Wine Advisor
Abreu, Cappella 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Cappella is generous, open-knit and fleshy, as wines from this St. Helena site tend to be. In 2017, the Cappella is maybe just a bit less rich than it can be, but that is a positive, as it will drink well with just a few years in bottle. Silky tannins wrap around a core of intense dark fruit, chocolate, leather and spice notes. The Cappella has an exotic quality that is immensely appealing.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Cappella is a heady, exotic and boisterous wine that shows the exuberance of a year that had severe heat spikes at the end of the season. Bright red cherry, red plum, mint, spice and blood orange infuse the 2017 with tons of character. The tannins need time to integrate - that is typical of the year - but there is more than enough fruit density for that to happen.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Abreu's 2017 Cappella is super-polished and silky, with attractive bright red fruit and floral character. Compared with most Abreu wines, the 2017 Cappella is a bit compact and undeveloped, especially on the mid-palate, where the wine feels a touch narrow at this stage. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how the 2017 Cappella develops over time.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Abreu's 2017 Cappella is super-polished and silky, with attractive bright red fruit and floral character. Compared with most Abreu wines, the 2017 Cappella is a bit compact and undeveloped, especially on the mid-palate, where the wine feels a touch narrow at this stage. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how the 2017 Cappella develops over time.
About the Producer
Abreu's label concentrates exclusively on estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon blends. Distribution is limited and sold primarily to members on their direct mailing list. A number of online retailers offer Abreu Vineyards wine, from unknown sources, with prices ranging from $400 to $800 or more per 750ml. In 1998 wine critic Robert Parker included Abreu in his list of the "most influential wine personalities of the last 20 years".Parker awarded the 1997 Madrona Ranch cabernet a 100-point score, one of only 140 wines in the world to receive the honour. As of the 2013 vintage, Abreu Vineyards holds nine 100-point scores from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. In the "Judgment of Sauternes" of October 2006, the 1995 vintage Cabernet blend was judged the winner among Cabernet-Merlot blends from Bordeaux and California, 16 each, in a blind tasting arranged by the Grand Jury Européen. The 1999 production was 500 cases (45.000 hL; 1,188.774 U.S. gal). In the late 1990s, Abreu and Forman jointly leased and planted the 20-acre (8.1 ha) Thorevilos Vineyard. They released Abreu's first cabernet from that vineyard in 2000.
