Wall Road Vineyard, Mount Veeder
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
AVA: Mount Veeder
Vineyard: Wall Road Vineyard
Winemaker: Jeff Ames
Cooperage: 22 Months French Oak, Taransaud and Darnajou
Wall Road Vineyard – This three-acre gem is located at the northern tip of the Mount Veeder AVA, due west of Oakville and the To Kalon vineyard. True to the Veeder AVA, this site delivers both the power and elegance we strive to achieve in our Mountain Cabernets. The elevation, slope orientation and well-drained soils yield fully ripened small berries with concentrated flavor.
Mount Veeder AVA – Known for its acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, this illustrious appellation produces graceful, expressive and world-renowned wine. Limited by nature, Mount Veeder’s rugged mountain terrain, high elevation and cooling influence from the San Pablo Bay allows for a long growing season that returns low, sought after yields. This results in powerful fruit with distinct berry flavors.
Vintage Notes – 2018 saw bud break, flowering and harvest later than normal. A mild summer with no noteworthy heat spikes meant generous sunny days and cooler marine influences. Extended fall sunshine created ideal conditions and allowed for extended hangtime as the grapes developed amazing phenolics and flavors. This vintage will likely be rated among the best in the past 20 years.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous – “Napa Valley experienced two stunning back-to-back vintages in 2018 and 2019 the likes of which I have never seen. Both vintages produced a bevy of breathtaking wines that will thrill Napa Valley fans”
Accolades – 2018 Wall Road Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 96+ | From the venture’s home vineyard on Mount Veeder, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Road Vineyard includes a bit of Cabernet Franc, which is picked at the same time as the Cabernet Sauvignon and co-fermented. Sage and thyme notes accent cassis and crushed stone on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied but restrained, concentrated and intense, with fine-grained tannins and a long, mouthwatering finish.
Jeb Dunnuck, 95 | The 2018 Wall Road Vineyard is a more structured wine which is normal for wines from the Mount Veeder AVA, a cooler, mountainous terroir. Giving up lots of red and black fruits intermixed with notes of scrub brush, tobacco, crushed rock, and freshly sharpened lead pencils, this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, some chalky tannins, terrific depth of fruit, and the concentration, structure and balance to improve over the coming 4-5 years and keep for two decades.