Deep gold color; green apple, pear, white peach, Meyer lemon-lime, cantaloupe, honeysuckle, orange blossom, spice, wet stone, saline, minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; no-to-light tannins, acidity approaching racy (3.2 pH). Medium body. Solid, no surprises wine, from an historically excellent vintage in Napa, sometimes touted as the “immaculate perfection” year. Unquestionably delivers delicious; this is very good after 12 years and steadily improves with time in glass. Wine sent as sample after 12 years, which is surprising. It certainly has held up for the dozen years. Still fresh. Hints of quince and beeswax emerging. Long finish. Tastes more like a Burgundian white than a California chard. 14.5% ABV
Grapes come from Mount Veeder, elevation of 1,800-2,400 feet, engendering 30+ degree diurnal shifts. Volcanic tufa and fractured basalt contribute to flinty minerality. Restricted yields concentrate flavors. Most of the vines are dry farmed, deepening root systems and further concentrating flavor. Fermented in stainless steel, neutral oak. Malolactic conversion suppressed to create tension with the textural weight. Wine aged on the lees for eight months with weekly bâtonnage. The result is an extremely solid wine built to continue to mature and evolve for another decade or more—which is what high quality chardonnay can do, and what this high quality chardonnay has done.
John Hentry Fisher, a San Francisco pickle merchant, founded Mayacamas in 1889 when he purchased rugged acres on Mount Veeder. He built a stone winery from volcanic rocks found on site, a facility that remains operational today. The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed Fisher’s pickle business and forced a bankruptcy auction. The Brandin family owned the land during Prohibition. Chemist Jack Taylor and his wife, Mary, acquired it in 1941. They rebranded the estate as Mayacamas Vineyards, a name derived from the Wappo native American term for “howl of the mountain lion.” The brand logo today features two lions within a stylized “M”.
In 1968, Bob and Eleanor Travers purchased Mayacamas. The new owners gained international recognition when their 1971 cabernet sauvignon was part of the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” tasting. The wine did not win, but simply being in the competition enhanced its reputation. Location is central to Mayacamas position. The estate covers 475 acres on Mount Veeder in the mountain range that divides Napa and Sonoma. Some 49 acres are under vine. The winery sits dramatically on the edge of an extinct volcano crater at 1,800 feet elevation and the vineyard climbs above it.
The Schottenstein Family, owners of American Eagle Outfitters, acquired Mayacamas in 2013 with a commitment to continue the Mayacamas tradition. The website notes: “Our team’s commitment to tradition is borne out of a deep affection for our history—that spirit has informed our careful, considerate, and comprehensive restoration of the estate. In both the winery and in the vineyard, our love of Mayacamas’ singular style drives us to continue employing the traditional methods and pioneer-spirit of our predecessors.” The vineyards have been certified organic since 2013, the year of this effort.
Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2013 is the transition vintage between the Travers family and present owners the Schottenstein Family. Supplied to wine critics a dozen years after harvest, the wine vividly demonstrates how well a well-made chardonnay can age. Still fresh. Long finish. Tastes more like a Burgundian white than a California chard. Unquestionably can be appreciated on its own or with simple charcuterie board. Pair with lobster with garlic butter sauce, seared scallops; herb-roasted chicken with caramelized onions, pork tenderloin with apple-fennel compote; wild mushroom risotto, roasted vegetable tart with butternut squash. Cheese—aged manchego (18+ months), aged parmigiano-reggiano (24 months), delice de Bourgogne, brillat-savarin, aged cheddar, gruyère alpage, truffled brie, comté (24 months); avoid blue cheeses, fresh chevre, smoked gouda. $40-45
