Edition 43 | September 2023

Hello Mountain Wine Club!

The September Mountain Wine Club shipment is an exploration of some of Napa’s Finest Mountain AVAs. What do grapes grown high above the fog line taste like? How can two mountain-grown Cabernets be so distinctive? The combination of soil and light are powerful forces in the creation of exceptional wine. That’s the beauty of terroir; it is what drives people to study and travel and taste as many wines as they can.

The 2016 Mount Brave Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the ancient seabed soils of Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley’s largest AVA. While it has the most acreage—a total of over 15,000 acres surrounding the eponymous mountain—only about 1,000 are planted for grapes. This is rugged terrain, a harsh and demanding place to grow anything, where we must eschew the most modern mechanized viticulture practices. The elevation is high, the slopes are steep, and the nutrients are low. All these factors cause the grapes to struggle and produce concentrated, intense wines. Winegrowing on Mt. Veeder is not for the timid—which is part of what makes it so exciting.

Located in the northwest of Napa Count and comprised of volcanic soils, Diamond Mountain District is home to the 2019 Restricted Cabernet Sauvignon. Reaching up to 2,200 feet in elevation, Diamond Mountain sits above the fog line and benefits from moderately warmer temperatures. Featuring a great tannin structure and blue fruit characters, Diamond Mountain District produces wines with excellent structure and minerality. In an expressive vintage like 2019, this wine exemplifies the magnificence of mountain-grown fruit and the uniqueness of the AVA.

Peace,

Winemaker Chris Carpenter