2010 Abreu Madrona Ranch

Community Tasting Notes (16) Avg Score: 95.8 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View csimm's profile
  • Report Issue

  6/6/2023 - csimm wrote: 97 Points

  TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: On day one, this was a blacker fruit and mineral dominated beast. I was loving it, but I was even more enamored with it on the second day, where the body really filled out and notes of earth, eucalyptus, dark plum, blackberry, black cherry, and dark spice start to hit all the right notes. More controlled than the Colgins at the table, but a tad stricter than the Harlans and Promontories, the Abreu (as Abreus sometimes do) had to kick off the dust a bit before it started to find a nice balance between grip and gush. Some black licorice elements really add even more interest for me.
  
  This shared some similarities to the 2010 Cheval Blanc, with the Abreu finishing spicier and with an additional pop of dark berry elements over the otherwise earthier Cheval. I may slightly favor the Cheval today, but tomorrow, it’s a tossup really.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View sfwinelover1's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/28/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 99 Points

  Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): As I’m writing these TNs, now 8 days after our tasting, I’m going back and looking over my notes from that night and the next morning, but must confess, peaking over my shoulder at what others have written, where I’m above and where I’m below others. Well, with 96s from the 3 other writers so far, I’m well above here, whether it’s because I like the Abreu-Grimes style (yah) or because they drink better wine, so I’m more inclined to be inflationary (er, maybe . . .). Like the ‘06 of this cuvee, which I previously shared with a couple of the attendees, and the ‘10 Thor, which one of the attendees had shared with me, dark, dense and impeccably structured come to mind. Yet this is not remotely ungenerous, with cassis, black cherries and perhaps lesser notes of black currants, plums and berries with that ever so slight red fruited note that’s hard to pin down I observed in the Thor. This stuns, with extraordinary complexity, persistence and intensity, to me, and damn it, these are *my* TNs, not just beating, but blowing by more lauded wines like Scarecrow and Mag 7 to equal my ‘05 Colgin, ever so slightly below (and is it really below, if we’re talking about a $6-800 price differential?) the ‘01 Harlan. I’m not sure this has even entered its peak drinking window, like the ‘05 Colgin, and if it has, it’s a lot closer to the start than the finish. I think I understood from Bryan that this had been opened the night before and was drinking better on this night than the night before, which, in light of my experience with the ‘06 of this, would in no way would surprise. This is a fabulous wine in full, and now having an increasing basis to so state, I’d say that if you’re going to blow your butter and egg money on a vinified beverage, you could do a lot worse than Abreu or Colgin. 98-99+

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/27/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Saturday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): Love Abreu....wish I had a time machine to age their bottles. Actually, wish I had been collecting these wines years earlier. Yes, these are built for the long haul. This bottle was singing for me from the get-go, but amazingly (well, not too amazingly) got better with time, and really rocked on day 2! Started out as 94+ and ended up at a solid 96. Amazingly, these wines are still reasonably priced on the secondary market.
  
  2010 Madrona - Nose was very nice with perfumed purple flowers, cassis, cedar and forest floor. The palate on day 1 showed. plenty of dark fruit (black currant and blackberry) with notes of graphite, tobacco and earth. On day two, the secondary flavors moved from back stage to join the fruit on the main stage...also, the fruit started going from black to dark red (think black cherry) with dark chocolate notes also making an appearance. I would give this wine a long decant (3-4 hours) or wait another year or two to enjoy it in its prime. The wine finished at 96 points for me.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View WineBurrowingWombat's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/27/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Memorial Day Weekend, Day 1: Inglourious Basterds: Nose of integrated dark red fruits, clean stones and damp forest floor. Nose providing a nice richness but also holds a nice freshness as well.
  
  Flavors matches the nose completely, with awesome integration and richness.
  
  Another first and I was always curious about Abreu's with some age, especially this one since I've heard nothing but good things about it. Did not disappoint and I can see what people are talking about.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View bsumoba's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/27/2023 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 1 of 2: Followed over two days. Day 1 – a bit rustic with some dark fruits, black licorice, and some earthy notes dominating the nose and palate. Something was missing on Day 1 and scored it 93, but Day 2 this wine blossomed! Dark fruits, very balanced, floral, some tobacco and leather and still after 2 days, has a ton of life in it. Picked up a few points with some extended ox and appeared to be a hit on Day 2.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 16 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.