Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2013  £440.00

Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Established in 1995, Lokoya is a collection of four distinct Cabernet Sauvignons from four of Napa Valley’s most celebrated mountain appellations: Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Diamond Mountain. These limited-production wines are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented with native yeast, and bottled unfined and unfiltered, resulting in the purest expression of place.

Cabernet Sauvignon as lens, site as conveyor—the grape variety and winemaking for the four wines remain consistent, allowing the vineyard sites to shine with the climate, soils and sunlight all fully expressed in the glass.

Given the high elevation of the sites, the vineyards demand constant attention. The deep understanding of the vineyard trajectory in each vintage comes from Winemaker Christopher Carpenter’s years of expertise. Intervention is kept to a minimum both in the vineyard and in the cellar, leaving the fruit to express itself as naturally and eloquently as possible.

Bathed in sunlight on the western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains at the northern end of the Mount Veeder appellation, the Veeder Peak estate vineyard sits at 1,800 feet in elevation. Since 1995, Lokoya has produced a Cabernet Sauvignon from a selection of blocks situated on the steep, mountainous terrain. Struggling in this volcanic soil forces the vines to seek out nutrients and in turn produce berries with intensely concentrated fruit. The wines display defining characteristics of violets and blue fruit with powerful tannins and exceptional ageing potential.

Critic Review

Rating 100

Drink Date 2015 - 2055

Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Source The Wine Advocate

A wine offering notes of grilled steak, steak tartare, beef blood, blueberries and blackberries galore is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder. Everything here emerges from the Jackson-owned Veeder Peak Vineyard. Chris Carpenter agrees that this has to be one of the greatest vintages he’s ever had the pleasure to work with – and he has some serious experience under his belt. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine is utterly profound, and while the scoring system ends at 100, if I had to pick a single wine that may have been my favorite of all the tastings I did in Napa, this could have been my pick. Full-bodied, rich, with incredible integration of its component parts of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood, the wine is lavishly built, has compelling purity, richness and density, and a finish, again, that rivals that of the Howell Mountain, being close to one minute in length. This wine will be certainly approachable young, but last 30-40+ years.

One of the superstars of the Kendall-Jackson portfolio, the Lokoya wines all come from four microclimates in Napa Valley, are made by the brilliant Chris Carpenter, and range in size (production-wise) from a low of 340 cases for the Diamond Mountain to 1,750 for the Mt. Veeder. All of these wines are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from some of the best parcels of vines available, aged in 100% new oak and bottled unfiltered. They have been on an absolute qualitative tear for a number of years and seem to go from strength to strength. We’re dealing with possibly the greatest vintage I have tasted in 37 years of visits to Napa Valley – 2013. So, I suppose these reviews are not that unusual.

*Product excluded from further discounts