High Above Napa Valley
Mountain Wines Compete Favorably With the More Expensive Valley Wine
Apr 25, 2009
Rising above California's Napa Valley are two mountain ranges. To the east lie Howell Mountain and Atlas Peak. To the west is the Mayacamas range, encompassing three distinct viticultural areas-Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain, and Diamond Mountain. There are around 40 wineries in these three appellations. All are relatively small; most are tiny wineries that sell their splendid products only to their mailing list and through their websites.
These are difficult sites to cultivate. Soils are largely volcanic tuff and the topsoil is a foot deep, with luck. Some topsoils are as shallow as 6" and must be blasted with dynamite to be broken up to support grapevines. In deep or fractured soils, grapevines can extend down as much as 30 feet or more in search of water and nutrients. But when they hit bedrock after a foot, they spread out horizontally and must be carefully irrigated. This is also the case in California's Carneros AVA, home to exquisite Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Farming these mountain vineyards is backbreaking and labor intensive. The resulting wines are distinctive and profound, largely a result of the unique growing conditions that separate the mountain terroir from the valley floor.
Napa Valley Mountain Varieties
This is red wine country, although there is some Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Around 80% of the production is Cabernet Sauvignon. Fine Cabernet Sauvignon from the best sites on the valley floor retail well over $100. The Mayacamas appellations offer superb Cabernets averaging $60. The problem is finding them since most of these tiny wineries have case productions under a thousand and little or no distribution other than their websites.
Are there differences in the flavor profiles of Cabernet Sauvignon from the valley floor vs. the mountains? You bet. But they're subtle. Valley floor Cabernets are full, round, fruity, and mouthfilling. Those from the eastern mountains often contain chocolate notes. The Mayacamas Cabernets are also fruit driven (there are exceptions), but tend to contain excellent structure with a backbone of soft tannins and more mineral and herbal components than their lower elevation cousins.
Recommendations
The Mayacamus Cabernets are every bit as fine as their much more expensive valley counterparts, just possessing a slightly different flavor profile. Try the excellent Cabernets from Barnett Vineyards, Pride Mountain, or Yates Family Vineyard. Godspeed Vineyards (mtveederwines.com) offers a fine Cabernet at an extremely attractive price.
Cabernet Sauvignon is not the only game in town here. Some of California's finest Syrah is found here. Try the voluptuous Meredith-Lagier Syrah or the rich, mouthfilling Sherwin Family Vineyards Dry Creek Syrah (sherwinfamilyvineyards.com).
Mayacamus Merlot is wonderful. Much of it is blended with around 10% Cabernet Franc for structure and a note of cassis. Try the splendid Merlots from Coho (cohowines.com), Newton Vineyard (newtonvineyard.com) and Pride Mountain (pridewines.com).A terrific sleeper is the Fleur de Veeder Merlot from Yates Family Vineyard (yatesfamilyvineyard.com). It's 100% estate-grown Merlot and priced at $35-a great bargain for such a fine Merlot.
