My Account   |  Check Out

Stephen Tanzer

May/Jun 07
By Stephen Tanzer

The Kapcsandy family purchased the old State Lane Vineyard on the Yountville Crossroad in 2000 (this fruit had been sold to Beringer for many years) and replanted the vines the following year with the assistance of Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer. Lou Senior credits Wetlaufer with convincing him to plant the rows along a magnetic north/south axis, which in recent hot years has prevented the fruit from being burned on the west side of the vines. Turley made the 2003 and 2004 vintages, with Denis Malbec and Rob Lawson taking over in 2005. The vines are planted at a dense 1 by 1.5 meters and yields are kept low for valley-floor fruit (2.9 tons per acre in 2004 and just 2.7 in 2005). The soil here is mostly gravel over clay, and the site features pronounced diurnal temperature variation, thanks in part to cooling breezes from San Pablo Bay to the south. Even in the hottest years, notes Kapcsandy, the berries plump up at night, and the wines typically show aromatic red fruit character with violet, lavender and mineral components-"like Graves with some cabernet from the Right Bank. They're not alcoholic fruit bombs." Even the 2004 is a moderate-for-the-vintage 14.5%. In 2003 and 2004 there was just a single estate wine; with the 2005 vintage, the first crop vinified at the new facility on the property, there will also be a second label and a merlot/cabernet franc blend-about 2,000 cases among the three cuvees.

2003 Kapcsandy Family Winery Red Table Wine State Lane Vineyard Napa Valley     89
($90) Good deep red. Black plum, tar, licorice and lavender on the nose. Medium-bodied wine, with a slight tart edge to the plum and licorice flavors. A tad dry on the back.

2004 Kapcsandy Family Winery Red Table Wine State Lane Vineyard Napa Valley Locate the Wine     91
($105; a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot) Bright, deep ruby. Pungent aromas of blackberry, black licorice, tar, bitter chocolate and lead pencil. Sweeter than the 2003 but also quite juicy; this possesses a strong spine of acidity but the acids are more successfully integrated than in the 2003 thanks to more supporting flesh. Silky in the middle but the tannins are a bit tough. The merlot was affected by the heat spike in early September, noted Lou Kapcsandy.

2005 Kapcsandy Family Winery Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineayard Napa Valley     88-90
($85; the second wine, a blend of 56% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot and 4% cab franc) Full medium ruby. Aromas of cassis, violet, loam and bitter chocolate, plus a suggestion of sour cherry. Suave and penetrating, on the lean side but with a supple texture in spite of the rather strong impression of acidity. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent, with good energy.

2005 Kapcsandy Family Winery Roberta's Reserve State Lane Vineyard Napa Valley     90-92
($125; a 91/9 blend of merlot and cabernet franc) Deep, bright ruby. Cool, vibrant aromas of blackberry, black plum, mint, graphite and bitter chocolate. Sweet, pure and stylish, with impressive intensity of berry flavors lifted by a floral element. Offers a velvety texture framed by firm acidity. Finishes with sweet, building tannins and excellent length. Very distinctive merlot. Kapcsandy noted that he used new barrels from six coopers for his '05s, with a low level of toast, compared to 100% Taransaud in 2004.

2005 Kapcsandy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon State Lane Vineyard Napa Valley     92-94
($140; a blend of 80% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 6% cabernet franc) Highly perfumed aromas of currant, blackberry, tobacco, violet and wild lavender. Sweet and silky but penetrating, with good density leavened by superb acidity. Ultimately lusher and a bit more chocolatey than the Roberta's but still not a particularly fleshy style. Here the juicy finish features suaver tannins and subtle persistence. Promises to be the best vintage yet for this new producer, where improvement has been rapid in just three years.

 

Read the full report at http://www.wineaccess.com/tanzer.