2013 Abreu Cappella
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Tasting notes
The Cappella, which usually has at least 35-30% Cabernet Franc in it, looks absolutely fabulous now that the 2013 Cappella is finally in bottle. They only made about 206 cases of it, so it’s a small cuvée from this vineyard on the back streets of St. Helena. It displays sweet espresso notes, loads of white chocolate, blackberry, Asian spice and incense. It is full-bodied and opulent, with the tannins surprisingly silky and well-disguised, which is somewhat unusual in this vintage of extraordinary power and density. This is a 35- to 50-year wine.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
A deeply intriguing wine, the 2013 Cappella is a dark, sensual beauty. Silky and surprisingly approachable for the vintage, the Cappella is the most accessible and open-knit of the Abreu 2013s. There is no shortage of tannin, but all the elements are impeccably balanced throughout. In a year that produced huge, tannic wines, the Cappella is about finesse. Inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender and mint blossom gracefully in the glass. The Cappella will require the least amount of time in bottle of the 2013s, but there is no shortage of stuffing, that much is obvious.
A deep, inky wine, the 2013 Cappella presents an exotic, beguiling mélange of lavender, smoke, violets, mint and spices. Darker and less immediate than the 2012 tasted alongside it, the 2013 is crystalline in its purity and sense of translucency. This is one of the most finessed, understated wines I have tasted from Abreu. All the elements are in the right place. The 2013 Cappella is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot.