Abreu Vineyards Thorevilos Proprietary Red 2019.

Thorevilos was one of David's favorite haunts as a child. There were no vines then. Just pine trees, redwoods, an old olive grove. And a rusted hog wire hanging from a tree—“Hook Man” in Abreu family lore. These days it's the dirt that engrosses him. White tufa that turns to fine powder when you grind it beneath your foot. Tannish soil peppered with orange-brown pebbles. Streaks of dry, red earth. Sitting 800 feet above the valley floor, wedged between the St. Helena and Howell Mountain AVAs, Thorevilos doesn't belong to any sub-appellation. “It's an outlier,” David says. When the AVA boundaries were being determined, he could have argued to have it included. “But it wouldn't have made any difference to the vineyard. Or the wine.”

IAnother wine from this estate that’s going to flirt with perfection at maturity is the 2019 Thorevilos, which comes from a new vineyard located just outside of St. Helena, not far from the original site, which was renamed to Ecotone. This awesome 2019 reveals a deep purple hue as well as a smorgasbord-like array of ripe currants, crème de cassis, violets, flowery incense, and tobacco leaf. The palate is pure gold as well and is full-bodied, with a layered, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and just everything in the right place. Already complex and nuanced, this remarkably complete, heavenly 2019 will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and keep 20, 30, possibly 40 years. What an incredible example of Napa Valley and hats off to Brad Grimes. A new site but the same incredible quality - Jeb Dunnuck February 2023.