2009 Abreu Madrona Ranch California Red

2009 Abreu Madrona Ranch

99 VM

Featured Review

The 2009 Madrona Ranch is dark, virile and imposing, and yet it possesses exceptional balance and class to burn. New leather, grilled herbs, menthol, licorice and spice notes abound. In some vintages, Madrona Ranch is impossibly tannic, and yet the 2009 is magnificent in its sense of poise and overall class. Vivid and finely cut, with tremendous drive, the 2009 will thrill readers lucky enough to own it. What a wine! Vinous Media

Vinous (Galloni) | 99 VM

Initially reviewed in December, 2010, the 2009 Madrona Ranch has turned out to be spectacular. Lots of mulberry, blackberry, cassis, roasted coffee, chocolate and toast aromas are all present in the extremely perfumed bouquet. Showing more evolution and charm than other 2009s which seem to be closing down, this example is exceptionally concentrated and full-bodied with an endless finish. The tannins are ripe, and I suspect the alcohol is in the 14%-15% range, but no higher. This dense purple-colored, still youthful, approachable 2009 can be drunk now and over the next 15-20 years.

As a set of wines, it is hard to surpass the four cuvees from the estate vineyards of David Abreu. As I have written many times in the past, all of these wines are truly world-class efforts that stand alongside proprietary red wines made from Bordeaux varietals from any appellation in the world. Abreu has two vineyards in and around the town of St. Helena, the Madrona Ranch at the base of Spring Mountain and the Cappella, which is further toward the town. Ironically, his Thorevilos is not part of any AVA, but might be one of the three or four finest vineyards in all of Napa Valley. It sits on steep hillside behind the luxury Meadowood Resort. His other vineyard is on Howell Mountain. All of these sites total about 70 acres, and while Abreu sells some of the fruit to other high quality wineries, he continues to produce around 240-320 cases of each of these four selections, but that varies with each year. They are called proprietary red wines, but there is no doubting that these cuvees are dominated by 60-75% Cabernet Sauvignon and have increasingly high percentages of Cabernet Franc, especially Madrona Ranch and Thorevilos which no doubt accounts for their incredible perfumes and complex aromatics. These wines are all aged 24 or more months in 100% new French oak. Abreu, who first established his reputation as Napa Valley’s premier viticulturist, and who has a list of clients that reads like the guest list at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on New Year’s Eve, is impressive. While he clearly suffers no fools, his formula is intense work in the vineyard, radical viticulture techniques such as shoot positioning, crop-thinning, and a belief that the vine is never happier than when its in the shadow of its owner. His efforts and obsessive-compulsive work in the vineyards can’t be underestimated when it comes to seeing the results of what is produced in the bottle. These are spectacular wines year after year. Even in a challenging vintage such as 2011, Abreu’s viticultural work has paid off, even from the valley floor vineyards of Cappella and Madrona Ranch. Looking at the four vintages of Abreu’s St. Helena vineyard called Madrona Ranch, which was first planted in 1982, this is another cuvee that is usually composed of 47-50% Cabernet Sauvignon and an extremely high percentage of Cabernet Franc, now averaging between 33-45% in most vintages with smaller quantities of Petit Verdot and Merlot added in. The Howell Mountain project of David Abreu tends to be a blend of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and 15-18% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot. Coming from a higher elevation, mountainside vineyard, it is a completely different wine than the Madrona Ranch or Cappella. It also emerges from a bigger vineyard, although I suspect Abreu still sells some of its fruit to some of Napa’s better wineries. All of these wines are amazing efforts, but for me, there is something about the Thorevilos Vineyard that boggles my mind. Co-owned with Ric Foreman, this is a steep hillside site above and behind the famous luxury resort of Meadowood. This cuvee is normally a blend of 45%-61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28%-40% or more Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot.

Robert Parker | 97 RP

Type of Wine	California Red : Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	California : With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine.

Producer	Abreu : “Early on, it was all about the vineyards,” asserts David Abreu. As a third generation California rancher, Abreu’s playground growing up was the Napa Valley. This is also where he learned the skill and art of wine growing. He developed an understanding of what makes one vineyard produce great wines, while another’s is just good. His expertise was then honed over a long career managing vineyards for some of the most iconic properties in Napa, including Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Pahlmeyer, Araujo Estate, and Bryant, to name a few. His involvement in the viticulture aspect of wine growing in the region has been instrumental in improving the quality of wines, raising the bar to another level. It wasn’t until 1986 when Abreu experimented with his own property of Madrona Ranch, on the eastern edge of the Mayacamas Mountains in St. Helena. He had heard that the first vintage could either make or break a winemaker; however, this did not deter his efforts. The 1986 vintage in fact did not yield a successful product, to which he decided not to sell. He remained committed and in 1987 reaped the reward as it would become his first successful vintage and worthy of being sold. In the beginning, he would leave bottles at restaurants, encouraging them to drink them with staff and if they liked what they tasted to give him a call. Many questioned his approach and what little success he might expect. However, his understanding of the vineyards, the soil and the fruit allowed him to prosper and began carving his own path. As the years progressed, so did the quality of the land and ultimately his wines. By word of mouth from winemakers and tasters in the Napa area, Abreu Vineyards began to gain traction. After a successful 1994 vintage Abreu was awarded instant popularity with wine lovers when famed wine taster, Robert Parker honored his Madrona Ranch with enthusiastic praise. Today, Abreu operates four spectacular up-valley vineyards, with each yielding the respective fruit for each label designation. The vineyards of Madrona Ranch and Cappella reside in St. Helena on the valley floor which are relatively close to each other, with less than a mile between them. Las Posadas Howell Mountain is nestled on a hillside of Howell Mountain and Thorevilos (now called Ecotone Vineyard) just below it. David Abreu was the vineyard architect, vineyard manager and oversaw the planting of vines for all four sites. The 70 acres of prime real estate are planted with Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and a small amount of Petit Verdot. Each single vineyard bottling has its own unique blend of varietal and soil structure which helps define the strong individual characteristics of each. In 2015 a fifth wine, Rothwell Hyde Napa Valley Red Wine, came to fruition which is an intimate reflection of the four vineyards. It encompasses the rich terroir, grape varietals, and characteristics of each vineyard. The wine making process is led by chief winemaker, Brad Grimes, who implements early morning grape harvesting while the temperature is cooler. The fruit is diligently sorted twice prior to fermentation. The different grape varieties are then fermented together, which is a rare practice in the wine world. The wines age in 100% new French oak barrels for two years and then another two in bottle prior to release. Annual production for Abreu is rather limited with only about 500 cases produced. Though primarily allocated to a dedicated list of members, the wines have found their way to the secondary market where enthusiasts and collectors greedily seize any available bottles. From the valley floor of St. Helena to the lofty Howell Mountains where the vines hang high above the fog line, the wines produced here are a true testament to the micro climate, terroir and the determined efforts of a master vineyard manager with a vision for cultivating tremendous wines from spectacular vineyards. David Abreu has planted his way to greatness and has stamped his name on the Napa Valley wine list of highly sought after, iconic estates