Wine Advocate (97)

Pale ruby-purple, pure raspberry and pomegranate define the 2020 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict, with touches of charcuterie, cracked pepper, mushroom and forest floor emerging as it spends time in the glass. The palate is fragrant and harmonious, offering detailed flavors, chalky tannins, mouthwatering acidity and a very long finish. Lovely!

Discover the sophisticated nuances of the Abbott Claim Chardonnay 2018, produced meticulously by Anthill Farms in hallowed Californian soils. This finesse drink proudly hails from the well-respected Sonoma Coast vineyards, crafting notes of expressive fruits tinged with stone fruits and tropical whispers. The fruit was harvested with precision for optimum ripeness, its character enhanced in French oak barrels for 11 months to reach a spectacular complexity. Including viticulture practices that influence wine's distinct minerality and energy, Abbott Claim Chardonnay 2018 stands as a tribute to its reputable origins.

This meticulously curated Chardonnay unveils a vibrant, sinewy structure laced subtly with weight and depth. It proffers an exciting array of citrus, melon, apple and floral nuances. The finish is strikingly elegant. With immaculate ageing potential, the Abbott Claim Chardonnay 2018 propagates a sensory journey that expertly encapsulates the essence of its terroir. It is truly an unmissable addition for connoisseurs of fine wines and spirits.

Immerse your palate in the exquisite world of the Abbott Claim Due North Pinot Noir 2018. This sublime bottle of burgundy elixir is crafted with precision and audacious passion in the acclaimed Abbott Claim vineyard, located in Oregon's prestigious Yamhill-Carlton district. This vineyard, under the discerning hand of renowned winemaker Ken Wright, is celebrated for its impeccable interpretation of Pinot Noir. The 'Due North' is its crowning glory, offering an elegant bouquet of fragrant aromas.

The 2018 vintage is a testament to the opulence of the grape's brooding amora and earthy undertones of truffle and undergrowth. The wine has been matured 10 months in French oak, imparting a velvety texture and complex finish that lingers on the palate. This limited edition wine, with only 335 cases produced, showcases the unique terroir and meticulous dedication to quality from the vine to the glass. The Abbott Claim Due North Pinot Noir 2018 is indeed a mesmerising sensory journey, deserving of its esteemed pedigree.

From the renowned Willamette Valley in Oregon, USA, the Abbott Claim X Omni Vineyard Chardonnay 2017 exemplifies true craftsmanship. Meticulously produced by the acclaimed winemaker, Tony Rynders, these Chardonnay grapes are cultivated in the vineyard's distinctive volcanic soils, for a remarkable depth of flavour. Grapes are hand-harvested, before undergoing a process of whole-cluster pressing. The employ of both stainless-steel tanks and French oak barrels during its fermentation imbues this exquisite Chardonnay with a delicate balance of minerality and subtle toasty notes.

The Abbott Claim X Omni Vineyard Chardonnay 2017 is characterised by its tantalising aromas of citrus blossom, pear and flinty mineral. Savour a palate of lemon curd, green apple laced with crisp acidity and a long, noteworthy vanilla finish. What truly sets this wine apart, however, is the superb expression of terroir, making it a sterling choice for collectors and enthusiasts alike. it truly redefines the typicity of Oregonian Chardonnay.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

One rocking wine, the 2015 Cappella is a powerful, rich effort that has badass levels of black, black fruits, graphite, licorice, and crushed rocks. From a site on the west side of St. Helena and a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, and 13% Petit Verdot, it has a layered, multi-dimensional, stacked profile and is just loaded with glycerin and opulence. Feel free to drink this thriller any time over the coming 3 decades or more.

James Suckling (99)

Aromas of blackberries, graphite, and lead pencil. Fresh and dried flowers and iron shavings. Full bodied, layered, tight and solid. Beautiful and very poised and thoughtful. Hints of fresh herbs, from lavender to lemon grass. Compressed. Great length and focus. Drink after 2022.

Wine Advocate (99)

The nearly perfect—perhaps it will get there in some subsequent tasting—2018 Cappella Proprietary Red seems more balanced and finely structured than the 2016 or 2017 versions, with hints of cedar and vanilla only serving to accent notes of ripe cherries and dusty earth. It's still full-bodied, rich and velvety, yet it shows incredible focus and length on the finish. Wow.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Coming from a site just outside of St. Helena, the 2019 Cappella is a deep, powerful, yet incredibly elegant Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated release offering lots of red and black fruits, full-bodied richness, incredibly complex notes of leafy herbs, spring flowers, green tobacco, and camphor, ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. Few wines marry this level of richness with such a sense of elegance and purity. As with most 2019s, it already offers pleasure, yet do your best to give bottles 3-5 years. It will have 20-25 years of overall longevity.

Wine Advocate (100)

Abreu is now calling his vineyard on Howell Mountain (a tract of 33 acres with 15 planted) Las Posadas, after the road high on the mountain that seems to be the Fifth Avenue of Howell Mountain vineyard sites. The 2013 Las Posadas Proprietary Red was unreal from barrel, and that extraordinary Midas touch exhibited by Grimes and Abreu has extended to this wine out of bottle, which is a showcase for Howell Mountain and the meticulous viticulture and winemaking of Abreu and Grimes. Inky purple to the rim, with an extraordinary nose of sweet mulberry, intense graphite, scorched earth, smoldering wood charcoal, and massive blackberry and cassis fruit, this intriguing and provocative wine also throws in hints of licorice and black truffle. It is extremely rich, full-bodied, and nearly an out-of-body experience. Look for it to improve in age for 40 to 50 years. I can see consumers opening it circa 2065 to 2075 and saying, “Wow – what a great vintage this must have been!”

Vinous (96)

The 2014 Las Posadas shows the strides this Howell Mountain site continues to make. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, bittersweet chocolate, lavender, juniper berry, mint and licorice abound. The pungent aromas and piercing tannins scream of Howell Mountain. Vivid and intense, the 2014 has so much to offer. Even better, the 2014 is surprisingly accessible for a young Howell Mountain Cabernet-based wine. It should drink with minimal cellaring.

James Suckling (99)

The aromas are perfect with black olives, blueberries, fresh mushrooms, rose petals and mint undertones, all following through to a full-bodied palate. Round yet tightly grained tannins and an incredibly persistent finish. Gorgeous. Drink in 2022.

Vinous (100)

The 2016 Las Posadas is a stunning Howell Mountain wine. Inky, rich and hedonistically beautiful, the 2016 is simply magnificent. Crème de cassis, chocolate, menthol, licorice, lavender, cloves, mint, graphite and crushed rocks are all amped up in the glass. Unctuous, creamy and super-expressive, the Posadas captures the opulence of Howell Mountain. It is simply magnificent in every way.

James Suckling (100)

Wow. Blackberries, lead pencil, dried flowers, black olives and purple fruit. Full body and super polished and refined tannins. Creamy and well defined. So polished. Nutmeg, clove and other dried spices. It goes on for minutes. Superb. Drink after 2024.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2019 Las Posadas is pure gold as well as a perfect wine. Darker plums, tobacco, bay leaf, iron, and graphite all emerge on the nose, and this quintessential Howell Mountain beauty is full-bodied, with incredible concentration and ripe tannins. There's an almost bloody, salty character on the finish. This insanely good red needs to be forgotten for 4-6 years and is going to cruise in cold cellars. As with just about all of Brad's wines, it has a singular character.

Vinous (98+)

Abreu's 2010 Madrona Ranch dazzles with its intensity and extraordinary overall balance. Menthol, new leather, tobacco, cedar and earthy notes are all backed up by serious power. The 2010 is explosive on the palate -as so many 2010s are - yet the tannins are remarkably polished for a young wine with this much structure. A creamy, deeply resonant finish rounds things out in this stunning red from Madrona Ranch. The blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot.

Wine Advocate (100)

The perfect 2012 Madrona Ranch displays notes of roasted coffee, forest floor, incense, Christmas fruitcake, blackcurrants and blackberry fruit in an incredibly fragrant, full-bodied, opulent style. Far more dramatic and open-knit Capella, the 2012 Madrona is super-intense, with incredibly velvety tannins. This is a sublime wine of the highest order, a fabulous example of the vintage, and a tribute to the craftsmanship of David Abreu and Brad Grimes. It should drink well for 30+ years.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2013 Madrona Ranch hits the magic three-digit score. It is literally a 30- to 45-year wine in itself. It behaves like a ripe, complex first growth Pauillac, with blackberry and crème de cassis, a touch of licorice, black truffle, pen ink and graphite. Incredibly fragrant, extremely full-bodied, with abundant tannin but also enormous fruit extract and richness, it is an amazing wine and a profound effort from Abreu and Grimes.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2014 Madrona Ranch Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple in color and sings of crushed blackcurrants, warm plums and black raspberries with menthol, potpourri, chocolate box and licorice nuances—compelling. The palate is full-bodied, firm and grainy with great freshness, finishing very long with mineral notions. This will be extremely long lived!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

A perfect wine in every sense, the 2016 Madrona Ranch comes from a site at the base of Spring Mountain and is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It does everything right, with a magical bouquet of currants, ground herbs, licorice, graphite, spice, and who knows what else. These all carry to a massive 2016 that has a layered, multi-dimensional texture, building tannins, a colossal mid-palate, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s another heavenly wine from a great terroir and a great winemaker! Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 30-40 years or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

A perfect wine in every sense, the 2016 Madrona Ranch comes from a site at the base of Spring Mountain and is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It does everything right, with a magical bouquet of currants, ground herbs, licorice, graphite, spice, and who knows what else. These all carry to a massive 2016 that has a layered, multi-dimensional texture, building tannins, a colossal mid-palate, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s another heavenly wine from a great terroir and a great winemaker! Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 30-40 years or more.

James Suckling (99)

Fabulous aromas of sweet tobacco, flowers, wet earth and blackberries. Black olives, too. Full body and chewy yet polished tannins. Dusty texture. Extremely flavorful. Tight and polished. A sophisticated, intriguing wine. Drink in 2022.

Wine Advocate (100)

Like the other vintages tasted on this occasion (2016 and 2017), the 2018 Madrona Ranch Proprietary Red is massively concentrated. But what sets it apart from those other great wines is its greater degree of integration and flow. From start to nearly infinite finish, the flavors of ripe cassis, dark chocolate and purple raspberries ease across the full-bodied palate in a seamless, velvety swell of lusciousness, without ever seeming heavy or overdone. Of all the amazing wines I tasted at Abreu this year, this one rises above the others.

Vinous (98-100)

The 2019 Madrona Ranch is a stunning, complete wine. There's not much else to say. All the elements are so impeccably balanced. The depth and purity of the fruit is just mesmerizing. Today, the typical savory notes of Madrona ranch are not particularly expressive, while the tannins are similarly buried by the luxurious depth of the fruit. This is another super-promising wine from David Abreu and Brad Grimes.

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the incredibly youthful, slowly evolving 2007 Thorevilos Proprietary Red is scented of mulberries, baked plums, spice cake and crème de cassis with nuances of dusty soil, sandalwood, redcurrant jelly, roast lamb and fried rosemary. The core of full-bodied, muscular fruit is supported by a firm foundation of beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing with a jaw-dropping array of layers and amazing energy.

Vinous (98)

A rush of dark cherry, plum, new leather, cedar, coffee, graphite, lavender and menthol makes a strong opening impression in the 2009 Thorevilos. Powerful, dense and explosive, Thorevilos is the one 2009 in this range I would continue to cellar another few years. It is utterly magnificent today, but still has room to blossom. As always, Thorevilos is distinguished by its structure, depth of expression and overall intensity, all signatures of this evocative vineyard located at the end of Mund Road just outside of St. Helena.

Vinous (100)

The 2013 Thorevilos is a real stunner. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 2013 possesses magnificent structure to match its vivid fruit. Deep and enveloping, the 2013 Thorevilos is an attention-grabbing wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, sage, violet, menthol, graphite, smoke and black cherry gradually flesh out in the glass, but the tannins are going to need much more time than that. Remarkably nuanced for such a big wine, the 2013 is spectacular from the very first taste. The 2013 has always been thrilling. It is all that and more today.

Vinous (100)

The 2013 Thorevilos is a real stunner. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 2013 possesses magnificent structure to match its vivid fruit. Deep and enveloping, the 2013 Thorevilos is an attention-grabbing wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, sage, violet, menthol, graphite, smoke and black cherry gradually flesh out in the glass, but the tannins are going to need much more time than that. Remarkably nuanced for such a big wine, the 2013 is spectacular from the very first taste. The 2013 has always been thrilling. It is all that and more today.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Another perfect wine is the 2016 Thorevilos, and my notes on this beauty were laced with expletives. Full-bodied, mammoth-sized aromas and flavors of cassis, crushed flowers, dark chocolate, rare meat, and Asia spices all emerge from the glass. With incredible mid-palate depth, building tannins, and a seamless texture, it has flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and that rare mix of power and elegance. It’s already hard to resist yet will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-30 years or more.

Vinous (98)

The 2017 Thorevilos is one of those rare wines that conveys both power and elegance. Today, the tannins are a bit imposing, but that's Thorevilos. What impresses most is the wine's delineation and clarity. All the elements are so impeccably balanced. Inky dark fruit, mocha, licorice, spice and leather are some of the many notes that pulse through the 2017. Best of all, the 2017 is not as brooding as some other recent vintages, and it will be ready to deliver pleasure with just a few years in bottle. It is a mind-blowing wine in every way.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

One of the finest Napa Valley wines to pass my lips, the 2018 Thorevilos offers an incredible level of purity, concentration, and balance. Revealing plenty of creme de cassis, white flowers, spicy oak, and tobacco-like aromas and flavors, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a multi-dimensional texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. Coming from a site just outside St. Helena and mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (with a good chunk of Cabernet Franc), this is pure perfection in red wine. Although it can be drunk today, it really needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years, but it's going to cruise for 30, 40, if not 50 years.