Mission Codename On Mountain High
“A gorgeous set of wines from Raymond… done in a racy, exuberant style that offers quite a bit of immediacy.” – Vinous
I’m channeling my inner Will Ferrel today, feeling like I just met Santa on Christmas morning.
“I love you! I love you! I LOVE YOU!” 🎶
I mean..c’mon. RAYMOND. Everybody loves Raymond. The show AND the wine.
Especially at 55% off retail!
This is a huge win for us, and we’re thrilled to say the least: Raymond’s majestic Mountain District Cab from the epic 2019 vintage, for anywhere near this price? A rare sight for sure.
This blend combines fruit from mountain sources that power each of their single vineyard designates. Those designates pull BIG scores on their own (95 points is pretty much the average) and while this one has not been scored; we feel pretty confident dishing out our own similar rating.
A pioneer dating back to 1970, Raymond now comprises 300 acres in Rutherford, St Helena, and Coombsville. They also pull fruit from some of the best Napa vineyards which make up the black-label District Collection, under which there are five mountain district Cabs. So, this is a barrel select blend of Howell Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain, Atlas Peak, and Mount Veeder!
Five generations created and evolved this Napa icon. Today, its enduring reputation for elegant and powerful wines is under the highly accomplished hands of Jean-Charles Boisset. Robert Parker once noted “The quality of the wines has soared under Boisset’s helmsmanship. Much to his credit, Raymond Vineyards has returned to the fold as one of the benchmark, classic estates in all of Napa.”
Credit also due to winemaking genius Stephanie Putnam. She boasts many harvests at Far Niente and Hess Collection and innumerable accolades including Top 100 hits with Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Cabernet of the Year by The Wine News.
And this is just the perfect example of powerful mountain-grown Cab from Napa. Rich, with concentrated flavors and velvety tannins, it comes correct with deep dark fruit aromas over tobacco and lush tobacco. On the palate, ripe cherry, blackcurrants, and espresso play nicely together and linger with a silky finish. Off the chart’s aromatics and texture, either savor it now with juicy steaks, or cellar for decades, the rewards are open-ended.
We’re still a bit shocked to have this stunner in our hands. But it won’t be here for long at under $50!
What the Winery Says
2019 'Mountain District' Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Stephanie Putnam
- Varietal
- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage
- 2019
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Appellations
- Howell, Diamond & Spring Mountains, Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder
- pH
- 3.82 g/L
- TA
- 6.3 g/L
- Aging
- 19 months
- Barrels
- 30% new French oak