Godspeed Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Eric and Cathy brought this to our OTBN gala last month. We both discovered and acquired this wine at the vineyard/producer during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Wine Experience back in 2011.
Godspeed Vineyards is a small production label from this boutique producer. Ironically, I saw some available at Total Wine up in Minnesota just the week prior to my previous tasting back in 2016.
Godspeed is a small production boutique grower on Napa Valley Mount Veeder situated in a remote location to the north end of the vast Mt Veeder appellation up on Mt Veeder Road above the town of Yountville down below.
Goodspeed vineyards, first planted in 1987, possess terroir for growing classic Napa mountain Cabernet
Sauvignon, with steep hillsides and mixed sedimentary and volcanic
soils. The hillside vineyard sits at an average
elevation of 1500 feet above the valley facing predominantly East, Northeast. Temperatures are usually 10-12
degrees cooler than the valley, and the vineyard is generally above the
morning fog, giving longer days of sunshine, which normally allows for
an earlier harvest. The vines snake across the hillside slopes producing
small clusters of deeply concentrated grapes.
The vineyard is the project of Larry Stricker and his son David. Larry is an acclaimed architect who has created world class resort hotels, including the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona; the Marriott Desert Springs Resort and a series of Hawaiian properties including the Halekulani, Kahala Resort, Kapalua Bay Hotel and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel.
Godspeed sells most of their Godspeed Mount Veeder estate grown fruit to recognized wineries including Sbragia, Newton, Mayacamas, Robert Craig, Bremmer, William Hill & Monticello.
Since 1990 they kept about half the vineyard production and bottled their own hand crafted wine under under the Godspeed label.
Godspeed grows and produces four different varietal estate wines under the Godspeed brand: about 500 cases each of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, some Malbec and about 600 cases of Trinity, a unique blend of estate grown Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah sourced from partner grower.
For the 2005 vintage year, the blend was: 42% Godspeed Vineyards, Mount Veeder, Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Godspeed Vineyards, Mount Veeder, Malbec, and 33% Monticello Vineyards, Oak Knoll, Syrah.
In some years, they also produce a Non-Vintage Late Harvest Chardonnay dessert wine they call "Amen".
The 2013 Sbragia "Godspeed Vineyard" Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon sold for about $80 and was awarded 94 points by Wine Enthusiast and 93-95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
Godspeed Vineyards Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Tonight, Linda prepared for dinner chicken marsala in a brown sauce with brown rice so I pulled this aged Napa Cab as a pairing complement.
My last published tasting note for this label was back in 2016 when I wrote, "This was drinking very nicely in its twelfth year and may be at its prime, not likely to improve further with more aging. This 2004 was the best showing of this label that I have had to my recollection."
This was dark blackish purple/garnet colored, medium-full bodied, aromatic, black berry and black raspberry fruit flavors, a bit tight and firmly structured, the fruits are starting to give way to a predominant tone of licorice, notes of creosote and cedar with hints of truffle, spice tobacco and green pepper, turning to moderate tannins on the long finish.
RM 87 points.
In 2012 this was awarded 92 points by Wine & Spirits Guild of America.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1106764
Lasted tasted and published at https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/12/godspeed-mt-veeder-cabernet-sauvignon.html.
https://godspeedvineyards.webs.com/
Eric and Cathy brought this to our OTBN gala last month. We both discovered and acquired this wine at the vineyard/producer during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder Wine Experience back in 2011.
Godspeed Vineyards is a small production label from this boutique producer. Ironically, I saw some available at Total Wine up in Minnesota just the week prior to my previous tasting back in 2016.
Godspeed is a small production boutique grower on Napa Valley Mount Veeder situated in a remote location to the north end of the vast Mt Veeder appellation up on Mt Veeder Road above the town of Yountville down below.
 |
| Godspeed Vineyard |
The vineyard is the project of Larry Stricker and his son David. Larry is an acclaimed architect who has created world class resort hotels, including the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona; the Marriott Desert Springs Resort and a series of Hawaiian properties including the Halekulani, Kahala Resort, Kapalua Bay Hotel and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel.
 |
| Bill, Jan, Linda, Bill and Beth with David Stricker |
Since 1990 they kept about half the vineyard production and bottled their own hand crafted wine under under the Godspeed label.
Godspeed grows and produces four different varietal estate wines under the Godspeed brand: about 500 cases each of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, some Malbec and about 600 cases of Trinity, a unique blend of estate grown Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah sourced from partner grower.
For the 2005 vintage year, the blend was: 42% Godspeed Vineyards, Mount Veeder, Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Godspeed Vineyards, Mount Veeder, Malbec, and 33% Monticello Vineyards, Oak Knoll, Syrah.
In some years, they also produce a Non-Vintage Late Harvest Chardonnay dessert wine they call "Amen".
The 2013 Sbragia "Godspeed Vineyard" Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon sold for about $80 and was awarded 94 points by Wine Enthusiast and 93-95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
Godspeed Vineyards Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
My last published tasting note for this label was back in 2016 when I wrote, "This was drinking very nicely in its twelfth year and may be at its prime, not likely to improve further with more aging. This 2004 was the best showing of this label that I have had to my recollection."
This was dark blackish purple/garnet colored, medium-full bodied, aromatic, black berry and black raspberry fruit flavors, a bit tight and firmly structured, the fruits are starting to give way to a predominant tone of licorice, notes of creosote and cedar with hints of truffle, spice tobacco and green pepper, turning to moderate tannins on the long finish.
RM 87 points.
In 2012 this was awarded 92 points by Wine & Spirits Guild of America.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1106764
Lasted tasted and published at https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/12/godspeed-mt-veeder-cabernet-sauvignon.html.
https://godspeedvineyards.webs.com/
