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1996 Abreu Madrona Ranch Vineyard Proprietary Red - 750ml
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1996 Abreu Madrona Ranch Vineyard Proprietary Red - 750ml

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1996 Abreu Madrona Ranch Vineyard Proprietary Red - 98 pts!
Is anyone anywhere in the world making more consistently profound wines than the famous viticulturalist David Abreu and his long-time sidekick and assistant, former chef Brad Grimes? Working from relatively small sites, two of them adjacent to the back streets of St. Helena (the six-acre Cappella Vineyard alongside a cemetery and the home estate of Madrona Ranch at the base of Spring Mountain) to the co-owned vineyard with Ric Forman, the magnificent Thorevilos Vineyard behind the Meadowood Resort.
There is also his own 2,000-foot elevation site on Howell Mountain. These wines are all proprietary reds, probably containing at least 60-65% Cabernet Sauvignon, the rest largely Cabernet Franc with a little Petit Verdot and occasionally tiny amounts of Merlot. They spend a full two years in 100% new French oak and are bottled without any fining or filtration. They are exquisite examples of Bordeaux blends that are true first growths in every sense. So how do I go about describing these wines, which are so exciting and satisfying on both hedonistic and intellectual levels?

 

     
Varietal Proprietary Blend
Vintage 1996
Rating 98 RP
Bottle Size 750 ml
Bottle Quantity 1
Country USA
Region California
Location North Coast
Producer Abreu Vineyards
Color Red
Wine Type Table
Rating 98 RP - The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch reveals a blueberry/blackberry creme de cassis character with smoky oak new saddle leather licorice dried herbs and mineral scents. Expansive with terrific intensity purity and overall symmetry it has noticeable tannin in the finish. I know it's like splitting hairs but the 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch may be a touch better than the 1995. The alcohol level 14.2% is higher and the pH ranks alongside that attained by the great Bordeaux vintages i.e. 3.8 and above in years such as 1982 and 1990. Perhaps that is why a taster's palate can get lost in the wine's mid-palate and length. The color is opaque black/purple. The wine possesses a nose of creme de cassis and blackberry/blueberry liqueur. The oak has been soaked up completely by the wine's extraction and richness. The finish lasts for 40+ seconds. This is an extremely multi-dimensional profoundly concentrated awesome Cabernet Sauvignon that should deliver untold levels of pleasure complexity and most importantly joy for at least 25-30 years. These are riveting wines produced by a former Wine Advocate Hero of the Year. RP
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Varietal Proprietary Blend
Vintage 1996
Rating 99 RP
Barrels
 French Oak 
Style
 Bordeaux Blend
Owners
 David Abreu
Region California
Location North Coast
Producer Abreu Vineyards
Winemaker
 Brad Grimes
Production
 under 500 cases (approx)
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