Michael-Scott
2022 Cabernet Sauvignon
, Napa Valley
Mt. Veeder
95 Points - Chris Sawyer "Sommelier to the Stars"
This bold and luxurious mountain wine opens with inviting aromas of wild berries, black fig and ripe dark fruits intertwined with hints of fresh mountain herb, mineral, leather, savory spices, and cigar box. On the palate, the rich fruit flavors of dark cherry, ripe plum, blackberry, red currants and cassis are layered with notes of wild sage, dark chocolate truffle, cinnamon, clove, and a kiss of fine French oak which add depth and length to the finish. The result is a wine that is silky smooth, naturally rich, vibrant, powerful and complex. A true hillside gem that's approachable now and worthy of cellaring for 10+ years, if you can wait that long.
Food Pairings
Grilled Rib Eye Steak · Lamb Sliders · Roast duck with a cherry reduction · Roasted Eggplant · Cheddar cheese · Flourless chocolate cake
Vintage
Up until Labor Day 2022, the weather had been relatively benign. Abundant winter rains at the end of 2021 and the start of 2022 alleviated the three-year drought. Budbreak was early, occurring in mid to late March or early April for most Bordeaux varieties. In fact, May, June, July, and August 2022 were about as smooth sailing as grape growing gets. The heatwave that came in the fall with the up and down temperatures, led producers to decide when to harvest the grapes. Wineries that made quick picking decisions were rewarded with well-balanced wines. The end result for many were a brilliant series of stylish, well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon that are opulent and showy at first, becoming richer and more complex as flavors develop in the glass.
Mt. Veeder
Tucked away on the heavily wooded slopes of the southern Mayacamas Range, Mt. Veeder produces fruit of incredible concentration and structural integrity. At elevations reaching up to 2,400 feet, the vines struggle in shallow, volcanic, and ancient seabed soils, resulting in some of the smallest berries and lowest yields in Napa Valley. This unique terroir, influenced by the cool breezes of San Pablo Bay, allows for a longer growing season that imparts a signature "mountain soul"—a complex profile defined by dark brambly fruit, high-toned acidity, and deep, gravelly tannins.
Limited Release
This vintage commemorates the 30th anniversary of the boutique Michael-Scott brand. This limited bottling is crafted with ultra-premium fruit grown on the rugged, high-elevation slopes of Mt. Veeder in the Napa Valley—an appellation world-renowned for its low yields and profound mountain character.
Winemaker: Michael Quinn
Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley
Barrel Aging: 20 Months in French Oak
Vintage: 2022
Alcohol: 14.7%
Celebrating 30 years of Michael-Scott Wines, a boutique Napa-based brand founded by Michael Quinn in 1996. Along the way, Quinn’s devotion to crafting world class wines have earned the respect of critics, sommeliers, retailers, and a long string of top medals at high-profile wine competitions. The secret of their success starts with working with high-quality grapes and paying close attention to detail during the fruit’s transformative journey from the vine to the bottle.
Founded in 1996, Michael Quinn created a boutique winery located on the westside of the town of Napa, specializing in select small lots of mostly Napa/Sonoma (Dry Creek) Zinfandels and Napa Valley (sub-appellation) Cabernets (eg. Diamond Mtn., Mt. Veeder, Calistoga, St. Helena, Howell Mtn., Oakville, and Rutherford) from fruit grown with sustainable and eco-friendly techniques. These award-winning wines are mostly sold Direct-to-Consumer.
The premium lots are quite small (typically 200-300 cases of each, sometimes only 100 or so cases) compared to what most commercial brands produce. They make the smaller lots at the Brown’s Valley property located just to the west of the town of Napa, while utilizing a couple other facilities for larger production wines as well as the private label brands.
Michael Quinn, a Napa native, began his career in Viticulture, at a young age in 1975 with Charles Krug / Mondavi Family. Five years later he was Vineyard Manager of the historic Stanly Ranch in the early 80’s growing Pinot Noir for Beaulieu Vineyards and Domaine Chandon. From there Michael moved into the sales and marketing side of the business with a fine wine distributor in Northern California. After that he consulted and handled national sales for a number of smaller Northern California wineries. In 1996, Michael-Scott became a reality. Michael, the sole owner, is mostly involved in the day to day operations with an emphasis on Production, National Sales and Marketing. Being a small winery Michael is required to a number of different hats each day to produce the fines wines from carefully selected fruit sources.
Learn more at www.michaelscottwines.net
As a reminder, due to legal restrictions on shipments of wine and other alcoholic beverages, we are only permitted to ship to the following states:
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WY.
Temperature Control Shipping
All Central, Midwest & Eastern orders ship via temp control truck.
