March 21, 2024 - One hour double decant, followed by a two hour slow ox. Very deep dark ruby magenta color. Eucalyptus, iron, blackberry, anise, stewed strawberry, hickory-laced chocolate, dandelion, and subtle peony. Very smooth, dry, slightly dusty palate. Super fine, lasting, mouth filling acidity. Full, plush tannins on the long finish.
Wine of the weekend. Perfectly integrated and very complex. Big thank you to JimAronson for bringing this to share at Mark1NPT’s place. This may have been the wine of the weekend (and there was very stiff competition).
March 21, 2024 - Brought blind to tonight's event by JimAronson. I forget what his airtime was for this bottle. Lighter magenta in color when poured. Has a def look of aging to it. By color in the glass alone, I guessed it was an '08 or '10.
Nose of dandelion (just a hint), red fruit and lavender florals.
Palate of red/black fruit with nice depth and complexity. A hint of iron and oak. The wine is very resolved and very well integrated. There's a softness to it. Again, I never would have pegged this as a '13. It's the only bottle of this vintage I've ever tasted so I can't say for sure whether this is its standard presentation in looking and drinking 5 years older, and advising everyone to start drinking up their bottles......or whether it's a one off unusual bottle and you should keep storing yours? But it is very good and very fun......thanks for bringing Jim!
April 13, 2023 - 90 min decant
This wine was simply spectacular
December 6, 2021 - Epic Napa Trip - Day 2: Tasted ate the winery with winemaker Brad Grimes - Brad is great! He really rolled out the red carpet letting us taste multiple barrel samples of 2 white wines and multiple barrels from the 2021 vintage and the 2019 vintage of barrels going into Thorevillos and Madrona. I can say all barrels tasted great and showed potential! The 2021 was teeth staining juice that would immediately make your mouth pucker from the tannins. Although I have no idea how that will translate into a final product, it was fun! Obviously all samples from the 2019 vintage were very good and certainly more approachable.
However, the real treat was when Brad opened up this wine! Although still austere, and slightly tannic, the fruit was marvelous and the potential of the wine was starting to show! Dark, creamy fruit with chocolate and anise, as well as earth, bramble and tobacco notes with well-integrated toasty oak....this wine will undoubtably flirt with perfection in a few more years, but oh so delicious now! 96+ now and will definitely get better!
December 6, 2021 - Napa trip day 2 (Napa): Pop and pour, drank a small glass at the winery over 45 minutes. I love the fruit and funk quality. Really stellar and in my wheelhouse. I tasted all these barrel samples prior so forgive the short note:
Unknown Sauvignon Blanc (that's what Brad Grimes said) - Surprisingly rich with intensity.
Unknown chardonnay - more fruit and plenty of flinty minerality
2021 cabernet (Brad didn't mention the vineyard) - Lots of musty funk, palate is extremely tannic
2019 cabernet - Coming together, more perfumed, gobs of fruit
2019 Madrona - probably the most balanced of them, still very heavy
2019 Thorevillos - Another barrel sample, no idea, really big
2019 Las Pasodas - Some nice blueberry, hard to assess otherwise.
November 11, 2020 - Decanted 2-3 hours and served with barbequed filets. Gorgeous nose and beautiful on the first sip. Palate of ripe dark fruit, licorice, chocolate, and crème de cassis. Long, long finish that is just delightful. It's just going to improve over time, and I am in no hurry to open the next bottle.
November 11, 2020 - Decanted 2.5 hours. Pure, luscious red fruit, spiced oak, chocolate, grainy tannins, filling the palate with concentration and intensity. A gorgeous cult wine showing beautifully at the start of its peak window perhaps. It's amazing how good these wines are. The Madrona Ranch seems to be a bit more fruit forward than some of the Abreu cuvees but not in a bad way at all. It achieves purity of palate and sexy flirtatiousness at the same time. Stunning.
February 20, 2020 - Decanted 2 hours. Beautiful nose aa many others have described. Palate dances around your tongue with plum, cassis, brighter red fruit, mocha, and chocolate with a long intense finish that lasted up to one minute. By the fourth hour the wine closed up some and the tannins became more noticeable. At times was a bit reticent. As others have noted this is just about barely ready to drink and would be better in a few more years. Comes across more like a Left Bank Bordeaux (think Mouton or perhaps a top St Estephe) than Napa. My wife rated 98/99 me 96/97 so we split the difference :-)
November 17, 2019 - Drank three bottles. Had a sip initially then decanted the first two for about 1.5 hours. Drinking very well. Complex and well structured. The fruits were perhaps a bit reserved, holding back a higher score.
September 2, 2019 - Serious juice. Paired beautifully with a grilled Porterhouse. Decanted for a few hours. Lot of life left in this one.