Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
-
Robert
Parker -
Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon is meant to show all that is Mt. Veeder without overt tannins and the 2014 is a great example of that proposition. Black and red berry characters with hints of herb, Asian spice, espresso and toast combine with floral notes, weight and a wonderful finish.
Vegan
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The top score, though, has to go to the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest small quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. This wine has an opaque purple color, a big, sweet kiss of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, some graphite, a juicy, full-bodied, savory mouthfeel, and excellent purity and underlying balance. This seamlessly rich mountain Cabernet Sauvignon should age effortlessly for two decades or more.
Rating: 95+ -
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Showing outstanding freshness and zip, the red-fruited 2014 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits pinpoint fruit quality. Fresh on the palate, this is one of the best-structured wines in the marketplace from the Mount Veeder AVA. Pair it with a double-thick grilled pork chop. (Tasted: October 30, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Mt. Brave is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of those who settled the rugged terrain of Mt. Veeder during the 1800s and an homage to the Wappo Indians, "the brave ones," who were the original inhabitants of this extraordinary place. The Mt. Brave Vineyard, once the Chateau Potelle Vineyard, was established decades ago at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 feet. While Mt. Veeder is cool, Mt. Brave sits above the fog line, with morning sun warming the grapes each day. Soils are a sparse, gravelly loam. Nutrients and minerals are scant, resulting in tiny berries with concentrated and complex flavors. At harvest, small lug boxes must be carefully moved up and down the steep slopes to protect both vines and vineyard workers.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Centered at the peak for which it is named, Mount Veeder is Napa’s largest sub-AVA. But even though the entire appellation spreads over 16,000 acres, vineyards cover a mere 1,000. Scattered among Douglas firs and bristlecone pines, Mount Veeder vineyards extend south from the upper elevations of the Mayacamas Mountains—the highest point at 2,400 feet—to the border of the Carneros region. Less than 25 wineries produce wine from Mount Veeder fruit.
Winemaking began early in this appellation. In 1864, Captain Stelham Wing presented the first Mount Veeder wine to the Napa County Fair; it came from today’s Wing Canyon Vineyard. Prohibition, of course, halted winemaking and viticulture wasn’t revitalized until the founding of Mayacamas Vineyards in 1951 and Bernstein Vineyards in 1964.
The Bernstein Vineyards was actually home to the first Petit Verdot in California, planted in 1975. Today most of the Petit Verdot in Napa Valley originates from this vineyard.
Rocky volcanic clay and ancient seabed matter dominate Mount Veeder soils—perfect for Bordeaux varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot enjoy spectacular success. These varieties produce wines rich in brambly blackberry and black cherry fruit with herbal and floral aromatics. Structures are moderate to assertive and wines have great staying power.
Chardonnay from Mount Veeder is lush, full and balanced mineral and fresh citrus flavors.