A world-class bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a standing rib roast is a thing of beauty, and I've managed to find a couple that will blow you away.
For me, the mountain-grown Cabs of the Napa Valley are my personal favorites. The high altitude means slower and more even ripening, and the rocky soils typically found in these sites stress the vines and lead to immense concentration and more complex flavors.
Two of the best Mountain Cabs I had this year were the 2019 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder, and the 2021 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain.
Up first is the 97-point-rated Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon. Those are their Mount Veeder vineyards in the picture above. Founded in 2007, this is one of the top estates on the mountain, and the wine is made by the highly-talented Chris Carpenter, one of the Valley's top winemakers. With vineyards situated at nearly 2,000 feet in elevation, the terrain is rugged up there, and all of the vineyard work is done by hand.
In the thrilling 2019 vintage, this snagged a bunch of big scores -- 97 points from Decanter, 96 from Vinous Media, and 95 from Jeb Dunnuck. Keep in mind they all reviewed this back in 2022, when the wine was released; with 3 more years of bottle conditioning, this has really shaped up, and I think it's a wine that warrants 98-100 points.
The finished wine is pure class and pedigree, with a wonderful nose of dark raspberry, cassis, blackcurrant, graphite, mint, and cocoa nib. Complex and perfumed, it coats the palate with full-bodied concentration and fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Drink this classic Mount Veeder Cab now and/or over the next 2 decades.
Also worthy of your consideration, and just as compelling is Robert Craig's 2021 Howell Mountain Cabernet, and it's also on deal for $89.99 per bottle best price. It was Robert Craig who was one of the pioneers of Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, and their mastery of this category is on full display in this wine.
Situated at 2,300 feet in elevation, Craig's nearly 50-year-old vines yielded a monumental wine in the sensational 2021 vintage. These old vines only provide about 1 ton per acre, and those hand-harvested grapes are just bursting with intense flavor and character. Even better, this is drinking quite well at the moment, especially after 2 hours in the decanter.
Rated 96 points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media, this stuff is inky-dark and packed with delicious flavors of crème de cassis, blackberry, mulberry, mountain wildflowers, crushed rocks, lavender, and dark chocolate. About as full bodied as red wine gets, this will offer wonderful drinking through 2040.
Make your holiday meal, especially if it's beef or lamb, shine even brighter with a good old American-made wine. You'll be glad you did!
Cheers, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
