Pride Mountain Vineyards, Cabernet & Merlot Two-Pack

It’s a testament to Pride’s success that they don’t have a vast “library” of back-vintage wines to sell. But it’s also a function of scale: This iconic estate, way up on Napa’s Spring Mountain, doesn’t produce anywhere near the kind of quantities turned out by the average château in Bordeaux. But that’s not going to stop us from asking, and as luck would have it, we managed to pry away just a few cases each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the 2014 vintage for today’s blockbuster two-pack.

Although both wines are dramatic, category-defining bottles on their own, we decided to package them together to create a more immersive, wider-lens Pride Mountain experience. So, whether you decide to taste these rare gems side-by-side or in succession, this pairing is not only a master class in varietal character but in Napa/Sonoma mountain terroir as well. It provides answers to so many questions. We know that Cabernet Sauvignon from Spring Mountain can age, but what about Merlot? Yes, it most definitely can! And, while we’re on the topic of Merlot, can it be as deep and profound as Cabernet while also being distinct? The answer is “yes” to that, too. But then there’s a question I don’t have the answer to: How can two such iconic, best-in-class wines, with bottle age, be available at such a reasonable price? My advice is not to dwell on that, and to act quickly if you’d like to secure some for yourself. You’ll be so glad you did!

Every time I taste a Pride wine (and we have offered many over the years), I can’t help but conjure comparisons to the greatest wines of Bordeaux. But, at the same time, I feel like these wines need to be judged on their own merits, without the need for a Bordeaux comparison for validation. California has been doing Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for a long time now, and it does it as well or better than anyone else in the world. And in appellations like Spring Mountain, producers like Pride have found a way to combine the intense concentration and ripeness typical of California with a more “classical” structure: these aren’t viscous fruit bombs but wines framed by freshness and firm, fine tannins. The conditions on Spring Mountain are radically different than those in Bordeaux, even if the resulting wines end up being kindred spirits.

Jim and Carolyn Pride purchased what would become Pride Mountain Vineyards in 1989; previously, the property was known as the Summit Ranch, situated at a crest in the Mayacamas range not far from other high-elevation icons like Smith-Madrone and Spring Mountain Vineyards. Wines had been made at Summit Ranch as far back as the 1890s, but Prohibition turned the place into one of Napa’s many “ghost wineries,” the ruins of which are still found on the property today. Climbing up to about 2,000 feet above the valley floor and covering some 85 acres of undulating vineyards, the Pride Mountain estate is the kind of special, secluded place that, once you’ve seen it, turns you into a lifetime customer.

Because the vineyards straddle the Napa/Sonoma County line, today’s wines both indicate the percentages of grapes used from either side. The Merlot is predominantly from the Napa County side (80%), while the Cabernet Sauvignon is a 59%-41% Napa-Sonoma split. Both are labeled as “varietal” wines but, as is typical, neither contains 100% of the stated grape. Both wines contain 88% of their stated variety and were aged 18 months in 40% new French oak.

And both are drinking beautifully now, with at least 10 more years of graceful maturation ahead. I would probably start with the Merlot, which, while more softly contoured than its Cabernet sibling, is more firmly structured and powerful than 90% of the Merlot you’ll encounter in the world. It offers textbook aromas and flavors of black plum, mocha, warm spice, and violet on a full-bodied, velvety frame (if you’re still on that whole “I don’t drink Merlot” thing, this wine will put you off that nonsense for good). As for the Cabernet Sauvignon, well, I’ll repeat something I’ve said about this wine before: great mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t just about power. The precision balance of this wine is the story—it is richly layered without being sweet or syrupy, and structured without being aggressively tannic. In the glass, it’s an opaque ruby with a black-ish tint, with a big blast of dark fruits leading things off: blackberry, mulberry, cassis, currant. Then the savory elements chime in: cacao, warm spice, leather, tobacco, cedar. It is the perfect kind of full-bodied, palate-coating, fresh red that finishes with a violet-scented flourish. 

If enjoying either bottle now, decant it 60 minutes before serving in big Bordeaux stems at 65 degrees, being sure to pair it with an appropriately hedonistic meal. Maybe a side-by-side tasting with friends post-COVID? Or by yourself right now? Either way, you’re in for a treat. Enjoy!