Napa Cabernet Recommendations from the Mt. Veeder Sub-Appellation
Mt Veeder is a Napa Valley appellation on the south east
slopes of the valley in the Mayacamas Range. Steep vineyards and remote
wineries are typical of its 25 square miles. Cabernets are dominant
here with 40 percent of the overall acreage planted to this varietal.
Viticulture in this esteemed area goes back as far as
the 1860’s. Two turn-of-the-century’s later, there are about 14 vintners
and 24 growers in this appellation.
Try these eight Cabernet selections and see what you think about these distinctive wines.
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Hess Collection Cabernet
Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2002 ($40): brilliant ruby in
color, with red plums and cherry aromas framed in mineral
and earth; the same flavors are well integrated in a firmly
structured wine with an attractive European personality. |
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Rubissow-Sargent Cabernet
Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2001 ($30): deep dark ruby in
color; fresh from the barnyard aromatically but very sweet
in the mouth, emphasizing red fruit and balanced with bright
acidity that puts an edge on the texture. |
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Mount Veeder Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2002 ($40): super sweet
aromas of red cherries and plums flow into a great first
impression in your mouth; soft, teeth-coating tannins cover
the fruit past the mid-palate, unbalancing (for now) what
is still a very young wine. Give it 3-5 years. |
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Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Veeder 2000 ($60): pretty dark ruby color and
appealing blueberry and raspberry aromas with Cab’s
signature chalk notes; after an austere opening, the wine
blossoms in your mouth and suggests the splendor to come
in five to ten years. 100% estate -- history in a glass. |
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Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Veeder 2002 ($175): can wine be worth this price?
Maybe: concentrated, opulent, seamless aromas of red and
black berries and cherries followed by even more layers
of flavor in your mouth, including anise, cassis and baking
spice; ripe, soft tannins are abundant yet cool, the texture
is dense and rich, the finish endless. Complete wine. |
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Chateau Potelle Cabernet
Sauvignon Napa Valley Estate 1999 ($60): from the winery’s
Mount Veeder vineyards; wet dog and saddle leather along
with black fruit and baking spice in the aromas and flavors;
deftly balanced medium-bodied wine with a European sensibility. |
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Wing Canyon Cabernet
Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2001 ($35): garnet in color,
with sweet, well blended aromas of classic Cabernet cherries
and chalk; just about perfect in your mouth: sweet, rich,
spicy, with an engaging, expansive texture and long finish.
From dry-farmed 20-year-old vines 2000 feet up. Excellent
value. |
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Wing Canyon Cabernet
Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2000 ($25): brilliant garnet
color, dense red cherry and plum aromas with crushed oats
and earthy notes; dead ringer for left-bank Bordeaux, as
the aromas become flavors that reach up to the citrus acidity
and down to the minerals layers. Another excellent value. |
