Wine Advisor
Abreu, Las Posadas 2011
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2011 Howell Mountain is nearly as thrilling from bottle as it was from barrel. Blackberry jam, grilled herbs, mocha, espresso, violets and savory herbs are laced together in an exotic tapestry of aromas, flavors and textures. Intense, wild and powerful throughout, the Howell Mountain shows just how strong 2011 was in a handful of very select spots where farming was diligent. What a fabulous wine this is.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Another utterly dazzling wine, the 2011 Howell Mountain shows just how fabulous this vintage was in certain spots. Savory herbs, graphite, minerals, crushed rocks and masses of dark fruit saturate the palate in a stunning display of pure class. Waves of blue, purple and black fruit contine to develop as the wine opens up. This is another magical, spellbinding wine from David Abreu and Brad Grimes. I look forward to tasting the 2010 and 2011 together for years to come. In 2011, the blend is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Malbec.
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.
