2017 Abreu Madrona Ranch

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 95 points

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  12/3/2022 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 94 Points

  The quality of this wine is noticeable immediately but the deep non-fruit characteristics are dominant and I feel another 2 years might be kind to the overall flavor profile (for my palate anyway).

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  1/20/2022 - msuwine wrote: 95 Points

  This rich and layered Cabernet blend is - as usual - a symphony of flavor and class. It still needs a few more years to come into its own, but it shows none of the markers of this unfortunate vintage - i.e, nothing green, charred, or forced here. If anything, the fruit seems more forward and fresh, but there is still that mouth-coating savory wildness that Abreu wines offer like few (read: none) others in Napa. I haven't tasted the whole lineup, but this confirms my suspicion that - like only a handful of winemakers (e.g., Nigel Kinsman, Massimo Di Costanzo) - Brad Grimes made this vintage sing.
  
  Dark red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of black cherry, graphite, and leather, with a beautiful undertone of dried spice (e.g., oregano, thyme, bay leaf). The flavors are well-integrated, with notes of boysenberry, cocoa bean, espresso, peppercorn, and ribeye, with grainy but playful tannins and a lifted acidity. This is easily one of the best 2017s I have tasted, and it’s the one I would bet will get better over time. Blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cab Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 6% Merlot. 14.5% alcohol. Decant two hours if drinking now. 95+ at the moment, but this should be better in 2023 or later.
  
  P.S. Would I recommend this as the vintage for someone first trying Abreu? No. Try something with age, like a 2012, 2010, or earlier. The 2017 will never quite have the expansiveness of the best vintages, but that doesn't mean this particular wine is crap. If anything, I suspect the secondary market will discount the 2017 as time goes by - a significant factor when a wine sells for such a crazy price - and all I'm saying is don't dismiss it. For what it's worth, I think this wine - screw the vintage - is the real deal, period.

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