While Pym Rae Vineyard is owned by actor-comedian Robin Williams, the quality of its fruit is no laughing matter, especially to recipient vintner Robert Craig.
Mt. Veeder -
Napa's quiet giant draws a crowd
By Steve PitcherThere hasn't been much buzz about the Mt. Veeder appellation in recent years, despite the fact that it is the largest, highest-elevation American Viticultural Area totally ensconced within the broader Napa Valley AVA. For the most part, its vintners and growers tend to keep to themselves; many, in fact, came to the mountain, part of the Mayacamas range, for the solace of its revitalizing remoteness. Their reticence, however, is beginning to fade. Changes are afoot in this quiet giant of an appellation; some are already in place, others are in the works: A major wine estate changed ownership last year; existing vineyards have been, and are now being, replanted and reconfigured; and new vineyards and wine estates have been established, with more on the way, as owners jump through the myriad hoops of Napa County's hillside planting permit process.
Officially recognized in 1990 and rising at the southwestern quadrant of the Napa Valley, the 25-square-mile Mt. Veeder appellation (MV) takes up a huge swath of the eastern Mayacamas - about half the size of the city of San Francisco - extending from the southern foothills of the mountain range that melt into the Carneros AVA at the 400-foot contour line to two miles or so north of the Oakville Grade, rising to about 2,600 feet above sea level. Its western boundary is the Napa-Sonoma county line.
Out of a total of 15,000 AVA acres, according to published statistics, only about seven percent (or a few more than 1,000 acres) are planted to grapevines, which accounts for a bit less than three percent of total Napa Valley AVA planted acreage. The remainder of the steep, rugged region is still relatively wild, heavily wooded with fir, madrone, laurel and redwoods, and inhabited by bears, bobcats, red foxes, coyotes and the occasional mountain lion; eagles and turkey vultures soar overhead.
"There wasn't even electricity on Mt. Veeder until 1945," notes Randle Johnson, who's been part of the MV winemaking-vineyard management cadre (Mayacamas Vineyards, Hess Collection and his own brand, Calafia) for three decades and knows every nook and cranny of the mountain, as one discovers while touring with him in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle.
The 2,677-foot volcanic peak that dominates the southern Mayacamas has long been so thick with redwoods that, from the 1880s through World War II, the region was known as "Napa Redwoods," a term that appeared on some early wine labels as an appellation of sorts. After the war, that regional moniker gradually gave way to the geographical prominence of Mt. Veeder, named after Reverend P.V. Veeder, a Presbyterian minister in Napa during the latter half of the 19th century. He loved to hike in this wild setting, often bringing members of his congregation along for the experience.
While still largely unspoiled, MV currently has about 17 wineries and 24 growers (no one seems to have an exact count, and the numbers are subject to change). An operation called a winery may not, in fact, produce its wine on MV; actual production facilities are far fewer in number.
Cabernet Sauvignon, as a single varietal and blended with other Bordeaux varieties (merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot), has been king of this mountain throughout the AVA's modern history, albeit usually in limited quantities. Its Cabs are intensely flavored because the climatic and soil conditions in steeply sloped vineyards produce abnormally small berries. Most MV Cabs exhibit a distinctive brambly quality and firm, fine-grained tannins.
Additionally, there have always been some notable MV Zinfandels as well as MV-grown Rhône varietals, particularly Syrah, which has lately been gaining considerable acclaim for the same kind of intensity displayed by the Cabs. Chardonnays here tend to start out lean and somewhat austere with a tight, flinty edge, fleshing out somewhat with time in the cellar.
"The vineyards' high altitudes keep fog from reaching the grapes most days, unlike vineyards on the Napa Valley floor, and daytime mountain air temperatures are usually 10 to 12 degrees cooler than the valley, which prevents the grapes from baking in the constant sun," Johnson explains, pointing out that MV is closer to bay-cooled Carneros than other Napa AVAs.
Idyllic climatic conditions such as these were not lost on Napa's early white settlers - most of German and Swiss extraction - who established winemaking on Mt. Veeder in the 1860s. They chose the mountain's steep, thin-soiled slopes for vineyard sites over the flat, rich loam found on the Napa Valley floor. Then, as now, there are a variety of soil types from which to choose. In the higher elevations - above 1,000 feet - there's plenty of volcanic debris and weathered tuff, which is compressed volcanic ash deposited millions of years ago from the eruption of the now-dormant Mt. Veeder volcano (there's considerable evidence that most of the AVA was formed by tectonic uplifting). Lower down the mountain, the soil profile is mostly sedimentary sandstone and shale.
Well-draining soils such as these don't retain much moisture, which is both a blessing (for growing great grapes) and a curse (limiting vineyard planting). And even though MV gets twice as much rainfall as the valley floor - more than 30 inches per year - it drains off quickly. So in order to establish a viable vineyard, the first challenge is to find water and drill a productive well.
Oakland businessman Theodore Gier constructed the first MV winery of commercial significance - three stories high and solidly built from locally quarried stone - in 1903. It still stands today, completely renovated and an integral part of the hospitality center of The Hess Collection, the largest winery enterprise in the AVA, founded in 1978 by Swiss brewer and mineral water entrepreneur Donald Hess. Between owners Gier and Hess, it functioned as Mont La Salle Winery under the stewardship of the Christian Brothers.
Gier's 200-acre vineyard, planted with cuttings imported from France and Germany (he was most keen on cabernet sauvignon and riesling), almost approximates Hess Collection's 310 acres of MV vineyards with some 220 separate and distinct vineyard blocks ranging in elevation from 600 to nearly 2,000 feet, planted to the five Bordeaux varieties, plus a few acres of chardonnay, viognier and syrah. All of the holdings, which Hess began acquiring in 1978, are farmed sustainably, with some acres in organic production. "Ongoing replanting affects the actual numbers," Johnson notes. Seventy acres adjacent to the Mont La Salle novitiate (next door to Hess Collection) are leased from the Christian Brothers. This particular site is home to the oldest cabernet sauvignon on MV: one and a half acres of gnarly, head-trained vines planted by the late Brother Timothy in 1938.
Hess Collection winemaker Dave Guffy notes, "These vineyards produce small berries with intense aromas, flavors and firm tannins - the hallmark characteristics of Mt. Veeder. On the steep slopes of Mt. Veeder - at 2,000 feet above sea level in our Mount Veeder Summit Vineyard you have a stunning view of San Francisco Bay to the west and the Napa Valley floor to the east - you appreciate that the vines struggle here in the uniquely diverse soils and rocky terrain."
Brian Nuss, proprietor of Vinoce Winery, whose sustainably farmed Solar Hill Vineyards are at the northern tip of the AVA between 1,300 and 2,000 feet, echoes Guffy's assessments, characterizing red MV fruit as resembling "mountain blueberries," especially the Bordeaux varieties. Nuss manages his own 24 acres of vineyards, planted in 1989, as well as the neighboring, 1,800-foot-elevation, 26-acre Pym Rae Vineyard owned by actor-comedian Robin Williams (designated Pym Rae with the middle names of two of his children). Williams's parcel was established in 1990 with Napa vintner Robert Craig, who is very well acquainted with the demands of mountain viticulture, consulting on the project. In the 1980s, Craig directed vineyard development on MV for Hess Collection. He has since established the Robert Craig Winery on Howell Mountain and has made a Cabernet Sauvignon from Pym Rae fruit (labeled simply as "Mt. Veeder") in every vintage since 1993.
"Pym Rae is the quintessential Mt. Veeder terrain - labor intensive and viticulturally challenging," Craig observes. "The vineyard's topography of steep slopes and ridgelines at 1,800 feet, which can change in elevation by as much as 500 feet, creates many different vineyard microclimates with varying exposures to sun, wind and fog."
Such diversity affects harvest. "Each vineyard block is managed separately and harvested separately in several passes through the vineyard over several weeks," Craig explains. Yields range between one to three tons per acre (modest compared to five to seven tons on the valley floor). "These tiny berries in small bunches have concentrated juice and a high ratio of seeds to skin," he continues, "creating intensely flavored wines with excellent tannin structure."
Much of Mt. Veeder's fruit is actually vinted elsewhere. While Godspeed Vineyards, Random Ridge, Rubissow-Sargent and Yates Family Vineyard (formerly Napa Redwoods Estate) call MV home, each produces their MV-designated wines - Cabernets and Cab blends mainly - in facilities elsewhere.
Of the six bonded wineries on MV, only four are fully functioning today: Hess Collection, Mayacamas Vineyards, Sky Vineyards and Wing Canyon Winery. The wines of Mount Veeder Winery, with several signs evident at vineyard locations along Mount Veeder Road, are produced at Franciscan Oakville Estate winery (both brands are part of the Icon Estates division of Constellation Brands); although the Mount Veeder wines contain some MV estate fruit, none currently bear a Mt. Veeder appellation.
Jean-Noël and Marketta Fourmeaux, who established Chateau Potelle on MV in 1988, sold their 202-acre estate with about 32 acres of vineyards, a house, tasting room and 22,000-case production facility to Jackson Family Wines (JFW) last September for an undisclosed sum. The purchase did not include the actual brand, inventory or business, which will relocate. Jess Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke, who also own the adjacent Veeder Peak Vineyard (some 60 acres of vines), had long sought to acquire the Chateau Potelle property.
In an announcement following the sale, Jean-Noël Fourmeaux indicated that his neighbors had been trying to buy the property for a long time and that the most recent offer was "One we could not refuse."
According to Clay Gregory, president of JFW, the two properties will be united to become the new home for Lokoya, a super-premium brand whose wine, until now, has been produced at the JFW-owned Cardinale winery in Oakville. It's more than just a marriage of convenience. An MV-appellation Cabernet Sauvignon from the Veeder Peak Vineyard, which climbs from 1,240 to 1,826 feet, has been bottled since Lokoya's founding in 1995; in the interim it has earned cult status and now fetches upward of $200 per bottle. (The site also supplies fruit for Kendall-Jackson's $70, limited-production, MV-designated Highland Estates-Napa Mountain series Cabernet Sauvignon.)
The Lokoya tasting room is now open to visitors by appointment and the former Potelle winery facility is being significantly upgraded. Gregory expects that it will be ready in time to handle the 2009 Lokoya vintage. Chris Carpenter, who's been making Lokoya all along, will continue to exercise his considerable talents at the upgraded winery.
"What's exciting for me is the opportunity to design and build a mountain winery dedicated to mountain vineyards utilizing the natural contours and space of the site," Carpenter enthuses. "We'll be looking at gravity flow across several levels of the cellar, placing caves to preserve the landscape, and capturing wind and solar energy to power the facility directly. These aspects and direct, no delivery delay on some of our very best fruit, combine all of our winemaking and ecological sensibilities."
Once Lokoya comes on line there will be five bonded wineries operating on MV. The patriarch among them is Mayacamas Vineyards, which traces its history to 1889 when John Henry Fisher, a German immigrant who was, at various times, a sword engraver and a pickle merchant, built the stone Fisher Winery near the rim of a volcanic crater. Renamed Mayacamas Vineyards in the early 1940s, the winery functions today under the ownership, since 1968, of the Travers family.
Bob Travers eschews trends and market demands when crafting his long-lived Cabernets, Merlots and Chards from the estate's 53 acres of steeply sloped vineyards ranging in elevation from 1,800 to 2,400 feet. The 2003 vintage Cabernet, for example, was released in March. Bob's son Chris wryly observes, "It isn't a 28-plus-degrees-brix-of-ripeness-Oakville-Rutherford-style Cab." Similarly Travers's sleek, minerally Chardonnays also require patience, as they are not put through malolactic fermentation and don't see much, if any, new oak. His Sauvignon Blanc, a naturally brisk varietal, is a bit more approachable early on.
A short distance down the road from Mayacamas Vineyards is the 21-acre Sage Vineyard, sited between 1,800 and 2,000 feet and planted in 1997 to the five Bordeaux varieties by Alan Peirson (formerly estate manager of Peter Michael Winery) and winemaker Robbie Meyer of L'Angevin, a boutique producer of cool-climate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs based in nearby Yountville. The inaugural release of the Sage Vineyard Bordeaux blend was the highly touted 2004 vintage.
At the northern end of the AVA, almost at the county line, the 25-acre LaTour Vineyards, established in 1999 by Tom LaTour, former CEO of the Kimpton Hotel Group, and his wife, Barbara, produces Chardonnay and Syrah. Made by Peter Luthi at Trefethen Winery in the Oak Knoll District, just north of the City of Napa and designated as "Napa Valley" wines, the back labels nonetheless credit LaTour's MV estate vineyard as the fruit source.
Until 1998, Travers's vineyards were the highest in the entire Mayacamas mountain range (see "Moving Up the Mayacamas," June/July 2004, archived at www.thewinenews.com). Now that distinction belongs to Lampyridae Vineyards, which farms a 35-acre parcel at 2,500 feet, just below Mt. Veeder's peak. Owners John and Ashley Derr grow head-trained zinfandel that they sell to Schulz Cellars in Sonoma Valley, and eight acres of cabernet sauvignon that is leased to Beringer and is the newest vineyard component in that winery's acclaimed Private Reserve Cabernet. Beringer annually bottles a small amount of each component wine separately, and its Lampyridae Cab is awesome.
"The last part of our development will encompass Rhône varieties, including syrah and grenache," John Derr shares. "These grapes are destined for [our] Lampyridae Vineyards label, which will not be released for years to come."
Lampyridae borrows its name from the family of insects to which the firefly belongs. "As you look down from the top of the property at night you can see all of the Bay Area; from the back, the view looks down on the Napa Valley. [We were] inspired by the millions of blinking lights - the look of fireflies," Derr explains.
While Sky Vineyards is no more than half Lampyridae's size, it is about as remotely located. Established in 1973 by Lore Olds at the end of nearly impassable Cavedale Road on a ridgetop some 2,100 feet above sea level, Sky encompasses 14 acres of zinfandel and a small amount of syrah, the latter planted in 2000 in non-irrigated, red volcanic soil composed of rhyolite, loam and lots of gravel with only a few inches of topsoil. The hillside vineyard has a mostly easterly exposure and is sustainably farmed. Olds, who lives a largely secluded life on the property, notes, "Our Zinfandels tend to taste similar to the soils they grow in: strong, earthy and laden with chaparral characteristics - peppery spice and dark fruit - and lots of structure."
The oldest zinfandel plantings on MV are the ten acres of head-trained vines established in 1926 as part of the Brandlin Ranch. In 1998, Cuvaison Winery purchased the historic 170-acre property, located above Mount Veeder Road and laid out between 900 and 1,200 feet. Cuvaison subsequently planted 38 acres of mostly cabernet sauvignon with smaller amounts of other Bordeaux varieties that compose its MV-designated Cabernet ($40) and the MV Cabernet under a separate Brandlin label ($80).
The Brandlin family itself has been a part of MV scenery since the 1870s. Today 84-year-old Chester Brandlin, who helped his dad, Henry, plant the zinfandel plot in 1926, still lives on this spectacular vineyard on a ridgeline overlooking the Napa Valley. He has the distinction, too, of being a successful water dowser, a talent that has served him well on water-thirsty MV.
At the time that Cuvaison purchased the ranch from Chester Brandlin, Peter Franus was buying the fruit from the old, head-pruned zinfandel vines for his eponymous label. "We agreed to give Peter a 25-year contract for that fruit, all of which he still gets for his Peter Franus brand," notes Cuvaison president Jay Schuppert. At Franus' discretion, Cuvaison is permitted up to two tons of zinfandel per year for its use as part of the deal. "We're grateful for those two tons when we get them," Schuppert acknowledges.
Franus, a former winemaker at then-privately owned Mount Veeder Winery (1981-1992), has made wine from Brandlin zinfandel since 1991, and more recently, its mourvèdre (two vintages, 1997 and 2005). He feels privileged to work with vineyard. "It's indeed a special property with special grapes," he notes. "It's a magnificent and magical setting where you can truly feel the energy that ultimately finds its way into the wine. There are many well-made, technically sound wines out in the marketplace, but few can capture the soul and personality offered by Brandlin." He characterizes the Brandlin-grown mourvèdre as "arguably the best in California."
A few miles north of Brandlin, on Mount Veeder Road, Betty O'Shaughnessy maintains the 16-acre Progeny Vineyard, sited at about 1,400 feet on a steeply terraced, northeast-facing, iron-rich hillside, that provides fruit for the Howell Mountain-based O'Shaughnessy winery's limited-production MV-designated Cabernet ($65) that routinely sells out within two weeks of release. A portion of the vineyard's prized grapes are also under contract to celebrated winemaker Marco DiGiulio, who crafts a Progeny Vineyard-designated Cabernet ($80) in limited quantities (220 cases of the 2004 vintage is being released this summer) for his eponymous brand, and to St. Clement Winery for its Single Vineyard Series offered only at the winery in tiny quantities at about the same price.
O'Shaughnessy bought an undeveloped 260-acre parcel east of Hess Collection in 2006, where she plans to plant 40 acres of cabernet and related varieties "as soon as I complete the hillside permit process," she says with a sigh. At least there's water there. "We drilled two wells," O'Shaughnessy relates, "each of which can produce about twelve gallons a minute. That's about par for the course on Mt. Veeder - when you can find it."
While vignerons in the Rhône don't necessarily rely on water dowsers, they have been known to say that syrah likes a good view. That seems to be the case on MV, where syrah is thriving in patches and producing stellar wines, albeit in limited quantities.
Jim Paras, a San Francisco attorney, is credited with being MV's syrah pioneer. He planted the variety here, along with other Rhône grapes, in 1991 on a 22-acre estate at 1,200 feet that was originally part of the old Veedercrest property. (A relic from the early 1970s, the 300-acre Veedercrest estate was owned by self-taught winemaker Al Baxter and planted to about 50 acres of vines; the brand failed financially in 1982 and was eventually sold off in three parcels to Paras, Hess Collection and Mt. Veeder Winery.) It was this vineyard that supplied the fruit for the Rhône-oriented Jade Mountain Winery founded by Paras in 1988 (he sold the brand in 2000 to Chalone, but retained the property). Today under the Paras Vineyard label he bottles four MV-designated wines: a voluptuous Viognier; an Hermitage-style Syrah; a serious, distinctive Grenache; and a markedly muscular Merlot. (There is also a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.)
Douglas Danielak has been Paras's winemaker since the Jade Mountain days. He asserts that the decomposed shale that comprises the majority of the vineyard's soil profile is ideal for Rhône varieties. "Syrah here is bigger and better than Cabernet," Danielak insists. What he puts in the bottle proves he's on solid ground. (Besides, the view is spectacular.)
The owners of the Lagier Meredith Vineyard are true believers, too. This Rhône-centric family estate is owned by Steve Lagier, a former longtime employee at Robert Mondavi Winery whose responsibilities included grape-supply manager, and his wife, Carole Meredith, a recently retired UC-Davis professor and plant geneticist.
In 1986, the couple purchased a ridgetop MV parcel at 1,300 feet that overlooks the Napa Valley for a homesite. They carved out a four-acre vineyard on an east-facing hillside in 1994 and were encouraged by one of Meredith's former students, Jean-Louis Chave of the famed Hermitage family, to plant syrah exclusively on such a small site. Lagier used his considerable connections to secure the best plant material and Lagier and Meredith have never looked back.
"The flavor of our wine is reminiscent of the Northern Rhône in its red berry and white pepper aromas, but it has more extract and body," Meredith notes. "It has intense flavor and deep color, but, unlike some other red wines where big color usually means big tannins, our wine is not harshly tannic, so it drinks well when it is young. We expect it to age well [too]."
Nearly 150 years after Reverend Veeder made his mountain pilgrimages, MV is quite a catholic mix of historic vineyards, long-established producers and relative newcomers. While this peaceful, remote AVA is short on public relations account execs, the good word continues to trickle out, drawing more disciples - including Napa Valley floor wineries such as Rudd Estate and Darioush - up the mountain to establish new vineyard sources for their wines in this thankfully still unspoiled but slightly more crowded place.
Based in San Francisco, Contributing Editor Steve Pitcher can be reached via e-mail at wine2words@aol.com.
Tasting BAR
Most of the Mt. Veeder wines reviewed here were tasted open, some on the mountain, others at a Mayacamas Mountain Wineries "Napa Valley with Altitude" tasting in San Francisco, many more than once. All are labeled Mt. Veeder or Mount Veeder, except where noted. Decanting is strongly recommended for young Mt. Veeder reds. Scores are based on the BuyLine rating system.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Beringer, 2004 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Lampyridae Vineyard, Napa Valley - $90: The back label says the vineyard is high atop Mt. Veeder; it's actually Napa Valley's highest vineyard. Forward perfume of sour cherry, violets, bramble (think chopped blackberry vines) and a blueberry nuance. Luscious, round and juicy with medium tannins, this is fairly elegant for a mountain Cab, offering complex, concentrated flavors of red and black berries accented with a touch of oak and a pinch of white pepper; extended close. (56 cases) Score: 93
Brandlin, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder - $80: Fruity, appealing aromas of sour cherry jam, red currant, vanilla and hints of mocha, lavender and brown spice. Rich and almost jam-like, but not thick, with medium-full tannins and a lively palate that replicates the nose, this complex Cab gains depth from the 12% malbec, 3% petit verdot and 1% cab franc. (796 cases) Score: 92
Chateau Potelle, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon VGS, Mount Veeder - $60: Quite ripe strawberry jam and vanilla cream define the nose, leading to a rich, velvety palate framed by firm tannins and spicy flavors of red currant and strawberry; medium-long finish. (900 cases) Score: 90
Cuvaison, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder - $40: Enticing nose of chocolate chip cookies and blackberry liqueur. Robust and juicy with fine-grained, firm tannins and loads of extracted black fruit and sweet vanillin notes, finishing with a spicy, brambly edge. (3,500 cases) Score: 90
Godspeed Vineyards, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder - $40: Forward, nicely evolved Cab nose of red berries, eucalyptus, red apple and brambleberry. Nicely concentrated and balanced with medium tannins and bright red fruit flavors tinged with white pepper; medium-long finish. (3,500 cases) Score: 89
Hess Collection, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder - $50: Slow-to-open nose of blackberry-cassis, molasses and briary notes of loganberry and cedar. Dense and generous on the palate with chewy tannins and deep, concentrated fruit that replicates the nose and extends nicely in the close. Great aging potential. (10,000 cases) Score: 92
Kendall-Jackson Highland Estates, 2005 Napa Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder - $70: Lovely aromas of blackberry, black cherry, violets, Asian spice and a wisp of white smoke. Bold and powerful in the mouth, with medium-full tannins and a brambly edge, offering extracted cassis-blackberry fruit and vanilla custard that portend a long life, finishing with a flourish of raspberry and minerality. (289 cases) Score: 94
Lokoya, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder - $200: Distinctive, intriguing nose of volcanic minerality, talc, brambly dark berries and sour cherry tinged with medium-char oak. Deeply fruity on the palate with medium-full tannins, the wine's volcanic origins show through in the flavors that mimic the nose and persist in the long, mineral-tinged finish. (647 cases) Score: 90
Mayacamas Vineyards, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder - $75: Deeply aromatic scents of brambly cassis and nicely integrated oak. Deftly balanced on the palate with medium-full tannins and layers of cassis and dark berry fruit; long finish. Needs several more years of cellaring. (2,200 cases) Score: 90
Meadowcroft, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder - $56: Milk toast and dark cherry-cassis define the nose and are replicated on the palate of this massively proportioned, brawny mountain Cab that fairly oozes dark fruit framed in sinewy tannins. Built to age. (22 cases) Score: 90
O'Shaughnessy, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder - $65: From O'Shaughnessy's Progeny Vineyard, this is a mountain Cab of monumental proportions, yet still finely balanced, with black cherry-blackberry fruit dominating the aromas and flavors, accented with subtle hints of espresso bean and dark chocolate; supple, medium-full tannins round out the package. (345 cases) Score: 93
Robert Craig, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder - $70: Deep aromatics of ripe cassis, sour cherry and blackberry with some pleasant briary notes. Velvety smooth, juicy, elegant and deeply concentrated with supple, medium-full tannins and copious blackberry-cassis fruit and an extended red berry finish showing some subtle brambly notes. (1,665 cases) Score: 93
Sage Vineyards, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder - $65: Forward, fragrant, appealing nose of brambly cassis laced with vanilla, baker's chocolate and dried herb notes. Luscious and concentrated on the palate, almost brawny, with medium-full tannins and copious cassis-blackberry fruit tinged with dried sage and graphite. (500 cases) Score: 93
Sbragia, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Wall Vineyard, Mt. Veeder - $75: Located at the northernmost section of Mt. Veeder at 1,800 feet, the 3.5 acre Wall Vineyard provided winemaster Ed Sbragia with superb fruit, which he crafted into a seamless, densely packed mountain Cab that offers aromas of black fruit, cassis, bacon fat and spice with a brambly-minty edge. Rich, extracted flavors of black cherry and cassis, vanilla custard and mocha are palate arresting. Nothing demure about this wine, which, with its sinewy tannins and enormous depth, is sure to gain even more complexity with cellaring. (476 cases) Score: 93
St. Clement, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cuvée Prometheus, Progeny Vineyards, Mt. Veeder - $80: Forward, brambly blackberry-cassis nose with a hint of white chocolate. Exciting flavors of dark berries flood the palate, accented by anise and black pepper, and framed in ripe, fine-grained, medium-full tannins. The complex wine finishes long, with flashes of mocha and spice. (202 cases) Score: 92
Vinoce, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder - $75: Even farther north of the Wall Vineyard, the Vinoce estate Cabernet exhibits a forward, heady, very fragrant nose of raspberry-cassis fruit accented by notes of dried herbs and mocha. Very nicely concentrated with silky, medium tannins, the wine's generous, dried herb-tinged cassis is deep and enfolding, offering up exciting, complex flavors that persist into the extended close. (120 cases) Score: 94
Zacherle, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Wall Vineyard, Mt. Veeder - $90: Quite brambly aromatics; a combination of crushed juniper berry and peppermint accenting blackberry-cassis fruit, with crème brûlée emerging with air - very distinctive and appealing. Plush and juicy, with medium-full tannins, and loaded with deep, harmoniously concentrated raspberry-cassis-black cherry fruit and subtle vanilla custard. It's packaged in one of the heaviest bottles I've ever encountered. (45 cases) Score: 93
Red Blends
Hess Collection, 2005 19 Block Cuvée, Mount Veeder - $36: Initially shy nose opens to exhibit cassis-black raspberry fruit, fresh sage, licorice and mocha. Silky-smooth and elegant, yet generous, with evident, fine-grained tannins and red cherry-cassis fruit tinged with spice, extending into the long finish. All five Bordeaux varieties plus 10% syrah. (10,000 cases) Score: 91
Vinoce, 2005 Proprietary Red, Mt. Veeder - $60: 58% cabernet franc, 27% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot yields a wonderfully balanced, elegant wine, offering enticing scents of dried straw, red currant and a hint of blueberry. Lush, generous, round and velvety, with medium-full tannins, the distinctive wine's flavors echo the nose and finish long with a flourish of white pepper. (450 cases) Score: 94
Yates Family Vineyard, 2005 Alden Perry Reserve, Mt. Veeder - $45: A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot that exhibits high-tone aromatics of spicy cassis accented by vanilla, allspice and white pepper. Complex, smooth and juicy with medium tannins and succulent, layered cassis-black cherry fruit is deep and concentrated; extended, cinnamon-ginger-laced close. (168 cases) Score: 91
(Sage Vineyards also makes Veedercrest, a superb Bordeaux blend that includes just enough fruit from elsewhere to require a Napa Valley appellation. There are 1,200 cases and, at $40, it's a steal. Score: 94)
Syrah
Lagier Meredith, 2005 Syrah, Mount Veeder - $45: Forward, enticing nose of just-crushed blackberry and jasmine tinged with brown spice. Lush and round on the palate with vibrant blackberry-red currant flavors and a lovely, spicy edge; long, slightly brambly finish. (382 cases) Score: 91
Paras Vineyard, 2005 Syrah, Mt. Veeder - $45: Rhône-like aromatics of hot stone, raw meat, mocha and blackberry liqueur, plus a haunting floral note from the 6% viognier and a touch of dried herbs. Copious, extracted blackberry-cassis fruit is deep and profound; seamless, velvety texture framed by supple, yet firm, tannins; long, liqueur-like finish. (382 cases) Score: 95
Zinfandel
Chateau Potelle, 2005 Zinfandel VGS, Mount Veeder - $60: Fragrant nose of cinnamon-clove spice and raspberry. Bursting, spice-laden raspberry fruit framed by supple tannins; exuberant flavors resonate in the long close. (1,000 cases) Score: 92
Peter Franus, 2005 Zinfandel, Brandlin Vineyard, Mount Veeder - $35: Rich, heady, spicy Zin exhibiting a warm, inviting nose of ripe, brambly sour cherry-black raspberry fruit with a high note of red clover. Ultraplush and kirsch-like on the palate, this exciting Zin offers up copious, quite-ripe (but not raisiny) dark berry fruit laced with peppery spice. The finish goes on and on. (668 cases) Score: 93 - SP
