Wing Canyon is a special wine for us. It’s a friendship that spans more than two decades and we’ve seen owners Bill and Kathy battle so many challenges over the years, most recently the loss their house and vines to the Nuns fire of 2017.
Mt Veeder is not an easy place to grow grapes. While it’s only a few miles from the Napa Valley floor where rowdy tourists crowd the highways, the mountains are still wild and rugged in a way the rest of Napa is not. The narrow and twisting road to Wing Canyon is a challenge even when it’s not washed out. It’s shrouded by towering red woods, white oak and maple trees. The wild life is active and keep you on your toes as they constantly dart out of the thick forest. At over 2,000 feet, this is the highest point in Napa and it’s on these remote, misty slopes that some of the most storied and Iconic California wines have been born.
In the case of Wing Canyon, we see one of the last true hidden gems of Napa. Bill and Kathy have rebuilt their tiny property, and are now producing just a few hundred cases of wine a year.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a nod to the mountains where it was born. Ripe, red and black fruit is backed up by a sturdy structure and fine tannins. It’s complex and nuanced the way so few Napa wines can be in their youth. While I’m sure this would make wonderful drinking in 8 or 10 years, I doubt there will be many bottles left. This is a charming wine that delivers a lot of pleasure now, and I don’t think you will find a better value in these increasingly rare and treasured hills.
