Wine of the Month

Mounts Family Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon
2007

The Wine – Wow, what a nice Cab!  This dark ruby hued wine has a nose full of cassis, black cherry, black raspberry and licorice.  It also has a hint of oak.  On the palate I picked up the cassis, along with some red current, vanilla and a dark chocolate covered cherry.  The finish was lovely, with the fruit lingering a nice long time.  I really love this wine now, and it will be drinking nicely for years to come.

My Experiences Visiting The Winery – Mounts Family Winery sits on a beautiful piece of property in the Dry Creek Valley region of Sonoma.  We tasted in an outdoor picnic-like setting, overlooking a valley of vineyards. We were there on Valentine’s Day of 2010, and they were serving some wonderful cupcakes and chocolate along with the wine tastes.  The owners are very welcoming in a genuine way.  David Mounts is also the winemaker and does a bang up job!  We especially loved this Cab, along with their Cabernet Franc and their Syrah.

The Journey – We came across Mounts Family Winery by accident.  While driving to another winery, we saw some balloons with a sign, inviting us to Mounts for Valentine’s Day.  We love discovering new places, so we headed their way.  The drive up to their winery is on a long, gorgeous driveway that leads to some beautiful views and some wonderful wines!

Pride Mountain 
Cabernet Sauvignon
2007

The Wine – This is a truly lovely full-bodied wine.  The color is a dark ruby.  On the nose there is currant, cherry and, believe it or not, a vanilla milkshake.  I know that sounds as if it may be over oaked, but it really isn’t.  On the palate there is licorice and the currant, along with some blackberry.  I found the tannins to be evident, but not overpowering.  The wine is very drinkable now, although one should decant it for at least an hour.  With time, this wine will become even better.  I rate this wine 91 points.

82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot
50% Napa / 50% Sonoma

My Experiences Visiting The Winery – This is one of my favorite wineries in California, not only because of the wines, but also because of the tasting experience.  When you go deep into the caves, you’ll get some fabulous barrel tastings.  This isn’t the typical “tour”.  This is a very special tasting.  On one of our visits we were shown the actual county line that separates Sonoma from Napa.  We also had the opportunity to see the Wine Maker, Sally Johnson, doing “her thing” during harvest.

An appointment is needed for a tasting here.

The Journey – Pride Mountain Vineyards is on Spring Mountain.  The Napa and Sonoma county lines are literally on their property.  You need to drive some beautifully curvy mountain roads to get there, but it’s worth it for many reasons.  When you get to the winery, the views are magnificent, and so are the wines!