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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.5 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 43 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 4/7/2024 & rated 94 points: Last tasted five years ago Still deep red purple color and drinking beautifully with lots of black and blue fruits in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, blueberries, currants, licorice with hints of earthiness and espresso in the nose. Black currants, blackberries, plums and chocolate with hints licorice in the flavor. An elegant wine, full bodied, very well balanced, great mouthfeel with nice complexity and a long smooth finish.
Still very youthful and primary. Delicious and deep, but tannins are rough enough that I would have preferred this with food. (205 views) | | | Tasted by Dalex on 11/29/2019 & rated 92 points: Interesting wine. Consumed over 30 hours. Essentially it drank perfectly fine upon opening but wasn’t exactly outstanding. Somewhat restrained and mid-weight with decent fruit but not the broad cassis and dark chocolate flavors with plumb fruit that I typically get from these wines. This led me to believe that the wine should be left alone for a day. Earlier this day I came back to it and it seemed to fatten up a bit. More fruit and spicy flavors were present. But still it wasn’t ready until about 30 hours after opening when it seemed to have a window of maybe 3 hours where it was a gorgeous wine. Happy to have this little experiment to share with readers. I probably sampled this wine 10 times over 30 hours! My 92 was at its best and 90 or 91 on the other occasions. (7042 views) | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 10/20/2019 & rated 94 points: What can be better with a burger off the grill than a twenty year old Abreu cabernet... Drinking beautifully with plenty of dark fruits in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, blueberries, currants, and plums with chocolate, licorice, and hints of espresso. An elegant wine, full bodied, with nice complexity and a long finish. (2771 views) | | | Tasted by passion4wine on 2/23/2019 & rated 93 points: Wonderfully well integrated with fruit, herb, spice, and just a hint of green olive. Tannins are very well resolved, mild acidity but it packs a punch of ripe fruit. Never guessed this could be 20 years old—it's got life left, but don't wait. Drink it now because I believe this is at its peak. As the hours passed the wine revealed a very mild vegetal note on the nose—green pepper, asparagus—not a flaw, just an observation after hours of oxidization. Love this wine. (3648 views) | | | Tasted by Vinomnivore on 2/19/2019 & rated 94 points: Still very youthful and primary. Delicious and deep, but tannins are rough enough that I would have preferred this with food. (3167 views) | | | Tasted by AB16 on 11/29/2018 & rated 93 points: Blake Tasting - Ripe, Rich, Beautiful, but high alcohol which is integrated remarkably well. I guessed new world cab from 2000's (3379 views) | | | Tasted by Highlander on 6/2/2018: Outstanding! This is on a par with some of the finest Bordeaux, but with an emphasis on fruit rather than terroir. Not a fruit bomb like so many CA Cab;s. There are many complex tastes here coupled with well integrated tannins. While I enjoy the earthiness of so many French wines, this wine's strength is the finesse of the fruit with the tobacco and currant overlays. Double decanted 3 hours prior, this wine was good from the first sip to the last. (2791 views) | | | Tasted by joshabramson on 4/27/2018 & rated 95 points: This is extremely good. First sip out of the bottle there is a strong bit of dusty funk you might expect from a nicely aged Bordeaux. This blows off in a few minutes, but remains just slightly on the finish, reminding you that you’re drinking a serious wine that has had a material amount of time to age in the bottle. What is most exceptional is how vibrant and sweet the fruit still is after 19 years. Tannins are nicely integrated but there is enough structure here to suggest this wine has many good years sill ahead of it, although I doubt it will get better than it is right now. Quite a treat. (2429 views) | | | Tasted by shaferguy91 on 5/8/2016 & rated 94 points: No decant. (7035 views) | | | Tasted by handymom on 5/7/2015 & rated 95 points: One of the best wines I've ever had. Luscious fruit, structured, balanced. Yummm! 2001 was even better. (6091 views) | | | Tasted by dcole25 on 12/25/2014 & rated 94 points: Opened and decanted for an hour before drinking - impressive wine. Was very surprised when I started to decant by the color - still a very dark red with absolutely no bricking. Threw off a fair amount of sediment.
Drinking really well now with plenty of fruit, a bit of smoke and leather as well as some cedar and vanilla. Ripe tannins. Great now and would guess it is in the beginning of it's prime with another 10 years of great life left. (5278 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 5/9/2014 & rated 94 points: Zachy's Wine Auction - Spring 2014 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): This was also an excellent wine and while the '05 somewhat overshadowed it for me, half of the table preferred this one. It absolutely evolved through the day - starting off a bit tight (felt much younger than it's 15 years), got some plum, some oak, a bit of earthiness. (7220 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 2/9/2013: PnP enjoyed at a CT offline. Not showing any age, but seems to be missing some of its reflective brilliance (which could easily have been due to the less than ideal lighting). The nose seems to match the palate quite well, with slightly above-average complexity and appeal. As expected, seamless on the palate with just signature curl of sweet, ripe tannins. No doubt some more (needed, interesting) tertiary development is but a year or two away. A very nice bottle, but not a wow bottle. 14,5% abv, drink thru 2020 (9383 views) | | | Tasted by Wine_lvr on 11/2/2012 & rated 95 points: American Belle 1st Edition (Switzerland): Intensive brght red. Smell of Mokka with a hint of leather.the taste again of mokka and red berries. Great wine. Well integrated tannins. Decant for 2 hours or wait until 2015 for the wine unleashing its full potential. (8302 views) | | | Tasted by Vstalam on 7/26/2012 & rated 94 points: Very interesting and complex wine. Bought at retail store for $80 about 6 months ago, so couldn't vouch for provenance/storage conditions prior to purchase. After standing up for a day, poured a small glass after opening, unbelievably complex nose of bacon, smoke, and berries, and drinking beautifully with well integrated tannins, strong fruit flavor on the palate, and a long 30second+ finish. Decanted 2/3 of bottle for 2 hours and paired with a ribeye...after the decant the nose was totally different, and in my opinion, worse, with notes of blood and slight pruniness/oxidation dominating the slight fruit tones on the nose, and the smokiness totally gone. Still tasted pretty good with a mix of fruit and tannins with a slightly more aged flavor. Had a glass on day 2 after storing with a Vacuvin, and on day 2 drank like a very young Cabernet with vibrant fruits, strong tannins, and a long finish.
If you have held on this long, there's no rush to drink, this wine will easily last and evolve for another 5-10 years, but if your planning on drinking soon, I would be cautious with a long decant, since the wine was much more pleasant as a pop and pour. (6578 views) | | | Tasted by jaylew1 on 3/21/2012 & rated 93 points: Very dark color. Surprising at age 13. Not much nose after decant. Fruit in good balance with receding tannins. I wouldn't wait another 5 years. (6564 views) | | | Tasted by bruinesq84 on 1/19/2012 & rated 94 points: Pop, aerate and decant. drank over next 2 hrs. This bottle showed quite well, though the backend tannins are still a force. Could easily last another 10 yrs. But, having said that, there's no reason no to pop it now. Expressive nose, showing dark fruits and some eucalyptus. Decent medium body and finish that lasted 30-40 secs. Quite nice. (5684 views) | | | Tasted by staglin on 12/31/2011 & rated 95 points: Amazing density, huge mouth feel and finish. Plenty of fruit to last for years ahead. Almost inky black still. Excellent for New Year's Eve! (3745 views) | | | Tasted by mxpbuy on 9/18/2011 & rated 92 points: Sampled 9/17/11. Decanted 30 minutes and ready. Bright and vibrant red and black fruits, slightly thin at mid palate but then coats the mouth with a very long finish. Some cassis, dried herbs, a hint of menthol and cedar. The alcohol says 14.5% but you don't taste it much; however, it does go to your head pretty fast and hits you more like a 17% wine. Not sure I'd go back for it again but it was interesting. (3464 views) | | | Tasted by kenthargis on 9/5/2011 & rated 94 points: Should have opened this a bit earlier in the evening. It only decanted about 1.5 hours. Over the course of dinner, it really developed into a wonderfully rich, lush, but not over the top wine. We both thought it was great. Graphite, currant, other typical Cab flavors. Would definitely recommend. (3434 views) | | | Tasted by bhalljr on 5/14/2011 & rated 94 points: Nice dark fruits and opened up after decanting for an hour. Surprised at the tannin level for a 12 yr old Napa Cab. Think it has several more years to go. (3935 views) | | | Tasted by EMTAME on 3/6/2011 & rated 95 points: Opened this with my dad for to celebrate his retirement and it easily outshined the very good bottle of 1992 Beringer Private Reserve cab that preceded it (which I scored a 92, for anyone who's interested). This was just fantastic from start to finish. Great nose that reminded me a bit of early to mid-90s Montelena. In the mouth, it was incredibly well balanced and elegant yet full-bodied and sporting plenty of dark fruit. The tannins provided great texture to the mouthfeel without ever seeming the least bit rough or out of proportion, and the long, tasty finish had me looking forward to the next sip.
This was the best cab I've had in a while, and I think RP's 93 is low by several points (in fact, I might be conservative in my own score). Wish I had more, as this still has a good 8-10 years ahead of it. (4095 views) | | | Tasted by bonedoc on 1/15/2010 & rated 96 points: decanted, and drunk over 4 hours. hard to complain about anything here. excellent concentration, well-balanced. to my palate a nice midpoint between old & new world style. long finish. no signs of fading w/ the last glass. i would suspect it will go for another 5-7 years, but no reason to wait. (5051 views) | | | Tasted by WineForRob on 11/12/2009 & rated 95 points: Great bottle of wine. Aromas of plums and black cherry with some tobacco and pleasant earth. Very ripe fruit with still vibrant acidity and strong tannins. This wine was nowhere near its peak and is drinking beautifully right now. This was the best 10 year old Napa cab I have ever had. Has several more good years ahead of it. (5280 views) | | | Tasted by Ki Punwar on 8/8/2009 & rated 94 points: Opened at Liquid Assets-this is in a great place right now, tannins are tamed and it's a great mouthfull of wine-cassis, blackberry and long lingering aftertaste.
One of the better wines of this cool vintage. (5003 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (12/27/2003)
(Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch) Big clove, chocolate and vanilla nose; huge, coffee, vanilla, caramel and boysenberry palate; long finish 98 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Abreu Producer website
Abreu Vineyards is of famed vineyard manager David Abreu. Mr. Abreu’s farming skills are in extremely high demand, and he oversees many of the Napa Valley’s most prestigious vineyard properties.
Region: Napa Valley
Sub Region: St Helena
David Abreu and his winemaker, Brad Grimes produce four single vineyard red wines under Abreu Vineyards company. The labels are; Madrona Ranch, Cappella, Thorevilos, and Las Posadas. There is a fifth wine which is a blend of all four properties called, Rothwell Hyde. Wines are available for purchase though their direct mailing list only.
This is a highly sought after label that is owned by vineyard manager-extraordinaire David Abreu, also known as, “the grower to the stars.” He has farmed for many illustrious estates including current and past clients such as; Colgin, Staglin, Bryant, Kenzo, Sloan, Marciano, Harlan Estate, and Screaming Eagle.
David Abreu, a third-generation rancher from St. Helena, founded Abreu Vineyards in 1980 after working briefly at Caymus Vineyards. That year he formed David Abreu Vineyard Management, working with pioneering winemaker Richard Forman to manage ranching operations at Inglenook Winery.
Abreu and Forman became friends and traveled frequently to Bordeaux, where they observed French winemaking operations. They brought back French rootstock, trellis designs, and Bordelais planting and farming techniques.[1]
Abreu's fame spread as more wineries hired David Abreu Vineyard Management company to plant and manage ranching operations. By 1999 he was considered the premier viticulturist for premium grapes in Napa Valley.[2] Abreu's company has raised grapes for some of the most respected wineries in Napa and Sonoma Valleys including Blankiet Estate, Acacia Vineyard, Staglin Family Vineyards, Jones Family Vineyards, Bressler Vineyards, Colgin Cellars, Pahlmeyer Vineyard, Sloan Estate, Bryant Family Vineyard, Fisher Vineyards, Oakford Vineyards, Araujo Estate Wines, Grace Family Vineyard, Viader Vineyards, and Harlan estate, among others.
In 1998 eminent wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. included Abreu in his list of the "most influential wine personalities of the last 20 years."[3] In 2006 Abreu was hired to replant the Screaming Eagle Winery vineyards.[4]
The wines
Abreu Vineyards concentrates exclusively on estate-grown cabernet sauvignon blends. Robert Parker gave the 1997 Madrona Ranch cabernet perfect 100-point score, one of only 140 wines in the world to receive the honor.[5] In the "Judgment of Sauternes," in October, 2006 the 1997 cabernet was judged the #1 wine in the world by the Grand Jury Européen.[6]
In the late 1990s Abreu and Forman jointly purchased and planted the 20-acre Thorevilos Vineyard. They released Abreu's first cabernet from that vineyard in 2000.[7]
Distribution is extremely limited, although a number of online wine sellers do advertise Abreu wines at $100 to $600 or more per bottle. Production was 500 cases in 1999.
References
^ Forman (2000). Launching Bordeaux-Style Wines in the Napa Valley:. University of California, Berkeley, Regional Oral History Office, pp.106-109.
^ Forman, 2000, p. 37
^ Parker, Robert. "The most influential wine personalities of the last 20 years", The Wine Advocate, December 23, 1998.
^ Murphy, Linda. "Worth its weight in gold? Why some people happily pay $500 for a bottle of wine", San Francisco Chronicle, August 3, 2006.
^ Robert Parker's 100 Point Wines. Wine-Searcher (May, 2005). Retrieved on January 27, 2007.
^ Anson, Jane. "California in pole position yet again", Decanter.com, October 24, 2006. Retrieved on January 27, 2007.
^ Foreman, 2000, pp. 124-125
Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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