2020 Mayacamas Chardonnay Mount Veeder

2020 CHARDONNAY – MT. VEEDER, NAPA VALLEY High on the slopes of Mount Veeder, Mayacamas Vineyards has been a source of legendary California wine since 1889. Since the 1950’s the vinification and élevage of Mayacamas remains remarkably consistent and our continued commitment to employ classical techniques and tools is integral to the character of these wines. The mountain terroir at Mayacamas ranges from 1,800 to 2,400 feet in elevation and the estate spans 475 acres, only 50 of which are dedicated to vine. The region’s richly intense, age-worthy wines reflect the independent spirit of its mountain growers and vintners, borne of rugged conditions that demand craftsmanship at the highest level. 

About Winery

Founded in 1889, Mayacamas stands as one of the most storied vineyard and winery operations in the history of American wine. Through its more than 125 years of production, Mayacamas has earned its place as a standard-bearer of traditional winemaking, and the source of some of California’s most iconic and longest-lived bottles.

Named for mountain range that divide the Napa and Sonoma valleys, the old stone winery was dug into the side of a dormant volcano crater in 1889 and has remained in production ever since. For generations, methods and tools have been passed from owner to owner, and the Mayacamas style has remained remarkably consistent.

As the newest owners in a lineage of pioneering caretakers spanning numerous generations, we faithfully steward Mayacamas towards a bright future, ever mindful of the great traditions of the past. Since 2013, our team has worked tirelessly to restore all aspects of the Mayacamas operation, ensuring continued success for this unique American story.

The most famous American wine region, and one of the most highly regarded in the world. The first grapes were planted here, northeast of San Francisco (with a climate influenced by an arm of San Francisco Bay), in the mid-19th century; one of the earliest commercial wineries, Charles Krug, still in operation, was founded in 1861. Wineries proliferated in the late 19th century and, after a downturn during Prohibition, the Napa wine scene continued to expand. The so-called "Paris tasting" (later renamed "The Judgment of Paris") in 1976 — in which a panel of French wine experts rated cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay from the Napa Valley higher than their famous and far more expensive French counterparts — brought international renown (and higher prices) to the valley's wines. While these remain the two most widely grown grapes in Napa (the cabernet is particularly highly regarded), scores of other varieties are planted and do well here. There are now at least 450 wineries in the Napa Valley (700 or so in Napa County as a whole), from modest warehouse facilities to multi-million-dollar showplaces mimicking European castles, and the area has become a major tourist attraction.