2013 Madrona Ranch

Brad Grimes has turned out another set of absolutely brilliant wines at Abreu. The 2013s, which were bottled about a year ago, are not quite as expressive as they were from barrel. Over the years, I have learned that the best time to get a good look at the wines is just prior to bottling (which in this case means the 2014 vintage) during the second year of aging, or after at least a few years in bottle. Nevertheless, the 2013s are impressive, even at this stage. The 2014s continue to grow in barrel. Even so, this is a less immediate vintage than some of the surrounding years, which means the wines will almost certainly require a number of years in bottle to be at their best. Abreu's 2015s are shaping up to be magnificent. I remember seeing the fruit right off the sorting line last year and noting far fewer issues with sunburn and shriveled grapes than was the case at most estates I visited during harvest. Brad Grimes remains arguably the most intuitive winemaker in Napa Valley. In that sense, he reminds me of the most talented musicians I went to college with, musicians who had a natural and easy command of topics most people struggled with. Although Grimes has plenty of help in the vineyards and at the sorting table, in the cellar it is a one man show. These are some of the most artisanal, hand-made Napa Valley wines readers will come across. More importantly, they are every bit as magnificent as these notes suggest.

The haunting sound of Miles Davis's trumpet rises into the cloudless sky as I open the heavy door. Cool, dark and spartan, David Abreu's winery has a temple-like silence to it, except for the music. I spot winemaker Brad Grimes high up on the catwalk closing up a tank, doubtless very short on sleep, as all winemakers are at this time of year. And then come the wines; four single vineyards, three wines and many, many highlights. David Abreu's wines have long delivered intensity and power, but in recent years they have also become incredibly finessed. The 2012s are racy and voluptuous to the core. Except for the Thorevilos, the 2012s will drink well with much less time in the cellar than is typically required. The 2013s and 2014s, on the other hand, will require more patience, but they won't even be offered for another few years, so there is no rush. As always, Abreu draws fruit off four distinct ranches and most of the lots are co-fermentations based on the simultaneous picking of grapes according to ripeness rather than strictly by variety.

David Abreu's wines remain some of the most compelling expressions of Napa Valley terroir readers will come across. Meticulous viticulture is at the heart of everything that happens at Abreu. One visit through any of Abreu's four vineyards is enough to see and understand that. But in the winery, things are much more stripped down. Winemaker Brad Grimes is driven more by intuition than anything else, and it is that spirit which gives these wines a human feel that is sometimes lacking in Napa Valley. As always, Grimes vinifies by pick dates, which means almost all of the lots are co-fermentations, an unusual approach, but one that is gaining more traction in the valley. The best parallel I can draw for the Abreu wines comes from the world of music. Grimes has both prodigious natural talent and an indomitable work ethic. When those two forces collide the results can be stratospheric, as is often the case here. The 2011s, 2012s and 2013s are all fabulous. I did note a number of wines, especially some of the 2011s, did not show as well from bottle as they did from barrel, most likely the result of bottle shock, which is not entirely surprising given how long these wines need in bottle to blossom.