"...tremendous aromatic nuance and freshness to play off a core of huge dark fruit."
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| “Mayacamas Vineyards is one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon producers in the history of California. While so many of its contemporaries who once shared the spotlight with Mayacamas have succumbed to the tides of fashion, Mayacamas continues to proudly maintain its heritage of producing long-lived, structured and classic mountain Cabernets that seemingly offer little to a modern wine world scarred with impatience …. But for those who long for great red wines that cellar with conviction and evolve in the course of time into brilliantly complex and compelling wines, Mayacamas remains one of the brightest stars in the constellation of California wine It is arguably the last man standing from the glory days of California’s past, when pioneering spirits sowed these fields from which so many subsequent producers have reaped the bounty. The great irony is that while Mayacamas Vineyards has faithfully stayed the course first fashioned by Bob and Elinor Travers soon after their purchase of this historically important estate in 1968, the world of wine has seen its attention span lessen, and the great quality of the Cabernet sauvignon at Mayacamas has gone from the center of the California wine universe to one of the best-kept and little discussed secrets buried in the mountain vineyards that tower above the Napa Valley ....
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| | The estate was first developed in 1889 by a San Francisco merchant and German immigrant named John Henry Fisher, who planted vineyards and built the stone winery that still houses the cellars to this day. Mount Veeder is an extinct volcano, and the vineyards of Mayacamas surround the winery that sits on the edge of this ancient volcanic crater. All of the Mayacamas vineyard plots lie at elevations between 1800 and 2400 feet above sea level, which plays a pivotal role in the qualities of the fruit that allow the Mayacamas wines to be among the very longest-lived of all California wines. At this altitude, not only are these volcanic soils thinner, forcing the vines to dig deep in search of the sustenance necessary for survival, but this is also above the inversion layer, so that the morning fogs that form an important component of many neighboring microclimates in the valleys below are not a factor up here. The long summer days here are characterized by bright and intense sunshine from early morning to late afternoon, but with the high elevation producing much cooler temperatures (particularly in the afternoon when vineyards down on the valley floor are simply baking away) that allow grapes here to retain excellent acidity levels that are extremely rare in most other viticultural areas in California ....
And given the stunning legacy of profound Cabernets that Bob Travers has turned out over his career, almost all of which continue to drink brilliantly, it is really a bit mystifying that more wineries are not looking to Mayacamas for inspiration on how to fashion their own Cabernets. When I spoke with Bob in preparation for this article, he related that he has always made wines in this manner, which he learned during his one-year stage with Joe Heitz in 1967, as well as long discussions he had with his friends in this era, which included Louis Martini, Andre Tchelistcheff, as well as Joe Heitz. As he noted, 'everyone made wine this way when I started at Mayacamas in 1968, and as these were the wines that I liked, I saw no reason to change anything as fashions came and went.'"
John Gilman, View From The Cellar |
| | | "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon was just bottled this past summer. It is of course a very young wine but possesses tremendous aromatic nuance and freshness to play off a core of huge dark fruit. Readers will have to be patient with the 2018, as it is an imposing, vertical Cabernet that needs years to be at its best. Bright floral and spice notes lift the soaring finish as the wine's inner sweetness gradually emerges over time. The 2018 is super-impressive. That's all there is to it."
Antonio Galloni, Vinous |
| | | "The 2019 Merlot is a real powerhouse. Rich dark fruit, leather, tobacco, grilled herbs and chocolate are dialed up. This extroverted, dense Merlot is going to need at least a decade to come into its own. Today, it is almost shockingly concentrated. Readers will find a Merlot that is mostly an expression of place rather than of variety. I loved it."
Antonio Galloni, Vinous |
| | | "The 2020 Chardonnay marries textural richness and energy, all in grand style. Lemon confit, white flowers and light tropical accents lend quite a bit of character. There is striking creaminess and oiliness to the feel, even though the malolactic fermentation was fully blocked. The 2020 is just gorgeous in the way it conveys mountain energy while avoiding any sense of austerity."
Antonio Galloni, Vinous |
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