2013 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Napa Valley 750 ml

97pt Bombshell Ushers in Erickson Era at Mayacamas 

An incredible thing is happening high amidst the fog-shrouded redwoods of Mt. Veeder at Napa Valley’s legendary Mayacamas estate. For decades winemaker Bob Travers crafted mountain beauties that cellared magnificently. But in 2012, Andy Erickson (Ovid, Arietta, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle) began consulting. Among the most respected critics to take notice is Antonio Galloni of Vinous. Collectors should take note too. Here’s why:

This 97-point 2013 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon ranks among Vinous’ highest scores ever for the estate, with Galloni just showering praise. It’s a “huge, dark wine. Virile, imposing and massively structured in the glass,” “dark, bold and incisive, with potent tannins and a real feeling of gravitas to back things up. Black cherry, game, smoke, gravel and licorice add to an impression of brooding intensity.” Unquestionably the result of Erickson’s impeccable pedigree and skill—given his pedigree of perfect scores, it won’t be long before he crafts his first 100-pointer for Mayacamas. Today, just 240 bottles of this blockbuster, benchmark Cabernet are offered at $125 each, with shipping included on all orders.

The story of Mayacamas, one of Napa’s oldest and most acclaimed boutique wineries, begins in 1889, when a German immigrant built the facility out of stones he carved from the ground. By 1968, it had passed into the hands of Bob and Elinor Travers, who instituted a rigorous mountain protocol—hand-harvesting early, short macerations for reds, aging in old barrels. The results skyrocketed Mayacamas into fame in 1976 as their wine took 7th at the historic Judgment of Paris tasting.

2012 will mark another indelible point on the estate’s timeline: That year the wine was vinified by Travers but blended and aged by elite winemaker Andy Erickson, who would take over duties the following year.

The 50 dry-farmed acres of vines are oriented west or south for ideal ripening. Days can be blistering-hot, while nights—particularly at the soaring Mt. Veeder elevation of 1,800 to 2,400 feet—can be quite chilly. Vines up to 40 years in age spider through the rich volcanic soil of slopes so steep they require terracing.

In the exceptional and dry 2013 growing season—a vintage now famously hailed by Robert Parker as the “greatest vintage I’ve tasted in 37 years,” the vineyard crew began harvesting on September 10, and wouldn’t finish until October 8. As in years past, each row was picked at magical maturity. Berries were unusually juicy, while mountain acids and tannins remained firm.

No critical appreciation has captured our sentiments more than Antonio Galloni’s at Vinous. Speaking of the first vintage that Erickson shepherded to conclusion (the 2012) Galloni called it “a real beauty,” praising it as a wine that “captures the essence of the vintage,” rating it 92-95, later moving to 93-96, still leaving room for an upgrade. With Erickson’s hands on the vines from fruit-set to bottling, 2013 earned 93-96 as just a “preliminary blend,” to a 96-point score in December of 2016, and an upgrade to 97 in March of this year. “In many ways, the 2013 reminds me of some of the great wines of the 1970s in its dark, imposing personality,” Galloni wrote, which is just incredible when you consider that in June of 2014 he tasted a 1978 Mayacamas—and rated it 100 points!  

Suffice it to say, it’s a new era at Mayacamas, and collectors will want to get in now before the prices skyrocket into the stratosphere, which is bound to happen if the reviews continue with such glowing praise.