Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 87.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1.5% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder gives up notions of crème de cassis, violets, baker's chocolate, licorice and yeast extract with a touch of beef drippings. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully expressive, the palate gives lovely ripe tannins and great freshness, finishing long and earthy. 3,363 cases produced.
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Wine Spectator
This is filled with lush cassis, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors, supported by dense, lush tannins. The finish is polished, with anise and roasted apple wood notes seamlessly integrated throughout, with a tarry echo at the very end keeping this grounded. A modern expression of mountain fruit. Best from 2020 through 2038.
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James Suckling
Another blue-fruited nose that's never overripe with blackcurrants, citrus rind, some burnt orange, orange peel and brambles. Full-bodied with grainy tannins, fresh acidity and a chewy finish. Drink in 2020.
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Wine Enthusiast
Blended with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, this is a full-bodied concentrated red that’s thick in tannin and youthful structure. Black fruit, sage, clove and cinnamon figure into the rich, lushly crafted palate that’s integrated in toasted oak.
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.