Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder | 2019

Founded in 1889, it’s remarkable that the winemaking at Mayacamas has remained staunchly traditional since the 1950s. 100% owned and operated by the business savvy Schottenstein family, since 2017, Mayacamas has gone from an estate surrounded by drama (just look-up the name Charles Banks) to what it has and always should be, a beloved Napa icon.  

An ancient volcanic crater, Mount Veeder’s style reminds me of Coombsville, where Cabernet wins you over with its lift-and-glide on the palate (unlike the brownie-like, valley floor styles). 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in open-top concrete tanks and aged in big old American oak, I feel like I’m back in Napa Valley in 1984, with a glass in front of me with sunset purples and tall green trees, poofs of cocoa and a freshly cut cigar spice. It’s sexy old-school Napa, at its finest. ~Allegra A