2017 Roberta's Reserve

It's always a pleasure to stop by Kapcsándy. Lou and Louis Kapcsándy's singular focus on quality is evident in every decision. The fifteen-acre estate vineyard is divided into fifteen blocks. Any blocks that don't perform as expected or have issues are immediately replanted. The 2017s have come together since I tasted them from barrel. In 2017, the Rapszodia is 100% Cabernet Franc while the Grand Vin is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. There is a purity to the wines that I find alluring. The 2018s are embryonic, but they have been deeply impressive on the two occasions I have tasted them so far.

This is a brilliant set of wines from Lou and Louis Kapcsándy. The 2016s are as remarkable as I had hoped they would be. Even so, the 2017s, from a far more challenging harvest, might be even more impressive for the daunting circumstances under which they were made. The only issue with these wines is their tiny production, which means very few people ever get to taste them. That point was made very clear to me recently at a tasting in London, where I served the 2010 Grand Vin, one of my all-time favorites here, to a group of very experienced collectors, none of whom had ever tasted a Kapcsándy wine. I was not at all surprised by their reaction, as 2010 reaffirmed its place as one of the most monumental wines of that great harvest.