Mayacamas Vineyards, Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

It was almost exactly a month ago that the SommSelect team wound our way up Lokoya Road to Mayacamas Vineyards for a tour and tasting with our pal Jimmy Hayes, the ex-French Laundry sommelier who is now the estate director at this historic Napa Valley property.We were treated to some spectacular vineyard vistas from their perch atop Mount Veeder, capping off the visit with a tasting of their yet-to-be-released 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon—the first vintage produced under Mayacamas’ new ownership and new production team, which includes not just Hayes but acclaimed winemaker Andy Erickson (Screaming Eagle; Harlan Estate) and viticulturist Phil Coturri. We were blown away by the classic, cellar-worthy styling of the 2013 and excitedly arranged to be one of the first retailers to offer the wine. Then, just five days later, wildfires in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino quickly ravaged huge swaths of wine country, including one historic building at Mayacamas, and we spent several weeks in limbo as the