Probably one of my favorite vineyards in all of Napa Valley, even though it is not entitled to any particular AVA designation, is the steep hillside vineyard behind the luxury resort of Meadowood in St. Helena called Thorevilos. It is co-owned by David Abreu and Ric Forman. I have now tasted 16 vintages of this wine, and six and possibly seven (the 2015) have merited perfect scores, which is just mind-boggling even to someone who has been doing this for 38+ years. This wine contains a considerable quantity of Cabernet Franc (probably 30% or more, although Abreu and Grimes are never specific) and there may even be a small percentage of Petit Verdot included in the blend. This is always the most floral of the Abreu wines, but it also has what the French call je ne sais quoi, a quality that is hard to pin down. The 2015 Thorevilos is, like its siblings, inky blue/black/purple, with incredible amounts of flamboyant, majestic blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with raspberries, spring flowers, wet rocks, truffles and foresty notes. Incredibly intense on the palate, the blueberry and graphite character seems to come forward along with a suggestion of toast. It is an amazingly viscous, thick and juicy wine, but it cuts a ballerina’s silhouette across the palate, as there is no heaviness or boredom. This is an exhilarating elixir – no doubt about it. Moreover, it is another 50-year wine.

 | Robert Parker