The last time we sold a Random Ridge Cabernet, we sold out in just a few hours. Today’s Random Ridge 2015 Mt. Veeder District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a Wine Spies Exclusive - and we have every bottle that the winery would part with. At today’s price, we anticipate a sell-out!

This wine is something of a departure from Bill Hawley’s usual, fresh-fruity Cabernet Sauvignon. And that’s something that is apparent immediately upon opening. The nose is bold, complicated and a bit gamey, but don’t let this puzzle you overly. As the wine breathes (decant or swirl for best results), this initial ‘funk’ blows off, replaced by aromas that are truly original for a Random Ridge wine. Present are perfumed fruit and incense, offering a heady preview of what is to come on the palate.

Intimidating in the glass, with a dense garnet hue fading to a lighter marmalade lip. The nose prepares you for a wild ride with fragrant notes of sandalwood, cedar, strawberry preserves, white pepper, and potpourri. Taking a sip, the strawberry jam becomes more pronounced, joined by a heaping serving of fresh wild strawberry. The spice takes off as well with holiday spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Other fruit notes include rhubarb and cherry. The wine drinks more like a hearty Zinfandel with big fruit-forward notes charging forward with lighter tannins that play a background role. If you’re enjoying the last leg of summer, this is the wine for the final days on the BBQ - go with a rack of baby-back ribs, thickly coated with Texas-style sauce.

This young wine drinks very nicely after a little decanting. We recommend that you enjoy a few bottles now and that you lay down some additional bottles for the next several years. This wine will only continue to improve.

Mt. Veeder, located on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas range, has a climate that is cooler than the valley floor below. This climate and the more difficult (less fertile) volcanic mountain soil influence the flavors of the wines from this region. Best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, the region also produces Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay. The premium vineyards of the Mt. Veeder appellation produce grapes of exceptional character, density, and intensity.