Random Ridge
2009 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
California: Mount Veeder (Napa)
Mission Briefing
Codename:Take me to your Veeder
2013 Wine Intrigue Award for Top Small Production Winery of the Year
NOTE: Act quickly, dear Operative! We got our hands on every bottle that the winery had - and we will sell out. Today’s Random Ridge 2009 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolutely stellar wine from one of our closest wine friends, winemaker Bill Hawley.
Celebrate the Wine Intrigue Awards with us by enjoying this incredible, incredible, INCREDIBLE offering from our friend Bill Hawley, the winemaker and proprietor for Random Ridge.
Bill’s Random Ridge 2009 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is the best wine that we’ve ever tasted from this quirky yet very talented winemaker. The wine is flavorful, delicious and so very elegant. We’re crazy about it and we are certain that you will be, too.
This delectable Mount Veeder Cabernet was the biggest hit at our most recent tasting panel. One of our panelists (Agent Nebbiolo) is even buying a case to hand out to his very lucky neighbors.
Did we mention that this wine is incredible?
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Deep, dark, almost midnight crimson at its core. Nearly perfectly opaque, transitioning to a lighter ruby edge. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Big, bold and aromatic, this wine exudes aromas of dark mixed berry compote, braised plum, sweet tobacco leaf, fresh forest floor, white pepper, and hints of cocoa powder. |
| Taste: | Smooth and wonderfully balanced, with concentrated fruit notes of grilled plum, stewed black cherry, and dried blackberry. These dark fruit flavors overlay notes of sweet leather, sandalwood, espresso bean, and dark chocolate truffle, with slight touches of anise and pomegranate tea. |
| Finish: | Truly elegant, this wine is incredibly smooth and finely balanced, with the dark fruit slowly trailing into a well structured, lovely finish. |
| Pairing: | A garlic-encrusted roast rack of lamb, served alongside rosemary-rubbed red potatoes. |
What the Winery Says
Late spring frost & a protracted bloom period led to a record lean harvest of light loose clusters of small perfectly-ripe berries. The wine is a dark & concentrated elixir, redolent with flavors of cherry, licorice, & red currant, lusty & hedonistic. Good to go now, but cellaring will reward. Cabernet Sauvignon with a splash (7%) of Cabernet Franc.
- Winemaker
- Bill Hawley
- Appellation
- Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, California
- Varietal Composition
- 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc
- ABV
- 14.2%
About the Winery
Random Ridge produces fine wines from vineyards pioneered by the Hawley family in the Mayacamas mountains of Napa County, California. We produce wines in very limited quantities from vines meticulously maintained to reflect the essence of the soils in which they grow. We are farmers first but will surf anytime anywhere. Our dedication in the vineyards naturally segues into traditional winemaking practices in the cellar. We strive to enable the fruit to develop its inherent Buddha nature to become wine of complexity harmony & passion.
The vineyard’s intense fruit yields a limited production of exceptional wines that are spicy, extracted, and rich. As Bill Hawley says, they are “wines with alti-dude.”
Winemaker/poet/surfer Bill Hawley
Bill began to pioneer Random Ridge in 1980. At the end of a remote fire road at 2400 feet on California’s stunning Mount Veeder, he built a house for his young family with recycled lumber. The next year he cleared and planted a 10-acre vineyard right on the Napa-Sonoma County ridgeline. Today from the home and vineyard the views of Mount Tamalpais and the San Francisco Bay still dazzle the southern horizon and the sun sets over Sonoma Mountain.
From 1982 to 1988, Bill was employed at Carmenet Vineyard as vineyard manager, mentored by the late great Dick Graff. “…as part of my continuing education, Dick arranged for me to travel to Burgundy and Bordeaux for a month in 1986, visiting cutting-edge producers that shaped my wine aesthetic. Then in 1988 Susan and I traveled to New Zealand and I attended the Cool Climate Viticulture Conference, another mind-blowing trip.”
Bill credits his Chalone experience with introducing him to many winemakers that remain great friends.