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Hello Mountain Wine Club,

Spring has arrived, bringing with it a season of new beginnings and new wines to explore. Our April shipment celebrates vineyards at the peak of their expression. These wines offer you the opportunity to experience noble grape varieties painstakingly cultivated in the rare terroir of Napa Valley’s finest mountain vineyards.

Perched between 1,400 and 1,800 feet on the western slopes of Mt. Veeder, Mt. Brave Vineyard has a rich heritage dating back to 1841. This historic vineyard thrives in a challenging environment, where rocky, nutrient-poor soils and steep terrain push the vines to produce small, thick-skinned grapes packed with concentration and structure. Rising above the morning fog, the site benefits from long, sun-drenched days tempered by cool mountain air, allowing the fruit to ripen slowly and evenly. The 2022 Mt. Brave Malbec reflects this preeminent mountain terroir, offering layers of blueberry and strawberry compote on the mid-palate, framed by lively acidity and firm, elegant tannins.

On the opposite side of the valley, the story continues in the eastern highlands of Howell Mountain. Rising between 1,400 and 2,500 feet, the La Jota Vineyard Co.’s estate vineyard features volcanic soils that create strikingly structured wines. Its small-production Cabernet Franc is sourced from one of Napa Valley’s oldest blocks planted to this variety (a parcel adjacent to its century-old stone winery), with additional fruit from the distinguished W.S. Keyes Vineyard. This Cabernet Franc shows a beautiful equilibrium of fruit, floral notes, and minerality, with an intrinsic ability to age gracefully for decades. 

The W.S. Keyes estate vineyard sits at 1,825 feet, high above the fog ling, where temperatures are cool but moderate, and where both Merlot and Chardonnay get extra time to ripen to perfection. The vines bask in a steady breeze, sunlit and surrounded by a stately, murmuring forest. The austere soils are a combination of white, volcanic rock—both hard and powdery—and red clay. Soils are lean, drainage is good, and vines are forced to struggle, sending down deep roots, yielding small grapes possessed of deep, concentrated flavor. This Chardonnay expresses a beautiful harmony of orchard and stone fruit, supported by a vibrant core of acidity that lifts the palate and carries through to a long, refreshing finish.

Each selection in your shipment provides a window into these unique appellations, shaped by their particular combination of soil, sun, fog, and the dedicated hands that farm their formidable slopes. Whether you choose to enjoy them now or let them develop further in your cellar, these wines are meant to be shared and savored for their depth, concentration, and vitality—qualities that mountain vineyards deliver in spades.