Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Kapcsandy Family Winery
By Stephen Tanzer
MAY/JUN 09
It was only a few short years ago that I tasted the Kapcsandy family's first release (2003) with Lou Jr. late one evening in the Georgian Room at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. That wine showed promise, but the 2006s and 2007s I tasted at the winery in March have fully capitalized on the quality of the old State Lane Vineyard on the Yountville Crossroad, where cool afternoon breezes off San Pablo Bay to the south lengthen the growing season, often well into October. Today's wines show more successful integration of oak than the earlier vintages, as well as more regular fruit ripeness. According to Lou Sr., 2007 brought a lower crop level, but the wines are "higher in everything." The merlot yields were cut back by shatter and loose, light clusters, and a good bit of shriveled fruit had to be tossed out at the harvest, which took place soon after the Labor Day heat spike. Denis Malbec, who served as cellarmaster at Chateau Latour during the second half of the '90s, and Rob Lawson have been responsible for making these wines since 2005. As these vines are now only nine years old, the future for this property appears bright.

2006 Kapcsandy Family Winery Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineyard Yountville
($135; 48% each cabernet sauvignon and merlot, plus 4% cab franc) Good full, deep ruby. Lovely floral lift to the aromas and flavors of cassis, licorice and violet. Supple and light on its feet-and likely to fill in with more time in bottle. This represents a barrel selection intended to make an earlier-drinking wine. Carrying a moderate 13.5% alcohol. 91

2006 Kapcsandy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon State Lane Vineyard Yountville
($185; 13.7% alcohol; blended with 8% merlot and 1% cab franc) Good full, deep ruby. Deep, brooding aromas of dark fruits, licorice, violet, bitter chocolate and minerals. At once denser and tighter than the Estate Cuvee, showing a rather muscular, claret-like minerality today but also a stronger fruit component. Finishes with terrific spine for aging. Lay this one down. With the 2007 vintage, the label will say Grand Vin. Incidentally, the winery maximized the quality of its 2006s by selling off more than 500 cases' worth of wine through a private label. 93(+?)

2006 Kapcsandy Family Winery Roberta's Reserve State Lane Vineyard Yountville
($195; 14.1% alcohol; a selection of the most structured lots of merlot) Bright medium ruby. Captivating, slightly exotic aromas of blackberry, lavender, dark chocolate and road tar. Sweet, broad and lush, with a pronounced bitter chocolate character sexed up by flowers and fresh herbs. Compared to the estate's flagship cabernet, this one finishes with softer, finer-grained tannin and more early appeal. 93

2007 Kapcsandy Family Winery Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineyard Yountville
(14.1% alcohol; 46% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot) Bright, deep ruby. High-pitched aromas of crushed blackberry and cassis, licorice, bitter chocolate and violet. Dense, sappy and lush, showing a chocolatey ripeness but also a light touch. A bit more concentrated than the 2006, and longer on the aftertaste, with finer-grained tannins. 91-93

2007 Kapcsandy Family Winery Roberta's Reserve State Lane Vineyard Yountville
(14.6% alcohol; includes 8% cabernet franc) Bright full ruby. Captivating nose offers crushed black fruits, violet and vibrant minerality. Intensely flavored but quite suave, with terrific spicy cut to the black fruit and bitter chocolate flavors. This is merlot with real eclat-rare for Napa Valley. Has the sheer thickness of material to support its big but ripe tannins. Finishes with palate-staining length. An exceptional merlot in the making. 93-96

2007 Kapcsandy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon State Lane Vineyard Yountville
(includes 1% petit verdot for the first time) Bright, deep ruby. Brooding nose shows a distinct medicinal reserve to the aromas of cassis, minerals, licorice and espresso. Dense and primary but seamless from the start, with explosive, palate-saturating flavors of darkest berries, lead pencil, minerals and spices. Powerful but at the same time wonderfully lush. The finish features toothcoating tannins and compelling persistence. Promises to be the most complete wine yet from this estate. (I also tasted an intriguing, very floral 2007 port, made from dehydrated merlot grapes, but I'll wait until this very high-toned and slightly raisiny wine is bottled to publish a note.) 94-97