ABREU Cappella 2012

ABREU Cappella 2012

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate

The 2012 Cappella, probably has less Cabernet Franc than his other cuvées but at least 25-30%. This wine has closed down since I had it from barrel last year, but that probably reflects more on its post-bottling dormancy. A wine of great character and class, with notes of charcoal, incense, blackberry, chocolate, and blackcurrants, this 2012 is super-full-bodied, beautifully pure, structured, powerful and long. Unlike many 2012s, it needs a few more years of bottle age and should evolve gracefully for 30-40 years. As I wrote last year, the work that the famous viticulturist and wine producer David Abreu does, along with his assistant Brad Grimes, is at the top of the qualitative hierarchy in California, if not the entire world. His four vineyards produce ravishing wines of great richness, complexity and aging potential. Even in vintages where others might stumble, such as 2011, somehow Abreu’s magic in the vineyard translates into wines of fabulous intensity and compelling quality in the bottle. Obviously, great vintages such as 2010, 2012 and 2013 offer potentially profound drinking experiences. None of this comes cheap, nor are these wines easy to access as virtually everything is sold via a mailing list and to a handful of the nation’s finest restaurants. In any event, tasting with Abreu and Grimes was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Napa. Abreu’s total acreage is around 70 acres, with Abreu selling some of the fruit to other high-quality wineries (i.e., Colgin). The result is that only 250-300 cases of each of the four separate vineyard-designated wines are produced in each vintage. The wines are not labeled as Cabernet Sauvignons, but a general rule is that about three-fourths of their blends tend to be Cabernet Sauvignon, with increasing percentages of Cabernet Franc included. We may see the Cabernet Franc component hitting more than 25% in some of the wines in future vintages as the winemaking staff here is a great believer in the potential complexity and aromatic and flavor dimensions provided by Cabernet Franc. The wines are aged at least 24 months in 100% new French oak, but that component is rarely noticeable because the wines are so concentrated and extravagantly rich. - Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.