It appears starting with 2019 onward, Abreu will be selling wine under the “Thorevilos” name which is actually not from the ex-Abreu Thorevilos (now “Ecotone”) vineyard, but another site entirely which has now been renamed “Thorevilos” — ex-Arns vineyard.
I don’t want to make a snap judgement, but at first blush, I really wish they did not do this. Unless the vineyards are adjacent and were originally part of a single “vineyard” then split at some point, it’s just confusing.
this sounds like bad form.
I agree. If “Thorevilos” was just the proprietary name for a particular wine, it might be more understandable. But, it’s the name of the vineyard source and applying the name from one vineyard to a completely different vineyard is odd, as well as potentially misleading.
On a related note, has Arns stopped producing wine? I’ve never been on their list, but have enjoyed a few of their bottles from other sources, and chatted with Sandi once at an event. She seemed like a lovely person.
I understand the use of ‘fanciful’ names in the wine biz. While I was at Fess Parker, they sold what had been their Ashley’s Vineyard in the Sta Rita Hills and it was renamed. They continued to use the name but without the ‘Vineyard’ which allowed them some sourcing flexibility.
This is different - and potentially much more confusing.
Calling @Adam_Lee as he started a thread on FB about this.
Cheers.
This is my feeling too. I think it’s fine to re-name a vineyard if you come to own it (especially in the new world where vineyard names are really more branding than geo-specific), but to re-name it the same name as another vineyard which existed only a couple years ago in a completely different site is … odd.
I agree. This whole situation sounds a bit odd and confusing for people who don’t know Abreu lost Theo…
Could this be because he is preparing to sell, now or down the line, and it is easier to sell something with a neutral name? Otherwise, you get this odd and less flexible result of someone else producing and selling wines with your name on it, e.g., Williams-Selyem, Araujo (now Eisele), Kistler, Sloan, etc.
Don’t see how this facilitates a sale. It’s not like it was named “Abreu Vineyard.”
Sorry, I misunderstood the original post. Thought the poster said Abreu was re-naming the Abreu winemaking operation, Thorevilos and the Thorevilos vineyard was re-named Ecotone.
Anyway, I found this little bit on Ecotone from Bart Araujo:https://www.accendocellars.com/vineyard/ecotone
Yeah I really loved the Abreu wines from there — kind of disappointed it’s now going into the Accendo blend as opposed to standing on its own. You’d think having owned Eisele for 2 decades, Bart Araujo would want to showcase a special site like Thorevilos, but then again we don’t know how the contract is drawn up, either. He may not have the rights to bottle a vineyard designate wine?