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“Roberta’s Reserve may be the finest Merlot-based wine in the New World.” – Robert Parker

If you don’t know Kapcsándy (pronounced: “Cup-chon-dy”), you are missing out.

And this 2013 continues their legacy of excellence – awarded a THREE PERFECT 100 Point Scores by Wine Advocate, Vinous, and James Suckling.

Yup. TRIPLE 100’s!

“This winery certainly burst onto the qualitative scene in Napa in a dramatic way, and in just over ten years of experience have done an absolutely amazing job,” praises Robert Parker

Elswhere, “This is a superb line-up of wines from Lou Kapcsandy, who emigrated from Hungary to set up a construction business in Seattle, which he gave up for his true love - making wines along with his wife, Bobbi, and son, Louis. They were fortunate to be able to purchase Beringer’s State Lane Vineyard in Yountville, and have it completely replanted by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer. They then brought in Bordelais Denis Malbec to help produce the wines, which have gone from strength to strength.”

Sparing no expense, no detail too small. They even hired NASA to assist Helen Turley with satellite analysis of their vineyard to ensure optimal sun exposure.

Their winemaker until his tragic death in 2016, as Parker mentioned, was the incomparable Denis Malbec. A native of Pauillac, he grew up at the legendary Bordeaux estate, Château Latour, where his father and grandfather both worked. And after completing his degree, at the tender age of 24, he served as Latour’s winemaker until 2000.

Parker, again, “They seem to combine the best of French savoir faire (thanks to Denis Malbec and the proprietor’s love of French wine) with the extraordinary ripe, pure fruit grown in well-tended Napa Valley vineyards.”

Our opening quote? James Suckling calls, and raises, “The greatest American merlot ever made. Ranks among the best in the world.”

We begged for months to secure this microscopic allocation for today’s marathon. Don’t miss out!

100 Points – Wine Advocate “This winery certainly burst onto the qualitative scene in Napa in a dramatic way, and in just over ten years of experience have done an absolutely amazing job with what was once the Beringer-owned State Lane Vineyard in Yountville. In 2012 they produced five cuvées of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietal-based wines, and that will probably drop to four as they were entertaining the idea of dropping the Endre from the portfolio (and I didn’t taste that in either 2013 or 2014). They also make a rosé and a late-harvest Vino Del Sol, which is slightly fortified with grape brandy. They have also played around with the Hungarian indigenous varietal Tokaji Furmint, which in 2014 was blended with some Tokaji Muscat. Once again, Lou Kapcsandy, his son Louis, and their winemaking consultant Denis Malbec, have exploited to great acclaim this wonderful terroir in Yountville, producing an array of world-class wines that merit serious attention from readers. The 100% Merlot cuvée, the 2013 Roberta’s Reserve State Lane Vineyard seemed backward, tightly knit, and not nearly as expressive as it has been in other vintages. Everything is there, and it’s locked and loaded and very elegant, at the same time offering up plenty of chocolate and black cherry fruit, but the tannins and the somewhat unyielding style of the wine made it more difficult to assess than some of the other wines. This wine represents 21% of their total production, or 400 cases, and should turn out to be spectacular, but needs a good 3-5 years of bottle aging. It should cellar beautifully for at least 25-30 years. Drink 2015 – 2045.”

100 Points – Vinous “Kapcsándy moves from strength to strength with these current and upcoming releases. The 2012s continue to blossom in bottle, even though this is the lightest-bodied and most accessible vintage of the 2012-2013-2014 trio here. Things get more serious with the 2013s, wines that confirm the towering presence and profoundness they showed when I first tasted them in Spring 2014. And then there are the 2014s, which might turn out to be the most precise wines of the bunch. Lou Kapcsándy puts the current set of vintages in perspective, commenting that at his State Lane Vineyard, he saw 11 days with temperatures over 100 degrees in 2013. That number crept up to 12 in 2014, although there were no back-to-back days with those temperatures. In 2015, though, the vineyard saw 26 days with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, including a stretch of 5 consecutive days at those levels. Winemaker Denis Malbec adds that lengthened macerations a touch in 2013 to soften the tannins and shortened time on the skins in 2014, which is the opposite of what most winemakers did. Lou Kapcsándy, his son Louis, and winemaker Denis Malbec offer more context in this short video, which I shot on the last day of the 2015 harvest. A magnificent, towering wine, the 2013 Roberta’s Reserve is deep, powerful and massively tannic. Far from an easygoing Merlot, the 2013 Roberta’s Reserve is going to require considerable cellaring to fully blossom. Floral, savory and mineral notes are pushed forward, until a rush of blue and black fruits opens up on the mid palate and through to the finish. Lavender, sage, menthol, licorice and inky fruit add the final shades of nuance in an explosive Merlot to put away in the darkest corner of the cellar. Drink 2023-2038.”

100 Points – James Suckling “The aromas to this are mind-blowing. Pure violets, lilacs, blueberries, blackberries, licorice, and flowers. Full body and superb tannin tension with polish and balance. Harmony. The layers and texture to this are phenomenal. The greatest American merlot ever made. Ranks among the best in the world. Only about 300 cases made.”