Winemaker Notes
Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon from a non-hedged, dry-farmed, organic vineyard sitting in blue shale - blue fruit, black olive, and violet flavors with long and precise finish; chiseled.
Hillwalker is a prototypical Mt. Veeder vineyard at 1,020 feet, complete with south-facing slope and broken blue shale soils scraped from the Pacific Ocean floor some 140 million (ish) years ago. The vineyard is dry-farmed, organically grown, non-hedged, and becoming adapted to biodynamically-styled teas. This combination of non-intervention farming and ancient soils amplifies the terroir, pushing forward the signature Mt. Veeder violet and iris aromatic. The subtle, barely-there-Boutes Grand Reserve barrels lift and support the taut, vivid, and up-righted mouthfeel and properly frame the blue fruit, black olive, and fine herb flavors. Long, precise, and a bit chiseled—this is a wine Pilcrow thinks Bob Travers would recognize.
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Pilcrow Hillwalker Cabernet Sauvignon is a lovely, multi-faceted wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with tantalizing aromas and flavors of red fruits, blackberries, savory spices, and complementary oak nuances. Enjoy it with grilled, fresh mint-accented lamb chops. (Tasted: April 17, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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.