Showing posts with label Mayacamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mayacamas. Show all posts

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Merlot 2006

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Merlot 2006

I pulled this from the cellar for casual sipping with some cheese and pate. I was longing for a Merlot, something a bit lighter than a firmer more structured Cabernet, and more subtle than a big forward fruit filled Syrah, two of our more common selections.

We’re heading to SoCal this week to visit sister Jan and Bro-in-law Bill, so I pulled from the cellar a couple of wines to take along to share when we’re together. I picked wines that we tasted together at the winery or estate. Hence, this wine was a prelude to those, one we picked up on one of our trips together to Napa. 

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Napa Valley MtVeeder Wine Experience back in 2011. During that last two decades, we learned to focus our trips and pare them down to wineries close to each other. This vastly simplified our planning, transit from site to site, and overall in-depth study and understanding of the area. We learned to focus on one appellation (wine region with similar characteristics of terroir – soil, elevation, climate, terrain, and so on.

We visited the Mayacamas estate, winery and vineyards on our last day of that trip.

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Merlot 2006

Dark garnet purple colored, medium full bodied, round, concentrated full black berry fruits with notes of bramble, smoke, pepper, spice and hint of tobacco with tangy acidity on the tongue puckering lingering finish. There was a fair amount of sediment that I should have strained or decanted off but in the simplicity of the evening, I simply popped and poured.

RM 89 points.   

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=994255

http://www.mayacamas.com/

https://twitter.com/mayacamaswine

@mayacamaswine 

 

Friday, May 31, 2019

Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon Mayacamas Range 2003

Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon Mayacamas Range 2003

In the tradition of the benchmark Schrader Cellars Cabernets, Double Diamond is the 'second label' produced in the Schrader tradition of excellence with a more affordable offering targeted at a broader audience of wine lovers. The first Double Diamond label release was in 2001. Subsequent releases were sourced from this Mayacamas Range estate vineyard in Sonoma, the Amber Knolls Vineyard in Red Hills across the Vaca range to the northeast if Napa Valley in Lake County, and estate vineyards in Oakville in central Napa Valley. As of 2016, the label is planned to be sourced solely from the Oakville Napa site. 

We hold a half dozen vintages of the range of Double Diamond labels. They provide good QPR (quality price ratio) quality Cabernet Sauvignon from a notable producer at a fraction of the price of their flagship brand.

Like the flagship Shrader brand, Double Diamond is also crafted by acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown and his team, using the finest techniques and natural resources available. The producer site says of the label: "It provides character-driven expression of America’s premier wine region in the tradition of earning critical acclaim and attracting passionate fans that Fred Shrader has established since 1998 with Schrader Cellars."

Garnet ruby colored, medium full bodied, black berry, black cherry and tangy plum fruits with notes of clove, mocha, smoke, game and baking spices turning to a layer of oak on the dry tannin finish. 

RM 89

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=97356

https://www.schradercellars.com/double-diamond-history 

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Lobster Bisque and Mayacamas Chardonnay

Lobster Bisque and Mayacamas Chardonnay for gala Birthday Celebration Brunch

For a gala family Sunday Brunch to celebrate daughter Erin's birthday, wife Linda prepared Erin's special favorite lobster bisque, complete with medallions of lobster tail. She also prepared crepes with fresh cherries, sausage egg strada, and a plate of fresh berries and fruits. Barb brought baked apple strudel and Michelle brought fresh baked cinnamon buns. To accompany the selection of fruit juices, I opened one of Linda's favorites, Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay.

We tasted this wine at the historic winery high atop Mt Veeder at the south end of the Mayacamas mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma valleys during our Mt Veeder Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011 and have kept each vintage in our cellar ever since.

The original historic Mayacamas winery (left) was originally built in 1889 by John Henry Fisher, a German immigrant. The property was acquired by Jack Taylor and his Californian wife in 1941 who re-christened the estate Mayacamas Vineyards and planted Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varietals. 

In the very early 1950’s, the Taylors terraced a steep, south-facing hillside 2,000 feet above the Napa Valley and planted Chardonnay. This vineyard, had a view of San Pablo Bay to the south with occasional views of the San Francisco skyline through the fog. This vineyard was named 'The Terraces' and for the next 60 years provided some of the finest Chardonnay grapes in the Napa Valley.

The property was taken over in 1968 by Robert Travers who had worked at Heitz Cellars. He and his wife Elinor continued to focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay striving to make wines of great character, depth, complexity, and longevity.

In July 2013, Mayacamas was purchased by Charles and Ali Banks in partnership with Jay Schottenstein and his son, Joey. Andy Erickson took over the Estate’s winemaking duties, and Phil Coturri took over farming and vineyard development.

The old vines of the Terraces vineyard had been deteriorating, so after a long and productive life, they were retired with the 2013 Harvest being their last. 

The 2013 harvest was small but was of exceptional quality, character, and intensity – a stand-out special release. That is being bottled as a special designated one time bottling for the 2013 vintage year. 

Hence, this 2012 vintage release will be the second to last of the Mayacamas Estate Chardonnay from the old historic vineyards as they have been replanted. 

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Mt Veeder Chardonnay 2012 

We visited the historic old winery and vineyards and tasted this wine at the winery and it was a standout as one of our favorites from that trip.

Straw colored, medium bodied, bracing acidity punctuated by sharp citrus with tones of pear, wet stone and hint of lime.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1960854

http://www.mayacamas.com/



Thursday, December 25, 2014

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007

For Christmas dinner Linda and Alec prepared surf and turf - beef tenderloin and lobster tails, which we paired with Mayacamas Chardonnay.  We tasted and obtained this wine at the winery during our Mt Veeder Appellation trip Napa Valley Wine Experience 2011. It was Linda's favorite Chardonnay of the trip and this is the last bottle acquired then. With their rather limited production, when we do see this wine in distribution it doesn't last long. The current 2012 release is currently available here around Chicago at Binny's, the wine mega merchant superstore so we've been able to replenish our cellar stock of this wine.

The medium bodied Mayacamas was clean and crisp and displayed an interesting vanilla like sweet cashew nut tone, the producer calls it almond, and fig, with nice balance and acidity ... both the producer and K&L refer to melon or cantaloupe, with a tone of stoniness and subtle French oak.

RM 88 points.

Bill C's notes on this wine from our tasting last Spring - "Medium, golden, straw color. Light nose of pear and a hint of citrus. A really delicious, nicely balanced but somewhat unconventional Chardonnay. We struggled a bit to identify the flavor profile, ultimately settling on notes of pecan or maybe cashew. Certainly there was some fruit as well, a bit of apple or pear. Really enjoyed this and tasted side by side with a 2007 Brewer Clifton Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills. Another somewhat unconventional Chardonnay with citrus overtones.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=863799

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Intersecting Lafon-Rochet Quintessa Wine Flight for Grilled Surf & Turf Dinner

Intersecting Lafon-Rochet Quintessa Wine Flight for Grilled Surf & Turf  Dinner

What a treat to be invited to Bill and Beth's to watch the Derby with native Kentuckian Beth, and to kick off the summer outdoor grilling barbecue season. Bill and Beth hosted dinner with grilled sirloin steaks and Linda took a pair of lobster tails for a surf and turf combination.

As is our custom, I called Bill for guidance on his strategy for the wine selection. He had pulled from the cellar a Château Lafon-Rochet 1995 and a Quintessa Napa Valley 2003. Sorting through my cellar database I selected a bottle to intersect Bill's two bottles. I pulled from the cellar a Lafon-Rochet 2003 vintage to compare with the 1995 and to match the Quintessa vintage release.

To accompany the lobster, I took at Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2007. When we arrived, lo and behold, Bill was serving a 2007 vintage California Chardonnay - Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay. We tasted and acquired this wine together at the winery during our Napa Valley Mt Veeder experience in 2011. This chardonnay was a highlight of our discoveries that week and we both agree we wish we had acquired more. From a mixed case we split, we hold two bottles of this while Bill has one left. The two California Chardonnays presented a interesting contrast in styles perhaps reflecting their disparate terroir.

The chardonnay's were enjoyed with a cheese plate and mixed nuts before the lobster medallions with drawn butter.

All the red Bordeaux blends were perfect complement to the sirloin steak along with green beans with bacon and shallots, baked potatoes and a dinner salad.  

After dinner Beth served delicious Derby chocolate and pecan pie with ice cream and coffee.

Mayacamas Mt Veeder Chardonnay 2007

The Mayacamas was clean and crisp and displayed an interesting vanilla like sweet cashew nut tone, the producer calls it almond, and fig... both the producer and K&L refer to melon or cantaloupe, with a tone of stoniness and subtle French oak.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=863799

http://www.mayacamas.com/

Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2007 

This is the first wine from Brewer-Clifton that isn't vineyard-designated. It combines fruit from four premium vineyard sites situated along Highway 246, in the heart of this extremely cool appellation.

It was crisp, restrained with lively acidity, showing lemon and lime citrus tones with a layer of flint, hints of melon and peach.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=540244

Château Lafon-Rochet St Estephe Bordeaux 1995 and 2003

The lineage of these two vintage releases was more apparent over the course of the evening as the two bottle settled and opened to reveal their native character. They both displayed dark purple/ruby color although the '95 was starting to show its age with a brickish hue starting to form.

As shown in the picture at the left, notice the Lafon-Rochet label design and capsule changed between the '95 and the '03. 

Both were medium-full bodied with slightly opacity and showing the same distinctive tasting soft smooth profile. The '03 opened with more vibrant and expressive fruit and floral tones but the two wines converged to be more similar over the evening.

Both showed full forward blackberry fruit with tones of cassis, earth and hints of tobacco, low acidity and a somewhat subdued finish.

Parker said the drinking window for the '95 is 2003-2018 and I think that is trending true as this was starting to show its age probably indicating the end of its prime drinking window. Drink up over the coming three to five years before it begins to diminish.

2003 - RM 89; 1995 RM 88

1995 - https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1573
2003 - https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19294

Quintessa Napa Valley Red Wine 2003

This eleven year old showed similar aging to '03 Lafon-Rochet with its tones of tobacco and leather lurking behind the vibrant and expressive fruit. It showed an interesting similarity in color and body as the Bordeaux however was more complex and rounded with a wider range of fruit flavors.

As is typically the case, the California Cabernet was bolder and brighter and more forward than the Bordeaux, however in this case, the Quintessa is a Bordeaux style blend. Indeed, it showed and presented itself very much like a Bordeaux in style and character.

We visited the spectacular Quintessa winery in Napa during our Napa Wine Experience 2003.

Medium-full bodied, dark purple ruby colored, complex but nicely balanced full forward vibrant ripe blackberry fruit predominates with tones of mocha and cassis, hints of tobacco, tea and oak with silky smooth well integrated tannins.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=152486

http://quintessa.com/

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Schrader Double Diamond Mayacamas Range Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Schrader Double Diamond Mayacamas Range Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2002


Medium bodied - dark berry fruits, blackberry, black raspberry and currant with hints of mocha and cassis with a subdued spicy, moderate tannin lingering finish.
RM 88 points.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter Brunch Festive Dining with Fine Wines

Easter Brunch Festive Dining with Fine Wines

Easter weekend featured festive dining with family with home cooked preparations matched with fine wines. Easter eve featured Mayacamas Napa Valley Mt Veeder Merlot 2006 and Chardonnay 2009 served with lasagna and baked chicken respectively. We tasted and just received these wines from our recent Napa Valley Mt Veeder Appellation Trail Wine Experience visit to the winery. We featured these for sister Jan visiting from Cal accompanied us on the trip but left early and missed the Mayacamas visit and tasting.

 Easter brunch at home after church featured Eggs Benedict with lobster medallions, with hollandaise and asparagus spears. Also featured was a remarkable blueberry french toast bake. The wine accompaniment was Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese 2006.




Easter evening we tasted Elan Napa Valley Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 with artisan cheeses and medallions of beef filet with carmelized onions. The Elan tasted remarkably like a vintage Bordeaux with huge floral scents, earthy leather, black fruits, smoke and black cherry with hints of anise and cedar. This wine originally tasted at the winery with producer Richard Elliott-Smith and his lovely wife Linda back during our 1998 Napa Wine Experience (see picture and caption below).

It was true to Richard's Bordeaux roots in flavor, character and apparent age-worthiness as this seventeen year old is not only holding well but is revealing itself more profoundly than earlier tastings. Tasted with artisan cheeses and medallions of beef filet with carmelized onions it went well with the hearty blue cheese and aged cheddar. RM 90 points





Linda & Rick, Richard & Linda, Phil W. and AJ
tasting Elan Cabernet Sauvignon at Monticello Winery in 1998.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Mayacamas Mt Veeder Winery & Vineyards

Mt Veeder Appellation Trail - Mayacamas Mt Veeder Winery & Vineyards

A visit to Mt Veeder would not be complete without a visit to the legendary Mayacamas Mt Veeder Winery & Vineyards. Founded and operated as a winery going back to the late 1800's, the current owners, Robert and Elinor Travers bought Mayacamas Vineyards back in 1968.





Located up and back off of Lokoya Road in the rugged Mt Veeder highlands located between 1,800 to 2,400 feet.are the mountain Mayacamas vineyards. Consisting of rich volcanic soil the vineyards  produce small grapes with distinctive, intense flavors.


Bob Travers remains the winemaker, producing about 4,000 cases annually, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, with some Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. About 1,500 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon are made each year - blended with small amounts, 10% to 15%,  of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.  Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon is typically best consumed between twelve to twenty five years of age although some vintages will be at or near their best for even longer. Annual production of Chardonnay is about 1,500 cases. The remainder is split between a larger portion of Sauvignon Blanc and then Merlot which is blended with about 10% Caberrnet Sauvignon, with a small portion of Pinot Noir.

Wine flight of current release Mayacamas wines

Mayacamas Wines tasted (and purchased):

Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

Winemaker's Comments: Deep, brooding blackberry and black cherry aromas, along with a sage-like dimension, on the nose.  The acidity on the tongue balances the surprisingly supple tannins.  Red currants and plums on the palate finish very long.  Will age gracefully for many years. 
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot  
RM 91 points.






Mayacamas Chardonnay 2007
The nose is tropical - - banana peel, pineapple tart, and a bit of effervescent lemon. on the palate, more lemon character is joined by a hint of white peaches, and the subtlest vanilla. The hallmark fresh acidity is in form here.
RM 88 points.




Mayacamas Merlot 2006

Vivid cherry and plum aromas and shades of bay leaf on the nose. The smooth mouthfeel is enlivened with bright acidity. More cherry in the mid-palate, along with a licorice edge. The finish is long. Very classical in its structure. 
RM 89 points.






Mayacamas Sauvignon Blanc 2007 

Honeydew melon rind on the nose gives way to freshly cut limes on the palate. Diamond-like precision in the acid balance and focused fruit make this a bright, lovely wine to go with shellfish and all manner of seafood.
RM 88 points. 




    Historic Mayacamas Mt Veeder Winery
    Mayacamas wine cellar where small quantities of crafted wines are produced.
    No frills down-to-earth Mayacamas Vineyards tasting room

    Picturesque grounds of the rugged Mt Veeder mountain estate.