Abreu Vineyards Las Posadas Proprietary Red 2016.

When David purchased this Howell Mountain property in 2000 it came with an unexpected perk: first growth redwood stakes dating back over a century. Relics of an earlier era of agriculture. “When the college owned this site they'd burn all the underbrush, including the stakes, to keep it clean. When I came in we found them and set them all aside,” he says. At about 2000 feet elevation, Las Posadas sits above the fog line, surrounded by a protected forest of fir and pine. Red Aiken soils are layered over white tufa, and the rocks that littered the site before it was planted now form walls defining the property. The redwood stakes—collected, stacked, preserved—await their next life.

The 2016 Las Posadas comes from a higher elevation site on Howell Mountain and has an undeniable mountain fruit structure as well as intensity. Stunning notes of pure crème de cassis, hot asphalt, bay leaf, black olives, and a touch of beef blood all emerge from this big, rich, full-bodied powerhouse. It’s loaded with potential, has huge tannins, a mountain of fruit, and a great, great finish. It’s almost impenetrable, though, and needs a solid 7-8 years or more of cellaring - Jeb Dunnuck January 2020.