“Mayacamas Winemakers Braiden Albrecht, and Andy Erickson share their notes on the 2015 Mayacamas Merlot released in the Spring of 2019. Filmed at Mayacamas Vineyards 2019 @ Bonafide Productions”

“Mayacamas Winemakers Braiden Albrecht, and Andy Erickson share their notes on the 2017 Mayacamas Chardonnay released in the Spring of 2019. Filmed at Mayacamas Vineyards 2019 @ Bonafide Productions”

“This packs in a lot of juicy black currant and blackberry paste notes, with lively licorice snap and bramble accents filling the available space. A roasted apple wood accent lends a mouthwatering edge while a tarry echo at the very end adds range and length. Should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2045.—J.M.”

“He points out how the burned trees on the hills in the distance have changed the views. "You didn't used to be able to see San Francisco from here," he says.”

“Dry-farming, high elevation and maturation in a variety of barrel sizes has produced a most elegant wine here. Roast cashew and roast hazelnut aromas segue seamlessly into concentrated notions of lemon oil and zest. This is fluid and concentrated, powerful but poised. The finish is clean-cut, citrus-scented and long, echoing life and verve.”

“From the mighty dry-farmed site within the secluded appellation, this incredible wine is expressive in tones of flint, fig, pear and lemon peel, with lasting acidity that brightens and freshens the palate. Medium bodied, it's soft in feel yet structured, balanced and complex.”

“The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon shows the best qualities of the year to great effect. Powerful, incisive and tannic, yet also medium-bodied in structure, the 2014 is laser-focused and exceptionally beautiful. Precision and finely sculpted, the 2014 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own, but it is incredibly vivid and poised, even at this early stage. Red fruit, wild flowers, orange peel and chalk add brightness throughout.”

“The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Golden Hill emerges from a single block on the estate planted with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel, the 2014 possesses remarkable finesse and stunning beauty. The Golden Hill has a level of mid-palate depth and resonance that distinguishes it from the straight Mayacamas Cabernet. A vivid wine with breathtaking depth and complexity, the 2014 is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. In this tasting, it is utterly thrilling from the first taste.”

“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep, powerful wine. Interestingly, the 2015 has shut down considerably since I last tasted it a year ago. That is probably a very good sign for the wine's longevity. There is plenty of vintage 2015 richness and fruit intensity, but the tannins are equally imposing. The 2015 was racked about two months before this tasting, which likely plays a role in how the wine shows. Sadly, yields are down 50%.”

“The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a huge, dark wine. Virile, imposing and massively structured in the glass, the 2013 is a wine for readers who can be patient. The flavors are dark, bold and incisive, with potent tannins and a real feeling of gravitas to back things up. Black cherry, game, smoke, gravel and licorice add to an impression of brooding intensity. In many ways, the 2013 reminds me of some of the great wines of the 1970s in its dark, imposing personality.”

“First stop of the day was Mayacamas, where a rep from the winery tells us the entire Cavaliers organization—about 60 people total—spent about an hour and a half on the property, touring the facility and tasting Mayacamas' two current vintages, the 2013 Cabernet and the 2015 Chardonnay, as well as the 2003 Cabernet for comparison. The occasion was particularly poignant because the Cavs were the first group the winery hosted since the October wildfires destroyed the Mayacamas tasting room.”

“At the crest of Mount Veeder, a sinuous appellation that clings to the Mayacamas Mountains’ southern reaches, rests Mayacamas Vineyards – as it has for over a century. Here, at 2,400 feet, above the din of Napa’s valley floor, fifty acres of vines quietly speak to both an unshakeable past and a fortitude for the future. Their fruit finds its voice in a stone cellar built in 1889, and when bottled, it shares with us a story of humility and commitment – unadorned, with concentration, elegance, and balance.”

“This represents an exciting and happy new chapter for Mayacamas Vineyards,” stated Jay Schottenstein. “Since 2013 our family has been committed to the long-term stewardship of this property, and assuming 100% ownership assures the continuity of our vision and the preservation of this historic estate.”

“Perched atop the rugged Mayacamas Mountains that divide the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, this prized site produces some of the purest, most complex Cabernet Sauvignons in the world… The spectacular wine—soulful with the aromas of black currant, dried cherry, cedar, and leather—is reminiscent of great Bordeaux and yet still quintessentially old-school Napa Valley. ”