Winemaker Janet Myers scores with this beautiful Reserve. It’s straddling fence between rustic and refined, with the best elements of both coming together in this age-worthy bottling. Take some time with the nose here — under layers of oak you’ll find intense cassis backed by notes of fennel, mocha and dried herbs. Grippy mountain tannins pucker the palate, but will subside a bit with some time in the bottle, revealing complex interplay of the nose elements as flavors. I’d start getting into this in about 3 years from now. Rigidly structured wine.
Mount Veeder Winery, Mount Veeder (Napa Valley, California) 2013
By Rich Cook