2016 Abreu Vineyards, Thorevilos, Napa Valley, California, USA
Critics reviews
The 2016 Thorevilos has developed into a very sexy, racy wine. I don't remember a young Thorevilos being this approachable. Rose petals, mint, sage, dried flowers and mint are some of the many notes that open up with a bit of time in the glass. This is such a gorgeous and totally compelling wine, in a word: superb.
It's always fascinating to sit down with Brad Grimes at Abreu and taste through the entire range because of the diversity of sites in the portfolio and the ability to taste three vintages of each wine, something that is rare in Napa Valley. I've said this before, but I really get the sense that the wines are moving more and more towards finesse while retaining all of the natural richness that is the essence of what Napa Valley is about. As always, Brad Grimes is one of Napa Valley's most intuitive winemakers. His interaction with a vintage is like what you might see with a jazz musician, which is to say supremely flexible and responsive.
The wines are magnificent, especially the 2017s, which are among the unqualified successes of the year. Readers should note that the 2018 is the last Thorevilos, as David Abreu's lease on that property expired. While it is always a bit sad to see a piece of history come to an end, change can also be invigorating. I have no doubt that will be the case here.
Drink 2022 - 2041
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2020)
This vineyard lies east of the St Helena AVA, but it isn't high enough in elevation to be considered part of the Howell Mountain AVA. Don't let the Napa Valley AVA fool you—this vineyard, now rechristened as Ecotone, is a top site, with lots of rock and white soils derived from volcanic ash. The 2016 Thorevilos Proprietary Red features scents of pine needles and rosemary accenting mixed berries and cassis, plus darker notions of chocolate and French roast. Full-bodied, rich and velvety in texture, it finishes long, smooth and savoury, adding notes of black olives and earth.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (September 2022)
Phenomenal aromas of blackberries, fresh lavender, orange peel and hints of asphalt. Walnut shell, too. Full-bodied, firm and super structured with wonderful, chewy tannins and purity of fruit at the end. A joy to taste, even drink now, but needs time to come around.
Try after 2023
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (May 2019)
Another perfect wine is the 2016 Thorevilos, and my notes on this beauty were laced with expletives. Full-bodied, mammoth-sized aromas and flavours 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.
Drink 2024 - 2054
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (January 2020)
About this WINE
Abreu Vineyards
David Abreu was born into a family of ranchers in the Napa Valley district of California, and spent most of his youth working in the first ever Napa vineyards.
In the 1980s David purchased Madrona Ranch, which he developed into vineyards and farmland. This is where it all started, and was the first property David ever purchased. With Madrona being a hugely diverse plot of land, many grape blending options were available to David, each with their own complexity of flavours.
A little later, he purchased the Cappella vineyards, one of the oldest in St. Helena. Because of the diseased rootstock that lay there, it took David six years before he managed to grow the new vines into a healthy condition. He had tasted the Cappella fruit in the 70s, and new it would be worth the hard work.
Thorevilos was one of the places David spent a lot of his childhood. Situated between St. Helena and Howell Mountain, the soil there is perfect for grape growing. So David cultivated the land.
In 2000, David purchased Howell Mountain which sits at about 2000 feet elevation, and is surrounded by a protected pine tree forest. Before vine planting, David removed, stacked and preserved a large quantity of redwood stakes, for use in a later life. All the Abreu Vineyards are made up of Cabernet blends.
St. Helena
St. Helena is situated in the heart of Napa Valley, in California, approximately midway between the towns of Napa and Calistoga. It is known for its picturesque vineyards and is a central hub within the Napa Valley wine-growing region.
Like much of Napa Valley, St. Helena experiences a Mediterranean climate characterised by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The climate is well-suited for grape cultivation, particularly for Cabernet Sauvignon, the region's flagship varietal.
The soils are diverse, ranging from gravelly and alluvial soils to volcanic and sedimentary deposits. These varied soil types contribute to the complexity and unique characteristics of wines produced in the region.
St. Helena is known for producing high-quality wines, emphasising Cabernet Sauvignon. Other varietals, such as Merlot, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay, are also cultivated in the area. The region is home to several renowned wineries and vineyards that have significantly shaped the reputation of Napa Valley wines. Some notable wineries include Beringer Vineyards, and Heitz Wine Cellars.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, although it performs particularly well on well-drained, low-fertile soils. It has small, dusty, black-blue berries with thick skins that produce deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with notable tannins. Its spiritual home is the Médoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux where it thrives on the well-drained gravel-rich soils producing tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedarwood and cigar box nuances when fully mature.
The grape is widely planted in California where Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are distinguished by their rich mixture of cassis, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla oak. It is planted across Australia and with particular success in Coonawarra where it is suited to the famed Terra Rossa soil. In Italy barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component in Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, either on its own or as part of a blend with Sangiovese.
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Description
This vineyard lies east of the St Helena AVA, but it isn't high enough in elevation to be considered part of the Howell Mountain AVA. Don't let the Napa Valley AVA fool you—this vineyard, now rechristened as Ecotone, is a top site, with lots of rock and white soils derived from volcanic ash. The 2016 Thorevilos Proprietary Red features scents of pine needles and rosemary accenting mixed berries and cassis, plus darker notions of chocolate and French roast. Full-bodied, rich and velvety in texture, it finishes long, smooth and savoury, adding notes of black olives and earth.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (September 2022)
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