92 points from the Tasting Panel:
This red offers stand-out scents of dark chocolate and blackberry cobbler. Rich and round with subtle tannins, and a dusty mouthfeel. Coffee and wildflowers combine for an expansive array of flavors and aromas. Plum and oak enter mid-way, tangling with good acidity for fine food pairing abilities.
The winery says:
A Bordeaux-obsessed blend featuring layer upon layer of ripe fruit - think boysenberry, cranberry and pomegranate - followed by a hint of toasty oak. Our Mountain Cuvée is a medium-bodied, red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot packed with juicy red fruit, black currants and and a dark chocolate finish. We’re getting silky tannins. Hints of oak and cedar. And an elegant structure with a finish that’s a real crowd-pleaser. Enjoy it on its own or paired up with something as perfectly unassuming as the wine (we especially love it with backyard burgers).
Also rated outstanding and second-best ever by the Wine Enthusiast:
Velvety in texture and full in body, this moderately tannic wine is packed with milk chocolate, black cherries and vanilla flavors. It is quietly powerful, and its rich chocolaty character lingers on the finish.
Dunnuck rated the 2019 vintage of this 93 points, but this 2021 is even finer.
What’s remarkable about all of these is how Gundlach-Bundschu manages to combine the deep, powerful and concentrated qualities of top mountain fruit with such a silky/velvety and just attractive polish.
As winemaker Keith Emerson (also the winemaker for Vineyard 29) explains it:
Cool climate allows for slow ripening and a longer growing season. On average, our budbreak occurs weeks before much of Napa Valley and we harvest our grapes one month later as well. Longer hangtime with cooler temperatures means aromas, flavors, color, and tannins develop slowly and fully while retaining acidity and freshness, enhancing the depth and complexity of our wines without sacrificing structure and balance. As a result, we are able to produce elegant varietal wines with richness and layers that are equally approachable on release and able to develop and age beautifully
What’s more, their wines are all just remarkably reasonable for what they deliver…in part because they’ve owned their extraordinary vineyards for so long. Since 1858!
