Resembling a giant staircase, Mount Veeder's vines are planted on wide terraces of earth cut into steep slopes. At elevations of 1,000 to 1,600 feet, the microclimate is very different from the Napa Valley floor. Above the fog bank, exposed to the gentle morning sun and protected from the afternoon heat by the surrounding mountains, grapes on these vines ripen slowly and evenly. And in autumn, the mountain's cool days and warm nights mean extra hang time.
Our three ranches on Mount Veeder bask in the clear mountain sunshine high above Napa Valley. Estate ranches range in altitude from 1,000 to 1,600 feet in elevation to provide diverse microclimates for a wide variety of growing conditions and fruit profiles. All of the key Bordeaux grapes prosper, keeping with the tradition of being the first vineyard in California planted to all five Bordeaux varieties.
Michael and Arlene Bernstein were the first to plant grapevines on Mount Veeder in 1970. When 59 of their original Cabernet cuttings took root and flourished, they knew they were on to something. Encouraged by their friend and Napa legend Robert Mondavi, the Bernsteins established the first winery on Mount Veeder.
At the time, the Mount Veeder AVA did not exist. Undaunted, Michael and Arlene became the driving force behind its establishment. They later made history as the first vintners in Napa Valley to plant Petit Verdot, and the first to plant all five of the classic Bordeaux varieties on the same property.
Today, Mount Veeder Winery has three vineyard ranches nestled high in the Mayacamas Mountains, producing powerfully flavorful, concentrated wines that express their unique mountain terroir.
The goal at Mount Veeder Winery is to foster the natural balance of the vine and preserve the integrity of the land with a dedication to crafting wines that are the purest expression of this ruggedly beautiful site. Respecting the land and cultivating grapevines on Mount Veeder isn’t a simple task. The challenge lies in the ability not only to produce great wines, but also to improve the sustainability of the vineyards, prevent erosion, improve the quality of the runoff water, allow the deer and wildlife a place to live, and have the vineyard live in harmony with nature.
Many steps are taken in order to accomplish these goals, including a strict attention to erosion control. Following the contours of the land, the vines cannot be planted in long, straight rows; instead, the rows are laid out in shorter, curving pieces. Top soil is shallow and precious, so installation of extensive drainage systems is essential to protect against soil erosion. Water collector basins are created along the inside of the terraces, emptying into underground drainage pipes that run through the vineyards.
A cover crop of grasses and clover plus an organic mix of legumes that fix nitrogen levels and add organic matter back into the soil restore nutrients and help to control erosion. Organic composts also help maintain the vines’ nutritional balance. Compost is spread in the fall so that soil microbes and nutrients can penetrate the soil with the winter rains.
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Weingut Prager Stockkultur Achleiten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd is made from 100 percent Gruner Veltliner.
Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.
Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.
Stockkultur is a 0.3-hectare plot at the top of Achleiten and was purchased by Toni Bodenstein in 2005. The name refers to the old style of training each vine to a single stake; the traditional method of vine cultivation in the Wachau before the 1950s. The vines planted in 1938 are among the oldest in the Wachau.
Tasting Notes:
Prager’s stylistic signature is that of aromatic complexity coupled with power and tension. High-density planting and long hang times ensure ripe fruit flavors and concentration, yet allowing leaves to shade the fruit lend vibrant aromatics of grasses, herbs, and wildflowers. Minerality is a constant feature of any Prager wine.
Food Pairing:
With minimum alcohol of 12.5%, Grüner Veltliner Smaragd is a concentrated and full-bodied dry white wine. Its intensity of flavor and ripeness of fruit make it ideal with high-integrity ingredients such as seared white fish or sautéed spring vegetables. Grüner Veltliner is a classic accompaniment to Wiener Schnitzel.
Review:
From vines planted in 1937 and picked as the first of the Smaragd wines, the 2020 Ried Achleiten Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Stockkultur (planted with 15,000 vines per hectare) opens with a spectacular deep and complex but refined, fresh and flinty bouquet with intense, ripe pear and biscuit aromas. On the palate, this is a dense and lush yet pure, elegant and complex, wide and powerful but also mineral Achleiten with a long, finely tannic and still sweet finish (due to more than 30 grams per liter of dry extract). Tasted at the domaine in June 2021.
At Prager, I could not determine that 2020 would be inferior to the 2019 vintage; on the contrary, the 2020 Smaragd wines fascinated me enormously in their clear, cool, terroir-tinged way. A 38% loss had occurred mainly because of the hail on August 22, although predominantly in the Federspiel or Riesling vineyards. There was no damage in the top vineyards such as Ried Klaus, Achleiten or Zwerithaler. "Interestingly, the vines are in agony for about two weeks after the hail. There was no more growth, no development of ripeness and sugar," reports Toni Bondenstein. The Veltliner then recovered earlier, while even picking a Riesling Federspiel in October was still a struggle. "Why Riesling reacted more intensively to the hail, I don't know myself either," says Bodenstein. Whole clusters were pressed to preserve acidity and to compensate for the lower extract, and compared to 2019, the 2020s were left on their lees longer. In June, however, the 20s in particular showed outstanding early shape.
-Wine Advocate 96 Points
Saumaize Michelin Macon Vergisson Sur Roche is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Harmonious, fresh and clean aromas of fresh apple, lemon, orange blossom, white flower. Pure, crisp, silky and fine texture. Ripe fruit flavors and good acidity.