November 20, 2009 10:17 pm

Robert Craig Wines: High-Altitude Winemaking

Napa Valley is a wine lover's paradise and is practically synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape thrives in the warm climate and with varied growing terrains in the region, Napa terroir notes range according to the land, from the fertile valley to the rocky mountainsides.

Robert Craig pioneered and changed mountain winemaking in the area with his Hess Collection in the 1980's, and now after thirty years of winemaking, he is gaining plenty of praise for his four signature mountain Cabernets — Affinity, Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain. His 2006 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on Craig's 26-acre, single vineyard of the southwestern Napa mountain range.

Its high elevation and mountainous terrain result in a wine that is rich in fruit and high in alcohol (14.8%!). Due to the less lush terrain, the grape produces less wine (in this case, 1700 cases) and fruitier flavor. This Bordeaux-style blend is 81% Cabernet and 19% Merlot yielding a fruit-forward wine of intense black fruit and soft tannins.

The wine is 20-month French Oak aged providing a taste of cedar and mocha, rounding out the fruit. Its dark berry and oak flavors would lend itself well to a pairing of duck, lamb, game and fall-appropriate dish like pork and spiced apples. I would also pair the wine with softer, earthy, stinky cheeses like Gorgonzola, bleu cheese and Camembert to balance out the fruit forwardness. While this wine is well structured and balanced, the wine is still young, so I would not recommend drinking the wine now or decanting (which I thought was a good idea to loosen its heat). However, this is a great drinking wine and great for those looking to sample Cabernet Sauvignon (not heavy in tannin, earthiness or spice) and the different terroir notes of Napa Valley.

Photo credit: Robert Craig Winery

— Written by Katherine Kims

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