Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon | 2019

Founded in 1889, it’s remarkable that winemaking at Mayacamas has remained practically unchanged since the 1950s. Fully owned and operated by the Schottenstein family since 2017, the estate has moved from a chapter marked by drama to what it always should have been: a beloved Napa icon. An ancient volcanic crater, Mount Veeder reminds me a little of Coombsville, where Cabernet wins you over with lift and glide rather than sheer weight. This is the opposite of the brownie-batter, valley-floor style. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in open-top concrete tanks and aged in large old American oak, it feels like stepping back into Napa in 1984: sunset purples, tall green trees, poofs of cocoa, and the spice of a freshly cut cigar. Sexy, old-school Napa at its finest. ~Allegra Angelo