Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Founded in 1889, Mayacamas stands as one of the most storied vineyards in the history of American wine. Through its more than 125 years of production, the estate has been the source of some of California’s most iconic and longest-lived bottles. Renowned for its high altitude vineyards, which provide for a cooler growing environment than valley floor sites, Mayacamas has long stood as the antithesis of the big, flashy Cali Cabs that dominated the 1990s and 2000s. Subtle and elegant, this is a wonderfully detailed and nuanced wine loaded with wild flower aromatics and dark mountain berry fruit. In a word: superb.

98/100 - The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is going to be one of the Legendary Mayacamas, although a more modern- day version. Sporting a vivid ruby, mostly opaque hue as well as sensational aromatics of crème de cassis, ripe cherries, graphite, crayon, and cedar pencils, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, flawless overall balance, ultra-fine, ripe, perfect tannins, and a great finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. The balance, purity, and elegance paired with the subtle, inward richness and power is something. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it was never short of spectacular, with its structure and tannins becoming more evident with air. It's far from the tannic beast that some vintages from this higher elevation terroir on Mount Veeder can be, and it clearly offers immense pleasure even today. Yet, it probably won't hit true prime time for another decade, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this be a 50- to 60-year wine. Bravo. - Jeb Dunnuck

97/100 - The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is fabulous. It's vivid and super-classic to the core, offering up an exotic mélange of dark fruit, espresso, dried herbs, iron, forest floor and incense. The 2021 is a quintessential mountain wine from Mt. Veeder, but there's just enough polish to wrap it all together while avoiding any sense of rusticity. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous