An absolute treasure has just landed at SommSelect. Kept under lock and key in the historic stone cellars of Mount Veeder, the 2013 Mayacamas Vineyards "Red Wine" has never been released to the general public until this exclusive campaign. This rare, Cabernet Franc-dominated blend represents a monumental throwback style of winemaking—one that immediately evokes a legendary, blind taste-off with the world's most famed Cabernet Franc masterpiece, Château Cheval Blanc of Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux. Sourced from pristine, mint-condition library stocks, this defining expression of mountain terroir comes from an estate John Gilman calls "arguably the last man standing from the glory days of California’s past." For collectors of both Napa and Right Bank Bordeaux, this is an essential addition to any serious cellar.

The 2013 vintage on Mount Veeder yielded a once-in-a-generation classic. As Antonio Galloni noted in his Vinous report, the 2013s are "viscerally thrilling... inky, vibrant, and structured," producing some of the most profound young wines in the world built to "age at a glacial pace." Mayacamas's rugged vineyards—perched up to 2,400 feet in well-drained, low-fertility volcanic soils—naturally restrict yields to produce intensely concentrated fruit. Fermented in traditional cement and aged in large, neutral oak foudres, this wine bypasses modern, heavy-handed oak trends, charting the same powerful, age-worthy structure that allowed Mayacamas to famously triumph over top French estates in the historic Judgment of Paris anniversary tastings.

Pouring a deep, reflective garnet, the wine explodes with lifted aromatics of crushed dried violets, wild raspberry, and black plum. The primal richness of the fruit quickly shifts gears on the palate, unfolding into a deeply savory, umami-driven landscape of fermented tobacco leaf, coastal forest mushrooms, and cured meats. It is a stunningly complex, chiseled expression of mountain Cabernet Franc that seamlessly balances elegance with raw power. We highly recommend giving this bottle a rigorous one-to-two-hour decant if you are opening it tonight. Otherwise, tuck it away for another 5 to 8 years, and be sure to secure two or more bottles so you can chart its glorious evolution over the next decade.

Cheers & Taste Well!