These beautiful Mt. Veeder wines have an interesting origin. The impending collapse of the grape market in California in 2024 is all that made them possible.

Wise producers foresaw difficulties on the horizon in the leadup to Harvest 2023. Suddenly, small amounts of high-quality fruit were going unsold. The vineyards selling the fruit did not want their names used, for fear of harming their reputations, and their existing relationships with other buyers of their fruit. So I can't tell you exactly where this wine is from-- but I can say that it is from a single, venerable, vineyard high up on the west side of Mt. Veeder, off Patrick Road. I used to ride my bike past it on long climbs.

I can also say that in the market for grapes that pre-existed this collapse, I never could have afforded Mountain Cabernet from Napa.

The winemaking is classical: very similar to the techniques that I employed to make my Mountain Cabernets from Margit's and Chuy, beginning in 2006. Margit's and Chuy were very noble vineyards on the west side of Spring Mountain, planted in the late 1970sThey are geologically continuous with Mt. Veeder and only about a dozen miles away.

The fruit was destemmed, fermented in upright puncheons with daily punchdowns, about 30 days of total maceration, then one and half years of aging in neutral oak barrels. A small amount of SO2 at fruit reception, then no more until bottling.

In a year or two, it will perhaps become too expensive again to make this wine. It is really impossible to know, difficult even to imagine with clarity, the future of the wine market in the US. For the moment, I am so glad for this strange opportunity.

We will begin shipping these wines on May 2 2025.