The Mayacamas winery is easily one of the most historic producers in the entire Napa Valley AVA. This iconic property was instrumental in pushing Napa to the top of global wine destinations, but just as importantly, they continue to lead the way in both innovation and tradition. From their perch high in the mountains for which they are named, they have an eagle eye on both the past and the future of the valley below. Oh, and they continue to make among the most profound, complex, and age-worthy Cabernet in California, and arguably the world. They have never chased trends or scores, just pure Mount Veeder terroir. This is blue-chip Napa, with impeccable pedigree, and though it isn’t cheap, we can offer one of the best prices in the U.S. This is a must have for any and all wine lovers!
BONUS: We have been granted access to a tiny allocation of library Cabernet from the 2003 vintage. The wine has spent its entire life aging in the cold cellars on Mt. Veeder where it was born, and it is drinking phenomenally right now. Click HERE to grab a bottle or two before they’re gone!
The world-class Mayacamas winery was originally established in 1889 by John Henry Fisher, a San Francisco businessman, who used the local stone to build the cellar that is still in use today. After the 1906 earthquake, he was forced to declare bankruptcy and the property was sold for a mere $5,000 (in today’s dollars that might get you a down payment on a small condo in Napa). WWI and then Prohibition saw the vines and the winery essentially sit idle until 1941, when Jack and Mary Taylor purchased the property. They were the first in a series of innovative owners, and along with improvements to the cellar, their most impactful contribution was replanting the old vineyards (mostly Zinfandel and some other blending grapes) to Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. That may seem like an obvious move, looking 80 years in the rear view mirror, but at the time Cabernet was a true anomaly in Napa…go figure!
In 1968 the Taylors sold the property to Bob and Eleanor Travers, and the “modern” era began. Fresh from his work with another blossoming Napa legend, Heitz, Bob was instrumental in adding additional barrels, of various sizes, to the cellar and instituting traditional, European winemaking techniques. His talents, along with the inherent qualities of the distinct Mayacamas terroir, were recognized almost immediately, with his 1971 vintage being chosen as one of the wines to represent California in the famous Judgment of Paris. Vintage after vintage of Mayacamas was released to widespread acclaim, and even as Napa grew into the global wine powerhouse that it is today–and as styles and trends continue to come and go—Bob continued to make the same beautifully complex and long-lived wines.
A little over a decade ago, Bob and Eleanor decided it was time to retire, so they sold their iconic estate to the Schottenstein Family. Recognizing the long, storied history of the property and the decades-long love affair many customers have had with the wines of Mayacamas, the family and their team sought to improve the health and well being of the vines and the cellar without sacrificing the old-school complexity of the wines. Farming was converted to fully organic beginning in 2013, and today many biodynamic practices are used. Some of Bob’s famous old barrels did need replacing, but by and large the cellar got just some basic maintenance and cleaning and the core of the aging program—French oak casks, mostly neutral, and of various sizes—remains fully intact.
To say that the 2020 vintage was challenging in Napa would be an understatement. Pandemic restrictions, heat, drought, and wildfires all took their toll. But somehow the team was able to harvest a small but excellent crop of Cabernet. This is a dense, powerfully structured rendition that will need many years to blossom into the world class wine it is. If you do want to crack one open in the next two to three years, decant it for at least two hours or more. Serve at cellar temperature in a large Bordeaux stem, and the deep, garnet hue will open with a flourish of wild blueberries and blackberries, kirsch, sagebrush, mint, lilacs, blood orange zest, cedarwood, and hints of graphite and iodine. It’s perfect for anything you want to grill, but with a wine of this caliber it’s best not to overthink it: get the best, grass fed ribeye you can find and serve with crispy some rosemary potatoes. If you want to have a legendary Napa wine from an exceptional vintage in your cellar, Mayacamas is 100% the way to go!
