• By Antonio Galloni
  New Releases from Napa Valley: 2012 and 2013 (Dec 2014), 9/1/2014, (See more on Vinous...)

  (Mayacamas Chardonnay Mt. Veeder) Login and sign up and see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  1/12/2011, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (CHARDONNAY Mayacamas) Cabernet Dear Friends, Cabernet of importance. For 2011, I’ve penned a new series of missives that highlight the most important renditions of Cabernet in the world. No, not the cult wines, but the wines of true importance to the terroir and history of their region. Over the course of the coming year, a collector would be well-served to compile a mixed assortment of these wines to age and enjoy over the next few decades. My hunch is that, as your tastes evolve and change over the next 10-20 years, this assortment will be considered a benchmark, far from what you may consider as your bulls-eye today. The true understanding and appreciation of wine requires a fluid mobility of palate that is a free-flowing target throughout your life – it isn’t a stop and go exercise but one of patience and resolve that is in constant motion. That motion is always full of surprise, which is one of the most endearing and exciting aspects of wine’s relationship with the collector. We begin our Cabernet of Importance series with an icon. Mayacamas Vineyards is one of only a few producers in all of California that can claim icon status with one of their wines. In their case, it’s the 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon – still youthful to this day. The interesting part? They produce their wine circa 2011 in much the same manner as that classic example all those years ago: http://www.mayacamas.com/about.cfm Raised and vinified by the same man since the late 1960’s (Bob Travers), I can only imagine what the vines on this property must think as they’ve observed the metamorphosis of Napa and Sonoma nearly 2400 ft below them. They’ve sat on their perch, high atop Mt Veeder while a carnival of sorts had played out below them. What began innocently enough in the late 1980’s with Bill Harlan, Dalle Valle and a few others has tuned into a full-bore freak show of competition, score chasing and winemaking by addition/subtraction that should never have been lauded in the first place. All the while, the vines at Mayacamas have endured – grown older and wiser along with a pedigree that’s always prized terroir first over substance (a decidedly poor marketing approach in an oak-slathered, drink-now world). They don’t entertain critics or even submit their wines for review as it doesn't really matter to them but I can tell you with certainty that many of the most famous scribes in the wine-world head to Mayacamas first as a customer, not as a critic. The current release 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon carries on the storied tradition of this estate and it is built in much the same way as their 1971. It warms the heart with a true sense of soul (not alcohol, it’s only 13.25-13.75%). Crammed with compact layers of twigs, spice, dried evergreen, crushed red fruit and sumptuous mountain acidity and tannins, this wine will age for at lease 2-3 decades. It will never be an extract or glycerol powerhouse as that is not the house style (nor the point of this exercise) but it will always be a slice of spring, summer and autumn pressed into an old-school bottle of grand cru-level red wine. For a wonderful piece on Mayacamus, including tasting notes and style analysis, please see John Gilman’s column for Dr. Vino’s blog http://bit.ly/hv5lRZ (Gilman has worked his name to the top the old fashioned way – he’s earned it – thought of as the “new Tanzer” by a younger generation, Gilman’s A View From the Cellar is one of the only must-read journals in production today) As I sit back and take another sip of this constantly evolving wine, I must caution you that Mayacamas is not a Cabernet intended to give juice-filled pleasure today – it is a cerebral endeavor built for your children’s pleasure in the decades ahead. Maybe the idea of Mayacamas is to bring families closer together, a wine for the three of you - mother, father and child, many years from now, as you sit together to savor a special moment, reminiscing about what once was and what is still to be... 2005 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Mt Veeder) - (this is not Spann, this is Mayacamas Vineyards, Mt Veeder) ...we also have a small parcel of their anti-California version of mountain Chardonnay - one of the most respected renditions of varietal Chardonnay produced in Napa - it’s also priced at the bottom of the barrel for this exemplary and reflective level of quality (this is their top-level example, not an entry wine). Oak is a secondary player here with rock, fruit and energy-filled tropical and citrus tones at the forefront. EXTREMELY LIMITED at this price: 2007 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay (Mt Veeder) - This parcel is set to arrive with impeccable provenance in a few weeks (please check OARS for local pick up after Feb 1st). It will ship during the Spring shipping season. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA CA8130 CA8140 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.