2017 Anthem Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

Anthem Winery and Vineyards was established in 2009 by Justin and Julie Arbuckle to produce small-batch, ultra-premium wine. Jeff Ames is winemaker and John Truchard is vineyard manager. Both have respected track records in Napa Valley. Ames worked as assistant to star winemaker Thomas Brown on projects for Schrader, Maybach and Tor. In 2003 he became head winemaker at Tor. Truchard is a second-generation Napa Valley vineyard developer and manager. He manages 25 vineyards. Anthem’s debut release was the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder. Anthem in 2010 produced Cabernet Sauvignon from prestigious Beckstoffer Vineyard fruit, and produced a Mt. Veeder Merlot. The wines have earned ratings in the mid-90s from reviewers.

Mount Veeder AVA was established in 1993, though its origins as a wine producing district date to the 19th century. A German Presbyterian pastor named Peter Veeder was one of the first landowners in the area, and by 1864 one of his neighbors, a German sea captain named Stelham Wing, was producing wine commercially. The area continued to attract German agricultural entrepreneurs, some of whom established the estate that would later become the Christian Brothers Mont La Salle winery. Today the AVA includes about 1,000 acres of vineyards, most of them at relatively high altitudes. The Mayacamas vineyard, for instance, is at 2,400 feet. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.