Resembling a giant staircase, Mount Veeder's vines are planted on wide terraces of earth cut into steep slopes. At elevations of 1,000 to 1,600 feet, the microclimate is very different from the Napa Valley floor. Above the fog bank, exposed to the gentle morning sun and protected from the afternoon heat by the surrounding mountains, grapes on these vines ripen slowly and evenly. And in autumn, the mountain's cool days and warm nights mean extra hang time.
Mount Veeder vines speak a language all their own. Becoming fluent in that language, fully understanding all its subtleties and nuance is the trick to making great wine from mountain vineyards. Over the years, The team at Mount Veeder has come to know the contours, dips, and ridges of the mountain and the sequence of ripening that is the key to it all. A Mount Veeder harvest is a Zen-like art of moving across a three-dimensional chessboard. Take the uphill side of the vine only, or the downhill side, or just the north, south, east, or west section. We pick only what’s ready and at peak flavor and ripeness. It’s a complex endeavor, and needs to be carved with precision, matching areas of the block that are at the same level of ripeness, and leaving other areas to mature another week or more.
This 2018 Cab is a winner. James Suckling scored it 95 points saying "Plenty of blueberry and chocolate aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with round, fresh tannins. Lot of blue fruit and walnuts. Then crushed stones with the fruit at the finish. Flavorful, yet not overdone. Give this four or five years to come around. Try after 2025."
The Wine Advocate scored it 92+ saying "A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep garnet-purple color. The nose absolutely sings of warm blackcurrants, black cherries and mulberries plus fragrant suggestions of chocolate box, lilacs and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with energetic, crunchy black fruit flavors, framed by ripe, fine-grained tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. What a bargain price for this classic Napa Cab beauty!"
Decanter Magazine scored it 92 points saying "Mount Veeder offers a higher level of consistency and relative value across an impressive array of price points than other Napa mountain appellations. At the lower end of this spectrum, Mount Veeder winery has made a complete and multifaceted example of this unique Napa subregion. Blue fruited, herbal and rustic on the nose with a direct, to-the-point texture, finishing with a typical, Mount Veeder brambly-edge. 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec. Drinking Window 2023 - 2031"
This was Wine Spectator's Value Pick of the Week with a score of 93 points they said "Solid, with a loamy edge guiding the core of warmed cassis and plum reduction flavors along. Subtle sweet bay leaf, apple wood and anise notes fill in on the finish. Drink now through 2032."