Mayacamas
Chardonnay
Mount Veeder
2021

The producer

Mayacamas Vineyards is a historic winery located near the summit of Mount Veeder in Napa Valley. Established in 1889 by German immigrant John Henry Fisher, the winery has undergone several ownership changes over the years. In 2013, it was acquired by investor Charles Banks in partnership with the Schottenstein family. 
 
The estate spans approximately 475 acres, with vineyards situated at elevations ranging from 1,800 to 2,200 feet. The diverse soil profiles include compressed volcanic ash, fractured volcanic cobbles, gravelly loam, and cobbled clay. This unique terroir contributes to the distinctive character of their wines. 
 
Mayacamas is known for its classically styled wines that emphasize restraint, finesse, and longevity. Their portfolio includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay (mainly) among others. The winemaking process involves hand-harvesting grapes, followed by fermentation in a combination of concrete tanks, stainless steel tanks, and oak cooperage. 

The wine

Mayacamas Chardonnay benefits from the unique terroir of the cooler, high-elevation Mount Veeder AVA, where an extended growing season promotes the development of vibrant acidity alongside complex fruit characteristics. 

The wine’s pronounced minerality and bright citrus notes, are complemented by layers of stone fruit that emerge as the vines mature. In the winery, a minimal intervention philosophy is upheld through controlled native yeast fermentations and temperature management, followed by aging in large oak barrels that introduce delicate hints of toasted vanilla and spice without dominating the varietal’s inherent freshness.

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.