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Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, California, United StatesMt. Brave Vineyard sits high atop Mt. Veeder at 1,400 to 1,800 feet. The estate, on the western flank of Napa Valley, is named for the native Wappos who first called it home. Mt. Veeder has been planted to wine grapes since the early 1860s, while Mt. Brave Vineyard dates to 1841—before the Gold Rush and the Civil War. The site is all about high elevation and thin, rocky soils that present many winegrowing challenges. Four cabernet clones (191, 4, 8, and 337) and three rootstocks (3309C, 101-14, and 1103P) neutralise some of the issues in what is normally a slow moving, long, cool growing season above the fog line. Winemaker Chris Carpenter says “Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon is meant to show all that is Mt. Veeder without overt tannins, and the 2014 is a great example of that proposition". I say, is it ever; the finesse of this wine and the silkiness of the 2014 tannins is other-worldly. The wine fermented in stainless steel and goes through malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels (89 percent new). After some 19 months of barrel ageing it is bottled without fining or filtration. The attack mixes black raspberry/blackberry fruit, dried herbs and blueberries with a floral, mineral undercurrent that perfectly meshes with the silky tannins. The blend is 90.5/4/3.5/2 cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec. Cellar for a decade.Tasted: 02 March 2018Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $120.00 | 750ml | private wine shops |
| AB | $80.00 | 750ml | private wine shops |
Grape: Cabernet SauvignonCSPC: 272252
