Today’s two-part feature will go down as one of the most exciting days of the year for us. If you lose your mind over classic Napa Valley “mountain reds” bursting with old-school energy like Philip Togni, Smith-Madrone, Stony Hill, and Spring Mountain Vineyards, Keenan is going to blow you away, guaranteed. Having trekked up to their mountainside address on numerous occasions for vineyard walks and decades-old library tastings, we’ve been itching to offer Keenan’s wines for years. That day has finally arrived, and we’re starting it off with Keenan’s highly coveted “Mernet Reserve.”

Not only does it come from the smoking 2016 vintage, which marks Keenan’s 40th anniversary, but it’s also an impeccable snapshot of Napa’s fabled mountain terroir—full of powerful dark berry fruit and a muscular, smoky, ultra-savory backbone. For those who are unaware, Keenan has been bottling Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot masterpieces with seemingly immortal cellar lives since the late 1970s, and today’s special proprietary blend combines both of these noble grapes, resulting in one of the most profound Napa Valley mountain bottlings on the market. Although Keenan runs a quiet and humble operation, there isn't a single wine in world-renowned Napa Valley that can escape critical attention, including today’s Mernet Reserve: This exceptional cuvée fetches remarkably high scores, consistently, and with just 400 total cases produced, few consumers ever get a shot at tasting it. Up to six bottles per person.

Family-operated for three generations and nestled deep in the forested hillside of Spring Mountain, Keenan runs a deeply venerated, if not under-the-radar, wine enterprise devoted to sustainable farming and renewable energy. The property was founded by Robert Keenan in 1974 when he purchased a sprawling 180-acre tract of land perched at 1700 feet in altitude. And it was quite the undertaking: At the time, it was home to neglected, non-producing vines and the abandoned Peter Conradi Winery, among the first established on the mountain in the late 1800s. So, after complete replanting and rebuilding (using material from the original structure), Robert debuted his first vintage in 1977. After two decades, his son Michael entered the fold and introduced his “green” eco-friendly vision that he and his own son, Reilly, continue upholding today. In short, this is one of Napa’s premier mountain properties, and should you find yourself in Napa, please drop us or them a line—they’d love to host you!

Chardonnay aside, Keenan’s estate vines are largely planted to red Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Today’s “Mernet Reserve,” a portmanteau of Merlot and Cabernet, is a magnificent blend that is altered depending on the nuances of each vintage. In 2016, it was an equal split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that matured in a combination of French and American oak, 33% new, for a staggering 22 months before bottling in late 2018. It has rested undisturbed since then.

Antonio Galloni calls today’s 2016 “impeccable in its balance,” and that’s about as spot-on as tasting notes get. In so many instances, Napa Cabernets are driven by their extract, to the point where concentrated fruit masks the tannin/acid structure, like water breaching a dam. In today’s “Mernet,” the acidity and tannin are not only recognizable, they frame the fruit and keep its ripeness fully in check. It’s a great study in classical Bordeaux-blend structure, in that you can really feel the components of today’s wine fusing together to create perfect harmony. That’s why I cannot fathom this wine leaving a single person unsatisfied: It’s powerfully elegant and loaded with dense, dark-fruited layers that are only matched by a churning mineral core of smoky earth and crushed graphite. A dark, opaque garnet hue in the glass, it erupts with cassis, black cherry, red and blue plum, raspberry, licorice, clove, pencil lead, tobacco, vanilla bean, espresso, and mountain herbs. If you’re enjoying it now, decant this sublime, full-bodied beauty 60 minutes before serving in large Bordeaux stems around 65 degrees—but you should also feel confident in knowing that any bottles you stash away will age gracefully for 10, 15, 20+ years. That’s the beauty of Keenan. Enjoy this limited gen, and be on the lookout for today’s second offering. Two words: library release.