, wild cherries and tobacco, all supported by vibrant yet-well-integrated tannins. Deceptively medium in body, the 2009 boasts considerable structure and intensity to match its highly appealing mid-weight personality. The cold, late-ripening harvest produced stunning wines endowed with tons of energy and sheer power.

Antonio Galloni 92pts

*This is a sweet wine*

This debut release of their Port-Style dessert wine (fortified with grape brandy) is produced from 100% Merlot. It possesses intense aromas of roasted figs, violets, fennel, raspberries and freshly baked bread, leading to a sumptuous mouthfeel dominated by red and black fruits, chocolate and a hint of sweet spice.