Edition 24 | November 2018

Greetings from the Mountain Wine Club!

Just in time for the most festive season of the year, this shipment brings you rare mountain wines that are going to be fantastic with your
holiday celebrations.

The 2015 Restricted Syrah is our Mountain Wine Club members-only wine. This comes from our Yverdon Vineyard in Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, a fabulous vineyard for Syrah. It has a bit of Mourvèdre that we co-ferment with the Syrah, and I add Cabernet Sauvignon on the back end for structure — a technique I learned in Australia and I’ve brought to California, and ultimately to all of you.

The 2007 Mt. Brave Merlot from Mt. Veeder in Napa Valley is an extraordinary representative of this variety. This was the very first vintage of Mt. Brave Merlot, and we held back some of it so we could release it to our Mountain Wine Club members 10 years later. Merlot has great depth, complexity, stature, and power, and some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world are Merlot based.

The 2005 La Jota Vineyard Co. Heritage Release Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. I consider this wine to be the highest expression of what our La Jota estate vineyards have to offer; it is the best of the best. On the palate, dark fruit and mocha flavors are intertwined with the pronounced minerality inherent in our La Jota wines. The firm tannins and perfectly balanced acidity support the flavors through the expansive, lengthy finish. This is a wine of great texture, complexity, and aging potential.

I know that as Mountain Wine Club members, you’ll appreciate these wines. I hope you share them with your friends and family, and have a warm
and wonderful holiday season.

Peace,

Chris Carpenter, Winemaker