2011 Kapcsàndy Endre State Lane Vineyard

A super-impressive wine for the year, the 2011 Endre is drop-dead gorgeous. Freshly cut flowers, mint, sweet tobacco, cherries and dried plums all meld together in a silky, polished wine long on class and finesse. The 2011 is 53% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. There are just 200 cases, and I am told pricing will remain in line with previous vintages, making the 2011 Endre a fabulous value within the context of first-class Napa Valley wines.

The less expensive 2011 Endre is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with some Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc included in the blend. Slightly herbaceous with a berry-scented nose displaying hints of roasted herbs and earth, its crisp acidity and berry fruit are attractive, but this small production (200 cases) wine will need to be drunk in its first decade of life. It is hard to believe the Kapcsandy family, of Hungarian descent, purchased this property previously known as State Lane Vineyard in Yountville (15.5 acres alongside the Yountville cross roads) in May, 2000. They have been on a winning track ever since the first releases. The harvest dates at Kapcsandy will give readers a specific indication of how cool 2009, 2010 and 2011 were. That began to change with 2012 and continues with an earlier, riper harvest in 2013 as well. In 2009, Kapcsandy harvested their small vineyard in Yountville between the beginning of October and October 29. In 2010, the harvest for the most serious wines began on October 19 and ended November 4. In 2011 it was even more significant, with the harvest starting in early October, but not finishing for some cuvees until October 27. In 2012, the harvest began in September, which is more normal, but unfurled over a full month, finishing October 25. Kapcsandy’s 2010s, like many of the Bordeaux varietals in Napa Valley, are exceptionally successful. This was my first look at these 2010s (almost all of them from bottle) and it has turned out to be a sensational vintage of deep, rich, full-bodied wines that are very expressive and focused with plenty of aging potential. It is a less glamourous and exuberant vintage compared to 2007 or 2002, but may evolve along the wines of the great 2001s which were more closed, firm and restrained. Nevertheless, it’s a vintage to jump on as most of the wines are just hitting the market in 2013 and early 2014. A more mixed vintage, the quality in 2011 is much more irregular than one normally sees in Napa Valley. Kapcsandy’s wines turned out well, although overall the ratings are the lowest I have given their wines since they started producing estate wines. Lou Kapcsandy and his son Louis said they did a Draconian selection process that began in the vineyard with radical leaf pulling and a selection of only the ripest bunches because the vintage was so challenging. Kapcsandy’s 2012s appear to be the finest wines they have made since the 2007s. Readers should keep an eye out for Kapcsandy’s two Rose cuvees, which are made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Tel. (707) 948-3100

(there will be just 200 cases of this wine in 2011, vs. 2,400 in 2010, as most of Endre will now go into the Estate Cuvee, which will become a Bordeaux blend, rather than 100% cabernet sauvignon; this is from young regrafted vines and press wine): Good red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of black raspberry, violet, lilac and game. Sweet and lush but with modest depth to its flavors of dark berries, graphite, leather and tobacco. The tannins kick in early, giving the finish a slightly dusty quality.